COMSTOCK PARK, Mich — There's one thing that's tough to spot at LMCU Ballpark: Whitecaps infielder Corey Joyce's smile.
"Very rarely [do I smile] on the baseball field," Joyce said. "I just like to stay focused."
That focus Joyce exhibits on the field helped him get a nickname in the Whitecaps clubhouse.
"We call him 'Smiley' because he is very serious and for him it is all about business," Whitecaps manager Brayan Peña said. "It takes a lot for him to smile. Hopefully, one day I can take a picture with him of him smiling, and that would be the best day of my life."
Perhaps the best day of Joyce's 23-year-old life so far happened in 2019, when he was drafted by the Tigers in the 12th round of the MLB Draft.
"It was everything I ever wanted," Joyce said.
Being a pro ballplayer defied the odds for Joyce. Out of high school, he received only one scholarship offer to North Carolina Central. Joyce made the most of it. Now, he's a pro ball player.
However, when he was just looking for that offer, Joyce had some second thoughts about a path of professional baseball.
"There was definitely some doubts," Joyce said.
Despite them, Joyce kept dreaming and it has clearly paid off.
"Growing up, I didn’t know anything else but baseball," Joyce said. "That’s what I wanted to do. I’m not done yet. I am still going."
In fact, he's moving all over the place under Peña. Joyce played three different positions for the Whitecaps in 2022. He has also proved to be a valuable bat in the lineup with a .754 OPS before the all-star break.
The versatility might not get Joyce to smile, but getting to the majors would.
"Yeah," Joyce said. "I would [smile], for sure."
But before he gets there, Joyce wants to inspire anybody to go for the dream - no matter how big or small.
"If you want to be anything in this world, you have to go out and do it," Joyce said. "You have to take it. It’s not given, that’s for sure."
Joyce and the Whitecaps are back in action at LMCU Ballpark on Tuesday for a six-game series with the Dayton Dragons.
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