If you think the story of the Delmarva Shorebirds is special -- the one that details how the Orioles¡¯ Class A affiliate went from barely scraping .500 last year to a playoff-bound powerhouse atop the South Atlantic League this go-round -- then wait until you hear about their shortstop.

Chief among the Shorebirds¡¯ offensive and defensive production has been Adam Hall, the Orioles¡¯ second-round pick from 2017 who has batted .302/.383/.400 this year while serving as a stalwart in the middle infield in his first Class A season.

And he¡¯s done it all with a heavy heart that keeps him closely tied to his home in Ontario.

Six years ago, Hall¡¯s father, Tyler, was diagnosed with multiple myeloma, an aggressive form of cancer that recently spread to his central nervous system. It¡¯s become difficult to travel to see his son try to make his big league dreams come true, but a recent doctor-approved trip to Salisbury, Md., made it worth the wait.

¡°Anytime that we can get out and watch him live, it¡¯s a big thing for us,¡± Tyler said recently. ¡°It¡¯s an 11- or 12-hour drive to get here, so we try to target these long homestands. But the main thing is not really watching him play; it¡¯s getting to spend some time with him.¡±

The Shorebirds recently held Strike Out Cancer Night. Tyler was the guest of honor, visiting the Shorebirds¡¯ clubhouse, taking the field with the team, standing with them for the national anthem and throwing out the first pitch to his son, all things he hasn¡¯t been able to do since first introducing his son to the sport.

¡°I couldn¡¯t be prouder. In lots of ways, not just baseball,¡± Tyler said. ¡°Both his mom and I and his whole family. He¡¯s a great kid. A man.¡±

¡°Sometimes,¡± Adam quipped.

¡°Mostly,¡± Tyler smiled.

Hall¡¯s story serves as just a slice of what is happening on Maryland¡¯s Eastern Shore. The Shorebirds are made up of several of Baltimore¡¯s top prospects. Joining Hall -- the Orioles¡¯ No. 14 prospect, per MLB Pipeline -- are Adley Rutschman and Grayson Rodriguez, Baltimore¡¯s top picks from the past two Drafts, among several other inhabitants of the club¡¯s top 30 list.

¡°These guys are turning heads!¡± Orioles executive vice president and general manager Mike Elias tweeted on Monday.

Indeed, they are. And one player leading the charge is also doing his part as a model off the field.

¡°I think Adam has been extremely mentally tough through this and handled it like an absolute champ,¡± said Delmarva manager Kyle Moore. ¡°It sort of tells the team what life is really all about. It¡¯s not necessarily about a baseball game.¡±

¡°I don¡¯t think there is a way to say thank you for everything, but having him get me to where I am in baseball and life, obviously, it¡¯s always greater than baseball,¡± Adam said. ¡°It¡¯s family. And kind of been something that we¡¯ve been on -- that family always comes first.¡±