As a sophomore in the 2022 season, Alberto Rios played in just seven games for Stanford baseball with six total at-bats. He had zero hits and was walked only once. Statistically speaking, he was pretty close to as quiet as any player can be.
As a junior in 2023, Rios has taken the Pac-12 by storm hitting 12 home runs and 49 RBIs while batting .385 to go along with a .696 slugging percentage and a .490 on base percentage. In Stanford’s series-deciding victory over UCLA, Rios hit a grand slam in the bottom of the 8th inning to push the Cardinal over the top. The first grand slam of his life. In Friday’s 8-6 victory at Arizona State with first place in the Pac-12 on the line, he hit two home runs for five RBIs and just picked up his first career Pac-12 Player of the Week award. Rios has gone from being a bench warmer for two seasons to being one of the top players in the Pac-12.
Rios’ meteoric rise can be attributed to two things: hard work and patience. Rios could have been resigned to the bench forever, but instead he put in the work and forced Stanford to insert him into the lineup. Even if it required him to make the switch from catcher to outfield.
“It’s a huge adjustment,” Stanford head coach David Esquer said of Rios moving from catcher to outfield. “I don’t think he’s ever played the outfield before! But we had to get his bat into the lineup somehow and that seemed to be a spot that we could and he’s adapted well and he plays a solid left field and everything we’ve asked of him since he’s been here.
“We asked him to change from infielder to catcher and he did that. We’ve asked him to change from catcher to outfield and he’s done that. And again, he’s a guy that kinda slips under the radar because he doesn’t come with all the resume and a lot of the scouts didn’t start coming here to see him play and then he plays unafraid and he’s not scared and probably gonna earn himself a chance to play.”
A big part of that hard work was the time Rios spent in the Northwoods League, which is a collegiate summer baseball league that uses wooden bats. It’s a league that is focused solely on development for college players. Rios could have chilled after last season was over, but he instead decided to apply himself by playing for the Fond du Lac Dock Spiders in Wisconsin. Rios played in 40 games for the Dock Spiders, batting .374 while hitting nine home runs and 41 RBIs to go along with a .486 on base percentage and a .639 slugging percentage. He really had a breakout season with them and that clearly carried over into this season.
“Well, he went away for two summers and grinded it out in the Northwoods League,” Esquer said of Rios. “So he went out there and put himself in those situations to try to get better with the idea of I need to get better to give myself a chance to play here and so he just went to work and you play in that Northwoods League, that’s like a professional type of schedule and he’s done well. It’s one of those things you can’t ignore. When the guy hits in the summer, it doesn’t always mean they hit, but if they do, that’s one of the reasons they do.”
In addition to putting in that time with the Dock Spiders, Rios has maintained a really mature mentality during his time at Stanford. Always putting the team first. He could have been discouraged by his lack of playing time during his first two seasons, but he instead focused on the team and helping them win games. He has been rewarded handsomely for approaching the game with that mindset.
“I think it’s just trying to win,” Rios said of what the key has been to his offensive surge. “Not trying to do too much. I think we have so many great guys in our lineup and so many guys that can do it. It’s just kinda like pass it on to the next guy. We talk about it a ton. Just trying to get the next guy up, the next really good player. Whether it’s Braden Montgomery, Carter Graham, Tommy Troy, I mean you don’t have to do it all the time. I’m just a part of it. So I think just being a part of it has helped me out a ton.”
Expanding a bit more on that, Rios really has embraced the grind. Having to earn his spot the old school way and wait his turn is something he’s truly grateful for. He wouldn’t have it any other way.
“I think it was awesome,” Rios said. “I got to experience everything about Stanford baseball. We’re just about patience, right? I got to experience kinda like the whole college rodeo ride of not playing, waiting your time, then getting your time, and playing well and play bad, you know? I just had a full experience and I honestly wouldn’t trade it for the world. I mean, it taught me a lot about my character and a lot about myself and I wouldn’t trade it for the world at all and I’m glad it’s my path and it’s other guys that are also going through it. It’s a really cool thing to encourage them and saying that they could do just the same thing. They definitely have the ability and so it’s definitely pretty awesome.”
Something else that has really helped Rios carve out his own path has been the culture of Stanford baseball. In an era where kids are quick to jump in the transfer portal and seek greener pastures elsewhere, Rios feels like Stanford has done a great job of establishing a culture that challenges the way a lot of players in today’s era are thinking.
“Different culture, different generation, and I think just the way our coaching staff goes about it, the way our players are, I mean, it’s all personnel, right?” Rios said. “And I think our personnel is some of the best in the country. Without a doubt and I just feel like we have the right guys and when you have the right guys and the right people, it just works out and when they care about the right things, good things happen.”
Rios’ work ethic and attitude has rubbed off onto his teammates. They all know what kind of work he’s put in and are truly excited to see him have this kind of success. Rios has always been there for them, making it easy for them to do the same for him.
“I think for him, I mean he’s been a guy that’s been really consistent for us and I think for him, he’s such a good teammate,” Stanford relief pitcher Ryan Bruno said. “He’s such a good guy. I mean, it just starts in the locker room with him and off the field. He’s probably one of the nicest guys I’ve ever met and I think just for him, it’s like he’s always been a leader in our clubhouse and he’s waited his turn and now it’s really coming to fruition, which I’m stoked for him.”
In an era where so many college athletes are thinking of themselves above all else, it’s refreshing to see a guy like Alberto Rios have so much success. It’ll be fun to see what the rest of this season has in store for him and whether or not his bat will help Stanford get back to the College World Series for a third straight season.
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