Former MLB stars CC Sabathia and Andruw Jones have Phillies ties this summer.
You know how the Philadelphia Phillies always seem to have the wrong “brother,” such as Vince DiMaggio, Mike Maddux, Jeremy Giambi, and Mark Leiter Sr.?
Well, now, the organization hopes to reverse the trend by having other bloodline relatives of former MLB All-Stars wear a Phillies uniform his summer.
Carsten Sabathia and Druw Jones, sons of CC Sabathia and Andruw Jones, are playing for the Kissimmee, Florida-based FTB Phillies Scout Team 17U.
While both are not eligible to be selected until the 2022 MLB Draft, they are already making their names known with impressive showings. Sabathia, in particular, will play at the MLB All-American Game at Coors Field this week — a showcase for top high school prospects that effectively kicks off the summer scouting season.
The inaugural All-American Game took place in 2019 and featured eight players who were taken in the first round of the following year’s draft. In addition, 17 overall were chosen in the Top 150.
A rising Bergen Catholic High School star, the younger Sabathia is listed at 6-foot-4 and 240 pounds. While he has pitched over the years, his “true calling,” according to MLB.com’s Mark Feinsand, is playing first and third base.
"“He’s even trying to work on his game in the outfield, hoping to be as versatile as possible in order to do the thing he loves most: hit,” Feinsand continues."
Carsten’s dad, now 40, played 19 seasons, including 11 with the New York Yankees, in which he went 134-88 with a 3.81 ERA. The six-time All-Star and former Cy Young Award-winner went 0-1 with a 3.29 ERA in two starts opposite the Phillies in the 2009 World Series.
While Carsten has not yet committed to a college, Druw Jones is set to attend Vanderbilt. Listed at 6-foot-3 and 170 pounds, Jones has been praised for his “elite speed” with the potential to develop power as he matures.
Druw’s dad, now 44, is a five-time All-Star and 10-time Gold Glove Award-winner who played 17 seasons, including his first 12 with the Atlanta Braves. The elder Jones slugged 434 home runs and 1,289 RBI in his career. In his final two seasons, 2011-2012, he was teammates with Sabathia on the Yankees.
The Phillies may draft neither Sabathia nor Jones next summer, and even if they do, they could choose to not sign and attend college. Regardless, it is pretty exciting to see these sons of former Major League Baseball stars wear a Phillies uniform, if only for this summer.