Christian Little
| Christian Little | |
|---|---|
| Seattle Mariners | |
| Pitcher | |
| Born: July 5, 2003 St. Louis, Missouri | |
Bats: Right Throws: Right |
Christian Xavier Little (born July 5, 2003) is an American professional baseball pitcher in the Seattle Mariners organization. He played college baseball for the Vanderbilt Commodores and LSU Tigers.
Amateur career
[edit]Little was born and grew up in St. Louis, Missouri and attended Christian Brothers College High School.[1] He committed to play college baseball at Vanderbilt when he was 14 years old.[2] As a junior, Little was named the Missouri Gatorade Player of the Year after posting a 6–1 record with a 1.88 ERA and 58 strikeouts.[3] Little completed his high school coursework over the following summer in order to enroll at Vanderbilt early.[4]
Little made 11 starts during his freshman season and went 3–2 with a 5.48 ERA and 49 strikeouts.[5] At 17 years old, he became the youngest pitcher to start a Southeastern Conference (SEC) game.[6] Little later became the youngest player to start a College World Series game.[7] As a sophomore, Little pitched mostly in relief and had a 3.72 ERA and 46 strikeouts in 38+2⁄3 innings pitched over 18 appearances. He entered the NCAA transfer portal after the end of the season.[8]
Little ultimately committed to transfer to Louisiana State.[9][10] During the summer prior to his junior season, he played collegiate summer baseball with the Cotuit Kettleers of the Cape Cod Baseball League.[11][12]
Professional career
[edit]In the 2023 Major League Baseball draft, Little was selected by the New York Mets in the 19th round, but didn't sign and played another year at LSU.[13] The next year, Little was selected in the 11th round, with the 333rd overall pick, by the Seattle Mariners in the 2024 Major League Baseball draft.[14] On July 22, 2024, Little signed with the Mariners for $200,000.[15][16]
References
[edit]- ^ "CBC's Christian Little selected to All-American Game". The St. Louis American. July 5, 2019. Retrieved July 18, 2022.
- ^ Fredrickson, Ben (August 11, 2019). "CBC's Little seems headed for the big time, with understanding of what it means for African-Americans". St. Louis Post-Dispatch. Retrieved July 18, 2022.
- ^ "CBC standout pitcher Little announces early graduation to join Vanderbilt in January". St. Louis Post-Dispatch. September 2, 2020. Retrieved July 18, 2022.
- ^ "Christian Little Plans To Enroll Early, Join Loaded Vanderbilt Pitching Staff". Baseball America. September 2, 2020. Retrieved July 18, 2022.
- ^ "Vanderbilt baseball moves on after losing Rocker and Leiter". The Tennessean. October 13, 2021. Retrieved July 18, 2022.
- ^ "Vanderbilt pitcher Christian Little only 17 but gets SEC tourney start". The Tennessean. May 26, 2022. Retrieved July 18, 2022.
- ^ Yates, Clinton (June 25, 2021). "For Vanderbilt's two freshman phenoms, success is a family affair". Andscape. Retrieved July 18, 2022.
- ^ "Vanderbilt baseball pitcher Christian Little enters transfer portal". The Tennessean. June 9, 2022. Retrieved July 18, 2022.
- ^ "LSU coach Jay Johnson lands commitment from SEC pitcher". The Advocate. June 24, 2022. Retrieved July 18, 2022.
- ^ "LSU baseball adds Christian Little, a Vanderbilt pitcher transfer". The Tennessean. June 24, 2022. Retrieved July 18, 2022.
- ^ "Cotuit Kettleers 2022 Cape Cod League Preview". Baseball America. Retrieved July 18, 2022.
- ^ "Christian Little". pointstreak.com. Retrieved July 13, 2023.
- ^ "2023 Mets Draft Profile: Christian Little". amazinavenue.com. Retrieved July 13, 2023.
- ^ "Seattle Mariners select LSU pitcher Christian Little in the 11th round of MLB Draft". tigerrag.com. Retrieved July 16, 2024.
- ^ "Mariners Sign Draft Selections Jurrangelo Cijntje & Ryan Sloan". marinersblog.mlblogs.com. Retrieved July 23, 2024.
- ^ "Mariners Draft Signing Tracker". MLB.com. Retrieved July 23, 2024.
External links
[edit]- Career statistics and player information from Baseball Reference (Minors)
- Vanderbilt Commodores bio