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.
| Christian Little | |
|---|---|
| Seattle Mariners | |
| Pitcher | |
| Born: July 5, 2003 St. Louis, Missouri | |
Bats: Right Throws: Right |
Amateur career
editLittle 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
editIn 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 from Baseball Reference (Minors)
- Vanderbilt Commodores bio