When she takes the field on Wednesday, Alabama’s Kinley Rasmus will be the 25th girl to play in the Little League World Series. Not only will she add to history just by being a female in a male-dominated sport, but she is also the leader of her team by a mile.
She will also be the third member of her family to play in the Little League World Series. Her father, Cory Rasmus, and his brother, Colby Rasmus, also played in Williamsport in 1999. Tony Rasmus, Kinley’s grandfather, was the coach of the 1999 Phenix City team.
Kinley Rasmus comes from a family of Major Leaguers
They also both went on to play in the Major Leagues.
The Atlanta Braves drafted her Dad Cory in the 1st round of the 2006 MLB Draft straight out of high school. He ended up pitching in 84 games in the bigs with the Braves and the Angels.
The St. Louis Cardinals drafted Kinley’s uncle, Colby Rasmus, in the 1st round of the 2005 MLB Draft, also straight out of high school. He played 10 years in Major League Baseball, appearing in over 1,000 games for the Cardinals, Blue Jays, Astros, Rays, and Orioles.
Oh yeah, Kinley Rasmus’ uncle is Jeff Mathis. The Anaheim Angels drafted him in the 1st round of the 2001 MLB Draft. He stuck around the big leagues for a whopping 17 years, playing in over 900 games for the Angels, Blue Jays, Marlins, Diamondbacks, Rangers, and Braves.
Little wonder that Kinley is Phenix City Youth Baseball Little League’s best pitcher and plays shortstop while batting second in the lineup. She also has a relative on her team: left-handed 11-year-old Ryker Rasmus, the coach’s son, plays first base and pitches.
During the regional tournament, Kinley Rasmus pitched in three of four games without allowing a run, including a complete-game shutout vs. Tennessee. She also went 6-for-8 with four walks, four runs, and two RBI at the plate.
On August 19 at 2:00 p.m. CT, Phenix City will play its first game of the 2026 Little League World Series against the Northwest Regional champion, Soundview Little League from Tacoma, Washington. The game will be broadcast live on ESPN.