Baseball Genius

An average kid with an above-average talent for predicting baseball pitches tries to help his favorite player out of a slump in this entertaining novel from best-selling authors Tim Green and Derek Jeter. Jalen DeLuca loves baseball. Unfortunately, his dad can't afford to keep him on the travel team. His dad runs a diner and makes enough to cover the bills, but there isn't enough to cover any extras. So Jalen decides to take matters into his own hands, and he sneaks into the home of the New York Yankees' star second baseman, James Yager, and steals a couple of balls from his personal batting cage. He knows that if he can sell them, he'll be able to keep himself on the team. But like the best-laid plans - or, in this case, the worst! - Jalen's scheme goes wrong when Yager catches him. But Jalen has a secret: his baseball genius. He can analyze and predict almost exactly what a pitcher is going to do with his next pitch. He can't quite explain how he knows; he just knows. And after proving to Yager that he really can do this, using a televised game and predicting pitch after pitch with perfect accuracy, the two agree to a deal. Jalen will help Yager out of his batting slump, and Yager won't press charges. However, when he begins to suspect that the team's general manager has his own agenda, Jalen's going to need his friends and his unusual baseball talent to save not only Yager's career but his own good name.

Jalen DeLuca and his hero New York Yankee James "JY" Yager must team up to prove themselves in this sequel to Tim Green and Derek Jeter's New York Times bestselling novel, Baseball Genius. Jalen DeLuca loves baseball. He's playing for his summer travel team and trying to win a regular spot in the rotation. But Jalen's got more than talent on the field. He's a baseball genius who can analyze and predict almost exactly what any pitcher is going to do with his next pitch. He can't quite explain how he knows, he just does. His unique ability helped him save the career of New York Yankee star baseman James "JY" Yager, and now Jalen figures he'll be almost part of the team. Or will he? After a power struggle with the Yankees GM and a failed negotiation with Cat, JY strikes out on his own to show he can still hit in the majors without Jalen's help. Disappointed, but focused on his own baseball career, Jalen tries to carve out his own spot with the Rockton Rockets. When things go wrong for both of them, JY works out a deal with Cat, bringing the pair together again. With JY's help, Jalen and Daniel are able to join a travel team from a nearby rival town who will face off against the Rockets in the championship game of an elite tournament in Boston. With the pressure mounting for JY to perform at the Green Monster and Jalen intent on paying back his former team, they'll have to pull off the ultimate double play if they're both going to succeed.

Jalen DeLuca applies his baseball genius to his own playing in the follow-up to Tim Green and Derek Jeter's New York Times bestselling novel Baseball Genius. Jalen DeLuca loves baseball. But he's more than just a fan and a talented player; Jalen is a baseball genius. He can analyze and predict almost exactly what a pitcher is going to do with his next pitch. His unique ability helped him save the career of the Yankees's star baseman, James "JY" Yager, by signaling the pitches from the stands. Now turning his focus to his own baseball career, Jalen has to put his genius into action in new and untested ways. But without the stats and information he has on the pro players, analyzing the pitchers seems impossible. And even if he knows what the pitch will be, actually hitting it takes more than intuition. As if the pressure of the team and drama with his friends weren't enough, one major event changes everything-Jalen's mom comes back into his life. Can Jalen work through it all to hit a grand slam and make his baseball dreams a reality? Tim Green was an NFL first-round draft pick and a star defensive player for eight years with the Atlanta Falcons. He is the New York Times bestselling author of dozens of books for adults and kids including The Dark Side of the Game, The Fifth Angel, Exact Revenge, Football Genius, Football Hero, Kid Owner, and Left Out. Tim graduated co-valedictorian with a degree in English literature from Syracuse University before earning a law degree with honors. He has been an NFL commentator for FOX Sports and NPR. Tim and his family live in upstate New York. Derek Jeter is a fourteen-time All-Star and five-time World Series winner who played for one team-the storied New York Yankees-for all twenty seasons of his major league career. His grace and class on and off the field have made him an icon and role model far beyond the world of baseball.