Local Sports

Cutters’ Evan Grimes had a long, grueling journey to get to MLB Draft League

It may still be July, but the Williamsport Crosscutters are deep in preparations for September's MLB Draft League Championship game in September.

With Williamsport having clinched a spot in the championship with their first-half title, the next month can act as a tryout for who will play for what could be Williamsport's second championship in the MLB Draft League era.

And while the role of who starts in September's championship is still very much up in the air, for one candidate, it could be a role that was unimaginable just a few years ago.

Williamsport starting pitcher Evan Grimes has the look of a pitcher. A lanky, six foot three left hander, Grimes' journey to even play college ball took many twists and turns. A graduate of Shenendehowa High School, the left hander would play just one year of varsity baseball in part due to the COVID-19 pandemic cancelling his junior year.

After one season representing the Stallions as a two-way player, as Mark Singelais of The Times Union penned, Grimes spent his freshman year of college at the University of Albany before ultimately getting the itch for the baseball diamond once more.

Sadly for the Clifton Park, New York native, the market wasn't lining up for a one time varsity athlete. Eventually, the JUCO known as SUNY Adirondack welcomed him in. In his first year of eligibility as a 20-year-old, the New Yorker appeared in 33 games mustering a .206 batting average at the plate while conceding a 9.45 earned run average in just four bullpen appearances while Adirondack finished below .500 on the season.

From the end of the 2023 season, it looked as though Grimes' return story to the diamond would be just a cameo for a little known JUCO.

"It's been tough for sure," admitted Grimes. "There's been a lot of moments where, you know, I could have quit. But I think it's just a belief in myself and a determination to work. I feel like I leave no doubt with the work that I put in, and it's got to show up on the field."

Suffice to say, the press weren't exactly lined up when Grimes made a transfer to a Russell Sage College, a Division III school that at the time had a baseball program that existed for two full seasons.

But 2024 was the year that Grimes proved he deserved to play at the college level. In a year that saw Sage win just explode out to a 16-2 conference record, Grimes would bat a monstrous .386 average with 20 runs batted in while even making five cameos at the mound for a more appealing 5.79 ERA.

And as Grimes transitioned to a full time starter, his production level would stay steady. With Grimes becoming a full time starter in his final two years of eligibility, he would finish his career at the plate with a .352 average across 113 games that includes 30 doubles, 13 home runs, and 108 runs batted in.

But what eventually got the New Yorker to Williamsport was his pitching. Making 15 appearances primarily out of the bullpen, Grimes would muster a career 3.65 earned run average and, with Russell Sage vying for their first conference championship in program history, toss a six-out save that saw just two batters conceded and four strikeouts thrown.

"That was amazing," Grimes reminisced. "It's probably my favorite experience with the baseball field. Going from losing the conference championship (in 2024 and 2025) to winning it all was a big culture shift for us. Just a bunch of guys bought in and just love each other and want to win for each other. It's definitely the greatest feeling."

Now in Williamsport, Grimes is hoping his story fit for Cinderella continues. Working relentlessly the previous summers to up his pitching game, the left hander possesses a versatile arsenal that includes a fastball in the mid to high 80s and an offspeed pitch that cuts nearly 10 miles per hour slower.

"I would say the consistency throughout the lineup (is the biggest difference,)" said Grimes regarding the transition from the Division III level to the MLB Draft League. "A few more plays get made, a few more balls get hit, a few more balls get caught. The velocity on the mound though is probably the biggest thing."

In his first gig as a full-time starter, Grimes has shown consistency across five appearances. Heading into this week, the left hander possesses a 5.14 earned run average across 21 innings pitched with 23 strikeouts and just 12 walks.

The left hander can also be seen taking batting practice before games, hinting that his two way days may not be finished just yet.

"I sure hope so," chuckled Grimes when asked if he may take an at-bat or two. "They've talked about letting me pinch-hit, pinch-run, or maybe be a defensive replacement. We will see what happens."

With still a full month and change to go until the MLB Draft League Championship, there is still plenty to hem and haw about who takes the ball first as the Cutters look to raise another banner. While there will be plenty of deserving candidates in September's championship, it is hard to come up with a candidate with a longer, more grueling journey than Grimes.