PORT ST. LUCIE — Harrison Bader grew up at Westchester County, played for the New York Yankees and now the New York Mets, but at the Bronx, he’ll always be a New York Gray.

Mr. Bader, 29, made his spring training debut on Tuesday when the Mets played host to the New York Yankees at Clover Field. It marked the first time the projected starting outfield was together with Mr. Bader in center, Brandon Nimmo in left, and Starling Marte in right. Mr. Bader was hitless in one at-bat in a win over a Yankees travel squad that didn’t include many of their top players. 

For Mr. Bader, it was simply another day of preparation in his major league journey that began as a third-round draft pick by the St. Louis Cardinals in 2015. None of it would have been possible without his maturation as a person and a player during his tenure with the New York Grays, an independent youth baseball organization headed by David Owens.

Mr. Bader was 15 years old when Mr. Owens first saw that the teenager from Horace Mann High School could have the talent and drive to reach the summit of the sport. “I told his dad he could be professional if he does everything he needs to do,” Mr. Owens told the Sun. “I don’t say that a lot. But I saw the motivation.  He was very self-motivated. You only had to tell him to do something once.”

Mr. Owens first told the skinny teenager from Bronxville that he needed to get stronger. A year later, Mr. Bader added 20 pounds of muscle. When told he needed to develop his swing, Mr. Bader lived in the batting cage to work on his timing and technique. During his tenure with the Grays, Mr. Bader went from being a prep school Westchester kid to a beloved member of a diverse inner-city team.

“He did all the work and he just got better,” Mr. Owens said. “His teams were very Dominican and he became an honorary Dominican. He saw their passion for the game and how intensely they competed and it seeped into his persona.”

Mr. Bader mentioned Mr. Owens and “my Grays family” while pointing out the important people in his journey to the major leagues and eventually to the Mets, where he is playing on a 1-year contract worth $10.5 million.

It was Mr. Owens who got the attention of legendary University of Florida coach Brad Weitzel and persuaded him to recruit Mr. Bader to a team that included Mets first baseman Pete Alonso. Along with his father, Louis, and Mr. Weitzel, Mr. Bader counts Mr. Owens among the three who have had the most impact on his career.

“Without those three people, I wouldn’t be the baseball player I am,” Mr. Bader tells the Sun. “I wouldn’t have the mindset I have. I think it’s really important to have those figures in your life.”

Mr. Owens founded the New York Grays 18 years ago to help youngsters receive a college education through baseball. The list of alumni to play professional baseball includes Chicago Cubs pitcher Jose Cuas of East New York and Kevin Martir, who is a Double-A hitting coach for the Yankees.

“We’re a baseball club, but we’re developing young men,” Mr. Owens said. “We’re developing good people and productive citizens. Our first goal is to attract kids toward college, and we use baseball as a facilitator to get them into college and get a degree because the chances of them playing professional baseball are pretty slim.”

Mr. Bader beat those odds. Since his major league debut in 2017, he is a career .243 hitter with a .310 on-base percentage, playing for the St. Louis Cardinals, Yankees, and Cincinnati Reds.

Injuries have been an issue. Mr. Bader hasn’t played in at least 100 games since 2021 when he won a Gold Glove for his defensive wizardry.  He is spending this spring training, getting to know his new teammates, and getting physically and mentally prepared for the season.

“I do all the work behind the scenes to go out there and try to put my best foot forward,” Mr. Bader said. “That’s my only focus. I’m going to bring energy. I’m going to bring a high level of focus. I’ve got a lot to prove and I think the fans will enjoy how I go about it.”

Signing with the Mets allows Mr. Bader to stay close to his family, friends, and the Grays. “He always comes back and helps the kids at Grays,” Mr. Owens said. “He brings equipment for them. He gives them his number and allows himself to be exposed and available. It means a lot and says a lot about his character.”

Before the start of spring training, Mr. Bader spent ample time at the Bronx. “We did our old routine,” Mr. Owens said. “We got our Dominican food on the corner. We hit in the dirty cages that we love and just enjoyed being home. He put the work in. That’s why he’s the best outfielder in the world. I think he’s going to have a big year this year.”