By Haden Raymer

There is something about playing catch with your dad. A feeling that was captured so eloquently in Field of Dreams. Not many are lucky enough to play catch with a major league baseball player. Although many cannot relate, there are four sons of former major leaguers playing in the Valley Baseball League this summer. This year in the Valley Baseball League there is a crop of young sons of former major leaguers.

Orlando Hernandez (Waynesboro)

Orlando Hernandez is a right-handed pitcher currently attending Florida International University. He is a six-foot sophomore who has spent the bulk of his collegiate career in the bullpen but made three starts during his freshman season. In his sophomore season, he threw 25 innings with 22 strikeouts and 16 walks. He had some hype as a high schooler according to Perfect Game, ranking 500th overall in the 2020 class.

Orlando Hernandez’s father, of the same name, is more commonly known as El Duque. He spent nine years in the major leagues, mostly with the New York Yankees, joining them in four World Series victories. He also pitched for the Chicago White Sox, Arizona Diamondbacks, and the New York Mets.

Will Hudler (Covington)

Out of Kansas is outfielder/third baseman Will Hudler. He currently is a sophomore at Johnson County Community College. He got little playing time during his freshman year, but Hudler thrived in his sophomore season, hitting .326/.394/.511 in 111 at-bats. Despite a lack of national hype, Perfect Game ranked Hudler as the 21st best prep prospect in Kansas in the 2020 class.

Rex Hudler was a middle infielder/outfielder for various teams throughout his career. Originally drafted in the first round by the Yankees in 1978, Rex did not make his debut until 1984. From then on, Rex bounced around the league, serving as a bench piece for the Yankees, Baltimore Orioles, Montreal Expos, St. Louis Cardinals, California Angels, and the Philadelphia Phillies.

Chase Nixon (Winchester)

Chase Nixon is a freshman outfielder at North Carolina State. He got limited playing time in 2022 with only 26 plate appearances, coming off the bench in all but two games. During that span, Nixon hit .273/.370/.318 with one extra-base hit, a double. His highlight game last season was against Quinnipiac, where he got three hits in four tries with a strikeout. Perfect Game ranked Chase 500th in the nation and as the 360th best outfield prospect.

Chase’s father, Trot Nixon, was an outfielder who played for twelve years in the majors, primarily for the Boston Red Sox. Trot was Boston’s primary right fielder from 1999 until 2006. He was there when Boston won it all in 2004, playing in all four games of the World Series. After his 2006 season with the Red Sox, Trot played for the Cleveland Indians in 2007 and the New York Mets in 2008 before retiring.

LHP Carsten Finnvold (Strasburg)

Carsten is a left-handed pitcher from Florida and was a freshman at the University of Florida in 2022. He threw nine innings for the Gators last year, striking out and walking nine batters. This included a strong four and two third inning start against Tennessee, where he struck out six and allowed four unearned runs. He was an HSBN All American and one of the better left-handed pitchers in Florida in 2021’s high school class, ranking 14th on Perfect Game’s list. He turned in an All-time performance for the Gators in the Gainesville Regional on June 5, entering the game with the bases loaded in the first inning and then finishing the game to earn a huge win for his team. He was named All-Regional for the performance.

The Seattle Mariners in the 42nd round drafted Carsten’s father, Gar Finnvold, in 1987 but he did not sign. Then in 1990, when drafted in the 6th round, Gar signed with the Boston Red Sox. After battling through the minors for four years, Gar debuted at age 26 in 1994. He would make eight starts that year, which would also be his last season in the big leagues. He attempted to pitch the next two seasons, but injuries cut his career short.