Nine-time All-Star and World Series champion Gary Sheffield’s son, Noah, looked just like his pops at the plate when he belted a two-run homer Friday night that sent Jesuit High School (Tampa) to the region final.
Sheffield, a high school Class of 2024 prospect committed to play his collegiate baseball at Florida State, waited on a breaking pitch from a Naples High School pitcher and didn’t miss a stitch of the baseball.
Sheffield sent the ball flying to left field, and he knew it right away, as did his teammates. Sheffield was swarmed at home plate after the walk-off blast.
Gary Sheffield of the New York Yankees bats against the Baltimore Orioles during a game Sept. 4, 2004, at Yankee Stadium in the Bronx borough of New York City. (Focus on Sport/Getty Images)
Those who knew how his father played from 1988-2009 immediately saw a batting stance similar to his father’s signature look in the batter’s box during his career.
Gary Sheffield was known for his odd yet effective bat flick. The bat would go back and forth like a pendulum before flying through the strike zone and making contact.
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Though it was considered unorthodox, and coaches at every level discouraged players from doing it, Sheffield ended up with 509 homers and 1,676 RBIs with a .292 career batting average over his 22 years in the league.
Gary Sheffield of the Florida Marlins prepares for a pitch during a game against the Philadelphia Phillies June 29, 1994, at Veterans Stadium in Philadelphia (Mitchell Layton/Getty Images)
The 6-foot-1, 180-pound Noah was graded a 9 by Perfect Game, which projects him to be a “potential top 10 round pick and/or highest level college prospect.”
Gary Sheffield of the New York Mets speaks to the media with his son Noah after hitting his 500th home run against the Milwaukee Brewers April 17, 2009, at Citi Field in the Flushing neighborhood of the Queens borough of New York City. (Jim McIsaac/Getty Images)
The 16-year-old still has more baseball to play in his junior year as well as his senior season, so that ranking has the chance to improve to a 10.
