The Seattle Mariners are stepping into the Little League spotlight.
Following Saturday’s middle game in Queens, the Mariners and New York Mets travel to Williamsport, Pa., for the eighth installment of MLB’s Little League Classic, televised nationally on ESPN’s “Sunday Night Baseball.”
A tradition that began in 2017 with the Pittsburgh Pirates and St. Louis Cardinals returns with a marquee matchup between postseason contenders, a regular-season game held each August amid the Little League World Series. The coronavirus pandemic prevented the 2020 installment.
Sunday’s finale marks Seattle’s first appearance in the Classic. Mariners right-hander George Kirby duels New York’s Clay Holmes in a 4:10 p.m. PDT first pitch at Journey Bank Ballpark at Historic Bowman Field. Here’s what to know:
Aug 19, 2018; Williamsport, PA, USA; The New York Mets and Philadelphia Phillies shake hands at the conclusion of the MLB little league classic at BB&T Ballpark at Historic Bowman Field.
A LITTLE LEAGUE TRADITION
When the Pittsburgh Pirates defeated the St. Louis Cardinals, 6-3, in the first-annual Classic in Williamsport, both teams gathered at home plate for a handshake line — a Little League and youth baseball tradition typically unseen at the professional level.
Ever since, MLB clubs have lined up for good-games and sportsmanship in front of the world’s premier Little Leaguers. Previous results from MLB’s Little League Classic:
2017: Pittsburgh Pirates def. St. Louis Cardinals, 6-3
2018: New York Mets def. Philadelphia Phillies, 8-2
2019: Chicago Cubs def. Pittsburgh Pirates, 7-1
2021: Cleveland Indians def. Los Angeles Angels, 3-0
2022: Baltimore Orioles def. Boston Red Sox, 5-3
2023: Washington Nationals def. Philadelphia Phillies, 4-3
2024: Detroit Tigers def. New York Yankees, 3-2 (10)
Major leaguers from both the Mariners and Mets will attend Little League World Series contests on Sunday morning, “demonstrating their commitment to helping grow the game at the youth level and engage with young fans,” the Mariners said in a release. The little leaguers return the favor Sunday night, when players and their families pack Historic Bowman Field for a front-row seat for Mariners-Mets.
Historic Bowman Field opened in 1926 and is the current home to the Williamsport Crosscutters (1999-present), a collegiate summer team in the MLB Draft League. The 2,366-seat stadium stretches 411 feet from home plate to center field, 323 feet to left, and 331 feet to right.
Bonney Lake-Sumner Little League captured the Northwest Regional Championship last week, punching their ticket to Williamsport for the second time in four years (2022) and extending the state of Washington’s five-year streak of claiming the region. Former regional champions include Eastlake Little League (2021), Northeast Seattle Little League (2023), and South Hill Little League (2024). The 2025 Little League World Series runs from Aug. 13-24 at the Little League International Complex, nestled just five miles from Historic Bowman Field.
Aug 19, 2018; Williamsport, PA, USA; General view of BB&T Ballpark at Historic Bowman Field during the little league classic between the Philadelphia Phillies and the New York Mets.
GAME DETAILS
Matchup: Seattle Mariners vs. New York Mets
First pitch: 4:10 p.m. PDT
TV broadcast: ESPN, ESPN Deportes
Radio broadcast: 710-AM, ESPN Radio
Location: Journey Bank Ballpark at Historic Bowman Field (Williamsport, PA)
Starting pitchers: RHP George Kirby (SEA) vs. RHP Clay Holmes (NYM)