Cyclone’s journey to Brooklyn began in the Bronx  

After leaving the Bronx in 1972 to settle in Brooklyn, what are the chances of this writer meeting a young, budding Brooklyn Cyclone call-up from the old neighborhood?

Such is the case for the 20-year-old Chris Suero from the NYC Sedgwick Housing Projects of the University Heights section of the Bronx, who was called up to the team in May. Even though it was several decades ago, Suero played at the same basketball court, shopped at the same stores and even was baptized at the same church as this writer.

However, that’s where the commonalties stop since Suero left the Bronx at age 15 to go to a baseball academy in the Dominican Republic. After playing as a freshman on the All Hallows H.S. JV baseball team, Suero, along with his family, took a leap of faith to commit to baseball. Eventually, he was scouted by the Mets and signed to play in the Mets Dominican Summer League, where he finished high school in 2022.  

Suero played in the Mets’ Florida Rookie League in 2023 and then for this season’s Low-A St. Lucie Mets until his recent call-up to the Cyclones.  Looking back on his five-year journey from the Bronx to Brooklyn, Suero said, “I love playing in my hometown, but I’m not yet where I want to be. For me it’s just the beginning.”

Currently, Suero is showing his skills as a multi-position player at catcher and at first base and occasionally in the outfield. Since his mid-May call-up, he has begun to hit his stride at the plate with a power surge of four home runs along with two blasts in one game against Aberdeen during the club’s last home stand.

According to Cyclones manager Gilbert Gomez, “He is a top-notch athlete with good speed and a good arm. He is versatile player with a solid approach to swing at the right pitch and is now developing some power. We’re excited to see him develop and get better behind the dish.”

Putting his current Brooklyn experience in perspective, Suero said, “For me it’s about having fun at a little kid’s game. Also, it’s about the serious work that I put in behind closed doors that brings me the results that I want to produce.”

Sharing Suero’s sentiment about his work ethic is Cyclones developmental coach Regan Sauliner, who said, “Chris works hard and is a pleasure to coach.  He is a good teammate in the clubhouse. He gets high marks from me.”  

Looking forward, Suero said, “This is what I wanted and I took the risk. It has turned out good for me so far. I believe in trusting the process.”