Giant Dreams: Hayden Birdsong's Call to the Majors

Hopefully people see that it doesn’t matter where you’re from. It doesn’t matter how small the school or how small the town. If you can play, you can play.

The San Francisco Giants were just a day away from hosting the Chicago Cubs when Hayden Birdsong got the call. Since being selected by the Giants in the sixth round of the 2022 MLB Draft, the young pitcher had done nothing but impress in almost two years of minor league play. Just recently, he had been promoted to the Sacramento River Cats, the Giant’s Triple-A affiliate representing the highest level of minor league ball. He would only last there two weeks.

“Can you pitch tomorrow?” Hayden’s Triple-A manager asked him over the phone.

“I can throw if you need me to,” Hayden answered.

“I don’t need you to,” his manager responded. “The Giants do. You’re starting tomorrow against the Cubs.”

It’s rare to find a 22-year-old prospect ready for the pressure of a Major League ballgame, and rarer still to find one from Mattoon, Illinois. Just five years before his Major League promotion, Hayden was coming off a stellar senior season at Mattoon High School and searching for opportunities to play in college. The same year, Julio

Godinez accepted the baseball head coach position at Lake Land, and he recruited Hayden to join him at the College for his inaugural season.

“Hayden got me my first win as a head coach,” Julio said. “I’ve known the kid for a long time, and it’s just been incredible to see how he’s grown and matured over the years.”

Hayden played one season at Lake Land before transferring to Eastern Illinois University. His play as relief pitcher caught the attention of San Francisco Giants scouts, who selected Hayden in the 2022 draft. After rapidly ascending through the minor league system, Hayden received the life-changing news on June 25, 2024 that he’d been called up to pitch for the Giants.

Hayden made his MLB debut the next day at Oracle Park in San Francisco. Standing on the mound before a crowd of thousands, 60-and-a-half feet away from the most skilled batters he’d ever faced, Hayden secured five strikeouts and helped the Giants to a 4-3 victory.

“You have to think of it as just another ballpark and just another team. You can’t focus on the scale of it all,”

Hayden explained. “I knew I could play at this level. It was just a matter of proving it.”

After a strong debut, Hayden enjoyed an impressive rookie season and is looking forward to continuing his success in 2025 and beyond. He faced his fair share of adversity during his rookie year, but he considers it the most important experience for his growth as a player. Every time his back was against the wall, the young player from small-town Mattoon proved he has what it takes to stand amongst the best baseball players in the world.

“Hopefully people see that it doesn’t matter where you’re from,” Hayden said. “It doesn’t matter how small the school or how small the town. If you can play, you can play.”

OUR FLOCK IS GROWING!

Starting in Fall 2025, Lake Land College will be offering Men's and Women's Cross-Country and Half-Marathon teams for the first time in 20 years! Athletes will receive tuition and fees scholarships for their participation in Cross-Country.

Learn more at LakeLandAthletics.com.