WILLIAMSPORT, Pa. -- As the Little League World Series carries on in the heart of Pennsylvania, a new group of kids -- or, rather, former kids -- descended on Williamsport on Sunday.
As the sun emerged in the early morning, burning off the fog that rolled over the hills surrounding the Williamsport Regional Airport, energy filled the air. The Mets’ plane had just touched down ahead of the 2025 Little League Classic, greeted by teams from Nevada and Venezuela.
Yells and cheers filled the air, young players jockeying for the best spot to get a signature or selfie from those Major Leaguers they so admire.
2025 Little League Classic, presented by New York Life
• Mariners vs. Mets: Tonight, 7:10 p.m. ET on ESPN
• Mets live out their dreams -- and make new ones -- with kids at Little League Classic
• 1 year later, Jazz and Little League 'brother' still close
• The 10 best moments in Little League Classic history
Of course, that was just Step 1. There was still the ride to the Little League Complex and hours of fun left for all involved.
But perhaps no one had a better time on Sunday morning than Brandon Nimmo, who went through the entire gamut -- and took time between stops at the complex to sign autographs and take pictures with as many kids as possible.
Griffin Vargas (Summerlin South Little League -- Las Vegas, Nev.) was one of those players who brushed shoulders with the big leaguers. Vargas spent the 15-plus-minute bus ride from the airport to the Little League Complex with Nimmo’s arm stretched behind his back, peppering the outfielder with questions -- and being peppered in return.
"It was pretty awesome sauce,” Vargas said. “He's a really good ballplayer, and it was pretty fun talking to him.
“[I asked him] the most hardest pitcher he ever faced. He said Jacob deGrom -- he's pretty nasty, I know. I'd probably take him yard, but yeah.”
Departing the bus at the complex, the big leaguers then had their choice of activities. Some -- like Brett Baty, Tyrone Taylor and Mark Vientos -- went straight to the infamous hill overlooking Lamade Stadium. Handed cardboard, they -- and Nimmo -- took turns sliding down alongside Little Leaguers. Of course, each was swarmed by kids as soon as he reached the bottom.
Mets manager Carlos Mendoza was both entertained and lightly concerned as he watched his players slide down the hill, but -- thankfully -- no players were injured.
"Mixed feelings, you know?” Mendoza said pregame. “Don't get hurt, but at the same time, they're being who they are, and just having fun with the kids.”
Of course, the players weren’t quite as concerned.
"Going down the grass hill on the cardboard box, that was pretty dope,” Taylor said. “But just seeing how excited the kids were to see us around was awesome. … When I was 11, 12 years old, I was always on really good baseball teams that wanted to end up being here. We never made it, but that was a goal at the time -- so being here and being able to check it out was pretty sweet."
"But yeah, it brings feelings back; I feel like it reminds you of how you were when you were that age, how you love the game so much. Sometimes you lose sight of it when you're a little older and it becomes work. But, yeah, it was fun.”
As Taylor intimated, the Little League Classic gives these kids a glimpse at their potential future, while reminding the big leaguers of their past. That juxtaposition -- which leads these youngsters to call 20-somethings like Juan Soto “Mr. Soto” -- creates an environment teeming with joy, hope and nostalgia.
Take what happened at “The Grove,” when a group of relievers -- plus Sean Manaea, Baty and Cedric Mullins -- challenged the Lamar (Tex.) Little League team to a friendly scrimmage. The first player to step up, Ryan Helsley, was struck out -- a memory the young righty Michael Frankie isn’t likely to forget.
Some players went in hard on pin trading, like Manaea and Reed Garrett -- who brought a bag into the dugout before a game to hand out to members of the Great Lakes team from Clarendon Hills (Ill.) Little League.
Manaea proudly showed off his collection -- which he hoped to add during the game -- in the clubhouse. His favorites? The pin he got of Dugout, the LLWS mascot, and one he got from the Lamade grounds crew.
"They gave me some pins, and they said it's a thing,” Manaea said. “And I was like -- that's all I need to know. So yeah, so I just started doing that.”
Of course, there was still a regular-season Major League game to play. But so many players -- of the little and big league variety -- had already had their days made.