MLB Players Share Their Best Little League Advice — SkimNews
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- ESPN polled more than 15 current and former MLB players ahead of the Little League Classic, pitting the Atlanta Braves against the Milwaukee Brewers on Sunday at 7 p.m. ET during the Little League Baseball World Series in Williamsport, Pennsylvania.
- Don Mattingly recalled his Little League coach Pete Studer telling him every Sunday at church, 'I just want tickets when you get to the big leagues' — Studer later came through when Mattingly was with the Yankees, living right down the street in Yonkers.
- Bobby Witt Jr., Brady Singer, Max Meyer, and others echoed the same core advice they received as kids: 'have fun,' work hard, stay humble, and don't let the game feel like a job.
- Cincinnati Reds second baseman Matt McLain pushed back on the current youth landscape, noting 'kids are hitting on Trackman at 10 years old' and questioning whether that's still about having fun.
- Tampa Bay Rays pitcher Bryan Baker and Cleveland Guardians pitcher Cade Smith urged young players not to specialize early, with Smith telling kids to 'play multiple sports' and 'take care of things in the classroom.'
- Cleveland Guardians pitcher Foster Griffin offered the most colorful advice for current Little Leaguers: 'Don't dig holes in the outfield and pay attention.'
- Minnesota Twins center fielder Byron Buxton said the lesson that stuck was being a good teammate, arguing that 'being a good teammate takes you farther than being a good player sometimes.'
Why it matters: With travel ball and showcase metrics reaching kids as young as 10, multiple MLB veterans are publicly pushing back against early specialization and pressuring youth players to remember baseball is a game. The advice lands with extra weight because it comes from active big leaguers heading to the Little League Classic this weekend, giving ESPN a built-in promotional tie-in.
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