MOUNT VERNON, Wash. — Although the Major League Baseball (MLB) All-Star festivities will not return to Seattle this season, one local star athlete will get the chance to represent western Washington on the national stage.
Xavier Neyens of Mount Vernon High School will be one of the eight participants in the High School Home Run Derby, which will be held during the 2024 All-Star Week in Arlington, Texas.
The slugger was named the 2023-24 Washington Baseball Player of the Year by Gatorade in June, and is expected to be a top draft prospect once he becomes eligible. Neyens has committed to play college baseball at Pacific Northwest powerhouse Oregon State University, but he could end up entering the MLB Draft once his high school career is over.
Baseball publication Perfect Game lists Neyens as the No. 4 prospect in the nation for the class of 2025. He batted .455 and scored 34 runs while also going 5-0 with a 0.47 ERA as a pitcher.
Mount Vernon advanced to the 3A State Final this past season, but lost to West Seattle.
It will be on early for Washingtonians on Saturday, July 13, with coverage beginning on MLB.com beginning at 8:30 a.m. PT.
Logan Gilbert will be the Mariners' lone representative in the 2024 MLB All-Star Game, which will be played on July 16.
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