ATHENS — Slate Alford might be the first person to credit “The Griddle” for his body transformation.
Georgia baseball’s third baseman made several statistical jumps throughout his senior season, but some of his most impressive numbers were the 20-ish pounds he lost in the offseason.
That started with hot fall days on the track — nicknamed “The Griddle” — with UGA catcher Henry Hunter. Much like a hot griddle fries excess fat off bacon, Alford burned calories after fall practices with Hunter, whose work ethic has been compared with that of a Navy SEAL.
“We‘d go to the track, and we‘d do a lot of footwork stuff, a lot of sprints, stuff like that, and it would be boiling hot out there,” Alford said. “We‘d just get done at (Athens Academy, where the team practiced during the fall while Foley Field was undergoing renovations) with a game and we‘re exhausted, and we‘re getting over there.”
Alford felt his new regimen working before the fall was over. The 6-foot-3 infielder recalled feeling quicker playing third base and being able to stretch more singles into doubles.
“In the fall, it started, and I was like, ‘Yeah, I kind of like how I’m moving. This is a little easier to get around the bases and move in the infield and stuff,’” Alford said. “It was kind of gradual. It started in the fall and just kept getting better.”
Alford couldn’t give an exact number on how much weight he lost, but his profile on the team website changed from 236 pounds to 212 this year.
“The Griddle,” along with Alford’s strict diet of organic foods and nothing “quick and easy,” has paid off.
Alford was the only Bulldog named to the All-SEC first team Monday. Three other teammates made the second team.
Alford recognized the honor but quickly refocused on Georgia’s next task: a second-round matchup in the SEC tournament against either Oklahoma or Kentucky. UGA will play around 2 p.m. EDT Wednesday at the Hoover Met in Hoover, Alabama, just 90 minutes from Alford’s hometown.
“It’s nice for sure, but yeah, like I said, just trying to help us win ballgames,” Alford said. “I’m really excited about our group.”
Alford had similar answers for questions regarding his MLB draft stock. A native of Madison, Alabama, Alford returned to Georgia for this season after he wasn’t drafted in 2024.
That provided extra competitive fuel for Alford’s improvement in his senior season.
“He’s come back. He wants to show people that he can do it in this league again, and then there’s going to be no doubt about his opportunity in professional baseball,” UGA coach Wes Johnson said.
Johnson highlighted speed and plate discipline as Alford’s key areas of improvement.
“So, it was a little more of, ‘Hey, I’ve got a chip on my shoulder. I want to show some people that I can get a little faster if you think that’s what I need to do. I cannot chase as much at the plate if that’s what you need me to do,’” Johnson said.
Alford’s speed and plate discipline have both taken a step forward. He’s already hit two more doubles in 56 games than he did in 60 last season. He also hit the first two triples of his UGA career this year.
In 2024, Alford struck out 63 times in 300 plate appearances, good for 21% of the time. That number has shrunk to less than 18% in 2025 (49 strikeouts in 274 at-bats).
Alford has grown more in his plate approach than anywhere else since arriving in Athens, according to Johnson. Georgia’s second-year head coach said a bad at-bat used to affect Alford’s mentality going into the next few plate appearances.
Johnson added that mentality has matured, and Alford isn’t focused on his past results.
“He’s helped me a lot with that, just knowing that the next one is most important, and just that you can’t do nothing about what happened in your past,” Alford said. “Just knowing it’s a game of failure, and it’s a lot of up-and-downs.”
That adjustment has shown in Alford’s batting average and on-base percentage. Alford hit .254 in conference play last season, with 14 walks.
Those SEC numbers jumped to hitting .323 with 16 walks this year.
But perhaps Alford’s most impressive statistic shows he hasn’t lost any power despite his weight loss.
Alford hit 17 home runs last season, tied for the third most on the team. He just hit his 17th in Georgia’s regular-season finale win against Texas A&M on Saturday.
Alford also has been a reliable third baseman for Georgia, turning in a .942 fielding percentage in the hot corner.
“The other thing that I think gets lost on Slate is how well he’s played defense for us this year,” Johnson said. “I mean, he made a really nice play this weekend where he got a ball, stepped on third, threw it to first, and just looked like he’s playing catch in the backyard.”
It’s a transformation that started in The Griddle and has continued in many statistics. Several teammates have publicly recognized his discipline and its effect on Georgia‘s success.
Alford wasn’t scared to explain the “why” for his disciplined diet and workouts. He’s chasing the same goal he couldn’t have a year ago.
“I guess because I want to play in the big leagues,” Alford said. “I want to prove to myself that I’m right and not necessarily prove others wrong. Just waking up, trying to do what I can and be the best version of myself.”
Alford plans to stay sharp after the season, especially with the MLB draft only three weeks after the College World Series ends.
But even if he had some time off, Alford’s disciplined routine sounds more like a lifestyle change than a short-term adjustment. He said it was hard to give up his favorite fast food at first, but he doesn’t miss it much these days.
“I don’t know, I kind of probably would rather not now,” Alford said. “Once you start doing it, your body feels a lot better, and you kind of start feeling better about yourself, so I’ll probably stay away from it.”
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