If Your Birthday is December 5th...

...you share it with Wyatt Young.  The Honolulu native and Pepperdine product was the Mets 15th round draft pick in 2021.  A middle infielder, he's spent most of the past four seasons at AA Binghamton where he plays hard and is a dependable defender. 

Trapped behind Brett Baty, Ronnie Mauricio, Jett Williams and Mark Vientos among the organization's infielders, Young isn't on the fast track or likely, any track, to Citi Field.  You have to admire his determination -- suiting up 100 or so nights ever summer, dedicating himself to the game he clearly loves, even if the payoff isn't a multi-million dollar contract.


While Young might not ever see his name in a lineup with Juan Soto or Francisco Lindor, he can take pride in once sharing a field with another future Hall of Famer.  I got a kick from the above image from 2023, when then-Met Justin Verlander had a rehab start with Binghamton before returning from injury.   Not deferring a bit to his teammate for the day, Young offered a friendly pat on the back while he and Verlander headed back to the dugout between innings.

Most weeks, this feature offers a headline-grabbing player.  But this week, I thought Young was worth doing something different.  A lunch-pail kind of player, dedicated enough to be drafted by an MLB club, without breaking through to the game's top level is also worth attention.   Wyatt Young is easy to cheer for.  He'll likely never be famous of have his highlights air on Sportscenter, but you can never question his passion.

Also in our December 5th birthday circle: Brewers star Christian Yelich.  A three-time All Star and 2018 National League MVP, Yelich produced his best power numbers of the decade last season as Milwaukee compiled the National League's best record and advanced to the NLCS, before falling to the eventual champion Dodgers.  13 years into his career -- which began as a Marlin -- Yelich has become the alltime leader in WAR for players born on this date.
 
(My image of Yelich is from a 2016 Marlins/Mets game in New York.)

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