Ten young ballplayers crowned champions of youth skills competitions at Progressive Field curing All-Star Week
Ten young players have been crowned Champions of Major League Baseball’s youth skills competitions– the All-Star MLB Jr. Home Run Derby and MLB Pitch, Hit & Run – after competing earlier today at Progressive Field in Cleveland, Ohio. Forty-four children (ages 7-14) from around the United States and Canada advanced from their respective regional championships to compete in the Finals at the site of the 2019 MLB All-Star Game Presented by Mastercard.
Following are the champions of the 2019 Jr. Home Run Derby & MLB Pitch, Hit & Run:
2019 Jr. Home Run Derby
12U – Ryker Parker from Charleston, W.Va.
14U – Landon Perry from Hollidaysburg, Pa.
2019 Pitch, Hit & Run – Softball
Ages 7/8: Aurora Cobb from Abilene, Texas
Ages 9/10: Samantha Barton from Reading, Mass.
Ages 11/12: Mariah Harrison from Fort Mitchell, Ala.
Ages 13/14: Emma Bolding from Greenfield, Ind.
2019 Pitch, Hit & Run – Baseball
Ages 7/8: Charlie Compher from Gambrills, Md.
Ages 9/10: August Backman from Waterbury, Vt.
Ages 11/12: Brady Blanks from Jupiter, Fla.
Ages 13/14: Sylas Boris from Greensboro, N.C.
The fourth annual MLB Jr. Home Run Derby Finals featured 20 young sluggers who advanced from over 1,800 local competitions across the U.S. and Canada.
The MLB Pitch, Hit & Run Finals featured 24 finalists who advanced from over 4,200 competitions in either the baseball or softball sectors of each age division. Rhys Hoskins of the Philadelphia Phillies, Eric Hosmer & Matt Wisler of the San Diego Padres, J.P. Crawford of the Seattle Mariners are all Pitch, Hit & Run alumni. First overall pick in the 2019 MLB Draft Adley Rutschman (Baltimore Orioles) is also an alum of the program, having competed in 2006.
Finalists of both competitions will attend various All-Star Week activities, including PLAY BALL PARK (July 5th – July 9th), All-Star Sunday featuring the All-Star High School Home Run Derby, All-Star Legends & Celebrity Softball Game and SiriusXM All-Star Futures Game (July 7th) and Gatorade All-Star Workout Day featuring the T-Mobile Home Run Derby (July 8th).
Both competitions are part of the PLAY BALL initiative, which is baseball’s collective effort to encourage young people and communities to engage in baseball- or softball-related activities, including formal leagues, special events and casual forms of play. PLAY BALL events have become MLB’s signature youth engagement activity during the professional and amateur baseball and softball calendar, especially on key dates throughout MLB’s Championship Season and through the Postseason & World Series. PLAY BALL events demonstrate the positive way the game can serve as an outlet for physical activity, fun with friends and learning how to play the sport at its most basic levels. PLAY BALL also serves as the League’s youth umbrella in which all associated programs and events derive from the initiative’s consistent, simple message: However You Play Ball, PLAY BALL! PlayBall.org is the PLAY BALL initiative’s online home and is accessible via MLB.com, USABaseball.com, USASoftball.com and other partner websites. PlayBall.org also links to USABaseball.com, which provides players, parents and coaches with the information and resources to help with proper play and instruction. Health and safety information, including through the Pitch Smart program, also is available. In addition to flagship partnerships with USA Baseball and USA Softball, PLAY BALL is also supported by the U.S. Conference of Mayors, Minor League Baseball, Little League International, and MLB Corporate Partners Chevrolet, Scotts and Kingsford.