With the memorable 2017 Major League Baseball (MLB) season officially over, here’s how some notable graduates of Little League® did this past season. Below are the 16 confirmed Little League graduates who took home the 2017 MLB Awards.
NOTE: If you know of a player that we have missed, please e-mail the information, including name, current Major League team and the name of the city or town where they played Little League, to [email protected].
Nolan Arenado – Colorado Rockies – Lake Forest (Calif.) Little League
- National League Gold Glove (Third Base)
- National League Platinum Glove
- National League Silver Slugger (Third Base)
- Defensive Player of the Year (Third Base)
- Always Game Award
Cody Bellinger – Los Angeles Dodgers – Chandler (Ariz.) Little League
- National League Rookie of the Year
- National League Outstanding Rookie
Brandon Crawford – San Francisco Giants – Pleasanton (Calif.) National Little League
- National League Gold Glove (Shortstop)
Zack Greinke – Arizona Diamondbacks – Conway Little League (Orlando, Fla.)
- National League Gold Glove (Pitcher)
Kenley Jansen – Los Angeles Dodgers – Pabao Little League (Willemstad, Curaçao)
- National League Reliever of the Year
Aaron Judge – New York Yankees – Linden (Calif.) Little League
- American League Rookie of the Year
- American League Silver Slugger (Outfielder)
- American League Outstanding Rookie
DJ LeMahieu – Colorado Rockies – East Madison (Wisc.) Little League
- National League Gold Glove (Second Base)
- Defensive Player of the Year (Second Base)
Torey Lovullo – Arizona Diamondbacks – Encino (Calif.) Little League
- National League Manager of the Year
Martin Maldonado – Los Angeles Angels – Naguabo, Puerto Rico
- American League Gold Glove (Catcher)
- Defensive Player of the Year (Catcher)
Mike Moustakas – Kansas City Royals – Northridge (Calif.) Little League
- American League Comeback Player
Anthony Rizzo – Chicago Cubs – Parkland (Fla.) Little League
- Roberto Clemente Award
- Marvin Miller Man of the Year
Andrelton Simmons – Los Angeles Angels – Mundo-Nuvo, Curaçao
- American League Gold Glove (Shortstop)
- Defensive Player of the Year (Shortstop)
George Springer – Houston Astros – Walicki Little League (New Britain, Conn.)
- American League Silver Slugger (Outfield)
- World Series MVP
Giancarlo Stanton – Miami Marlins – Tujunga (Calif.) Little League
- National League MVP
- National League Silver Slugger (Outfielder)
- National League Hank Aaron Award
- National League Outstanding Player
Justin Verlander – Houston Astros – Tuckahoe (Va.) Little League
- American League Championship Series MVP
Ryan Zimmerman – Washington Nationals – Virginia Beach (Va.) Little League
- National League Comeback Player
Along with these award winners, a number of Little League graduates combined for an impressive 2017 MLB season. Here are some fun facts about former Little Leaguers® this past year in MLB:
- 13 Little League alumni had more than 30 home runs.
- Little League alumni combined for more than 800 home runs.
- 36 Little League alumni combined for 5,937 innings pitched. Equivalent to approximately 660 games.
- Cody Bellinger became the first Dodger’s rookie to hit for the cycle in team history (July 16 vs. Miami).
- Bellinger set a National League record with 39 homeruns in his first year.
- Aaron Judge and Bellinger combined for the most home runs of any two rookies in one season, 91.
- Judge’s 114 RBI led all rookies.
- Bellinger and Judge became the fourth set of unanimous Rookie of the Year players and first since 1997.
- Dovydas Neverauskas became the first ever Lithuanian-born MLB pitcher. He pitched in the SLBWS.
- Carlos Beltran retired after becoming the fourth all-time in switch hitting home runs.
- Giancarlo Stanton set a record high for slugging percentage by any Marlins player (.631).
- Stanton turned in the ninth best all-time MLB season for home runs with 59.
- Stanton was the first player since 2001 to score 59 or more home runs in a single season.
- Didi Gregorious set a Yankees record with 25 home runs by a shortstop.
- Torey Lovullo became the fourth-straight rookie skipper to win Manager of the year.
2017 MLB World Series Fun Facts:
- Little League alums had 30 RBI, 13 Home runs, 43 Hits, 12 DP, and 65 assists.
- Cody Bellinger and Carlos Correa were co-leaders of double plays in the World Series.
- George Springer tied the all-time record for home runs in a single series with 5 in the World Series.
- Springer was the first player to homer in four-straight World Series games.
- Springer also set an all-time record with eight extra-base hits in the World Series.
- Carlos Correa became the second straight Little League Magazine cover athlete to win the World Series.
- Cody Bellinger became the 14th player to play in both the Little League and Major League World Series.