Never Giving Up: Justin Toledo’s Journey to the Pros
Ten years ago, you might have spotted young Justin Toledo playing baseball in local parks like Hunting Park, Lighthouse Field, and McVeigh Recreation Park. Today, Justin plays baseball professionally with los Búfalos de San Sebastián in Puerto Rico. His journey has been marked by hard work, perseverance, and overcoming challenges.
Justin’s parents are from Puerto Rico, and he was born and raised in North Philadelphia. Despite the challenges of growing up in Philadelphia, Justin attributes his success to his strong family support system and the choices he made early on. “Growing up in Philadelphia wasn’t the easiest but it ultimately came down to decision making. I chose to play baseball, to sacrifice the childhood I may have wanted but wasn’t what I needed. Baseball kept me out of trouble and from the wrong crowds.” After his 9th grade year, Justin made the pivotal decision to change schools to pursue playing in the high school public league for baseball. His new journey towards baseball began at Esperanza Academy. Justin graduated in 2019 with two All-Public Infielder awards, a Student-Athlete award, and a batting average above .550 his senior year.
In addition to baseball, Justin shared how his time at Esperanza Academy profoundly impacted other areas of his life. When it came time to select a curricular major in High School, Justin chose to study Film. “I learned so much from the help of Mr. Melendez and Mr. Wilkins. I learned about the production of films, color grading to create mood, how to edit films, themes, symbolism, and more. It changed the way I view everything I watch.” His hard work paid off when he submitted his senior film, “A Second Chance”, at the Latin Film Festival and was selected for an honorable mention. Justin shared how studying film still benefits him today: “Now with all that I learned, I create content of all types on social media to share my professional baseball journey and make short films for memories. Making content gives me that same satisfaction I felt when I made films in high school. Studying film changed my life.”
EACS teachers Mr. Gottfried and Mr. Kikendall also made a lasting impression on Justin. “I am extremely grateful to have met these great men and to learn from them. Not only because they are comedic and well-liked but because they are just great human beings. Mr.Gottfried was my mentor in the Mentoros program; those trips were unforgettable. Mr. Kikendall was my first-period teacher my freshman year and from then I would be connected forever. They are the definition of young hard-working men trying to make the kids in a tough city better than before. And for that, I am grateful for them to be a part of my journey.”
After graduation, Justin faced a series of unexpected roadblocks. He did not receive any college scholarship offers, so he decided to attend Flagler College without a scholarship. By mid-year, his plans changed yet again when Covid-19 turned the world upside down. After returning home to Philadelphia to continue his education at Manor College, he found out shortly after the start of the semester that the baseball season was canceled due to Covid. “I was devastated; I withdrew from college and thought my chances for baseball had come to an end. All this hard work went unnoticed after high school. The Covid period made me contemplate my next step, whether I should stop baseball or continue.”
Justin made a bold move in January 2021 when he packed his things and headed to Florida by himself to join a team in Clearwater Beach, hoping to catch the attention of college scouts. When things didn’t go as planned, he moved to West Palm later that year to try again. That is when he finally caught a break. After being noticed by a professional sports agent, Justin hired the agent to represent him and got to work preparing to play professionally. “I had to learn so much to get ready for professional baseball; it was like learning the game all over again. With hard work, determination, and God’s grace, I was able to reach heights and meet goals I thought were crushed after Covid.”
Since then, Justin’s journey has transformed from a series of roadblocks to a series of breakthroughs. Since meeting his agent in 2021 he has played in two professional tours in the MLB partner leagues, played against World Series champion Pablo Sandoval, traveled to new places, met extraordinary people, and is now playing professionally in Puerto Rico. Justin reflects on where he is now and how far he has come: “To be able to play for the land my family comes from is my way of making my ancestors proud. It is truly an honor to compete in Puerto Rico. Let me be a testament to never give up on your dreams no matter how many roadblocks you hit, no matter what city you come from, and no matter if things go according to plan or not; it’s harder to quit than to just finish what you started.”
While Justin prepares for the upcoming baseball season in Puerto Rico, he is also thinking about what life may hold after baseball. “I plan on playing professional baseball for a few more years; maybe when I’m 26 or 27 I’ll hang up the cleats. But it’s all up to God when my time is finished on the field. My goal for the future is to get into the tech industry for a career. Then I can finally pursue my passion for videography and sports training and start my side businesses.”
Reflecting on his own journey since graduating from Esperanza Academy, Justin offers some valuable advice to our current students. “To the students thinking about their future, I would advise you to test all the options if possible. You may change what you want to do many times, but that’s okay. Try different options. Fail countless times and don’t be afraid to. Failure is a learning experience. Do research and become informed on things you are interested in for the future; knowledge is one of the best tools. Find good people to have in your corner to push you to the version of yourself you see in the future. Your circle can either bring you down or lift you up.”
At Esperanza Academy, we are honored to have been part of Justin’s story, providing him with transformational learning experiences and extracurricular opportunities that prepared him for the future. Our mission is to provide a high-quality education that moves our students forward in all areas. Seeing our students and alumni succeed fills us with pride, and we’re excited to celebrate Justin’s accomplishments. Congratulations, Justin – we can’t wait to see what your future holds!