PHOENIX – The Witherspoon twins, with their older sister and younger brother, moved all across Jacksonville, Florida, from apartments to townhouses to rental homes back to apartments, changing addresses 10 times in all, with their single mother working 75-hour workweek to make sure bills were paid.
The kids never had Jordans or fancy clothes, and a night on the town consisted of a couple of fast-food burgers, fries and shakes.
The Witherspoons never had much at all, but, oh, how they had each other.
They will all be together again Sunday afternoon at their apartment in Jacksonville, along with nearly 20 of their closest friends – including three baseball coaches who have been involved in the twins’ lives since they were 5 years old – sitting in front of their TV waiting for the news they’ve dreamed of since first stepping on a T-ball field.
MOCK DRAFT: Who will be No. 1 pick in 2025 MLB Draft?
Kyson and Malachi Witherspoon, born 14 minutes apart – with Kyson arriving first – are about to become professional baseball pitchers, selected in the 2025 Major League Baseball draft. Kyson, a Golden Spikes award finalist, is projected to be one of the first 10 picks, with Malachi picked in the first two rounds.
There will be hugs, tears, and more tears. The twins have been together since the day they were born, attending the same preschool school, grade schools, junior high, high school, junior college and Oklahoma University.
Now, for the first time in their lives, they likely will be on different teams.
“We know it’s going to be emotional, not just for us,’ Malachi Witherspoon said, “but for everyone in our family and everyone who has been part of our journey. It sure hasn’t been easy, but it’s been a heck of a ride. Now we have a chance to do something that we both always wanted.’
Malachi looked to his right at Kyson. Kyson looked back at Malachi.
They nod toward each other and they blink, looking away, trying to keep their eyes from watering.
“We want to take care of our mom,’ Kyson softly tells USA TODAY Sports. “She’s done everything in the world for us. We wouldn’t be here without her. Whatever she needs, whatever she wants, we’re going to help her. I mean, it’s all hers. The only reason we’ve been able to go through this is because of her.’
Meg Witherspoon, a single mother, raised the family by herself, working three or four jobs at a time, putting more miles on her Toyota Sienna than a NASCAR driver.
She was a preschool director. She was an Uber driver. A Lyft driver. She delivered Uber Eats, HelloFresh, Amazon packages, UPS packages and groceries from Publix.
She walked dogs. Took care of cats. She house-sat. She cleaned.
“I’m on so many different apps,’ Meg Witherspoon says, “that if there’s an app out there that you ever heard of, or ever tried, I’m on it. It was always how much do I need, and then go figure out a way to make that money.
“I’m a legal hustler.’
Now, after spending 20 years making sure her twin boys, 27-year-old daughter Kylie and 11-year-old son Kyler are taken care of, she’s about to become the mother of professional baseball players.
“This is going to be a great day,’ Malachi says, “and we want to share it with the people that mean so much to us. I don’t think we’re going to have enough room for everyone to fit on our couch, so we’ll have standing room only. We’ll order a few pizzas. A few wings, hopefully lemon-pepper. We’re not the flashiest bunch when it comes to that stuff, but we’re just regular people.’’
Sorry if everyone who has been privileged to be part of the Witherspoon family’s journey respectfully disagrees. They will tell you that they are two of the finest young gentlemen you’ll ever meet. Their honesty and integrity is impeccable. Their work ethic is unmatched. And they’ll dare you to find two young men with bigger hearts.
“I still get a call from them every Father’s Day,’ says Robbie Bradshaw, a law enforcement official, who met the boys when they were 5 or 6 years old in Jacksonville and coached them until high school. “I raised them like they were my own family. We did everything together. They stayed with us during tournaments. They’re the kind of kids you want your own to hang out with. They were definitely talented, but they were also the hardest-working kids I had with the best attitude.
“I don’t know any other 12-year-olds who were doing their own laundry or baby-sitting their little brother, and never once did I ever hear them complain.’
They weren’t just doing the laundry and baby-sitting, but also cleaning the family car to make sure Mom got those five-star ratings for Uber and Lyft.
“It wasn’t just the baseball acumen with those kids, it was the character and maturity,’ says Chris Laufman, their coach while winning the Cal Ripken World Series when they were 12 years old and finishing runner-up in the Babe Ruth national tournament at the age of 14. “It’s unbelievable the way those two are connected to their mom. They’re such fine young men. They deserve everything coming their way.’
Larry Rollings, who has been on a western Alaska fishing trip, is flying back early just to join the family for the special day after also being one of their youth coaches.
“You talk about the standard their mom set for those kids,’ Rollings said, “from the work ethic to accountability to responsibility. They went to a public high school on the beach, and to think now they’re about to become millionaires, it’s just amazing. It’s going to be such an emotional day.’
Their youth coaches will tell you they knew the Witherspoon twins were talented enough to at least warrant college scholarships when they were 12, but it was their dedication and discipline that paved the path to a professional baseball career.
“Even when we were playing flag football and soccer, I remember coach Robbie telling us to keep our head on our shoulders,’ Malachi said. “He was telling us, ‘don’t let anything get in the way of you being successful or take you off your path. You can be whatever you want through whatever sport you choose.’ I mean, we were relentlessly told that.
“He told us, ‘Your mom has worked so hard, so why would you even let anything get in the way?”
Oh, yes, there was always Mom, who raised them, nurtured them, and made sure that no matter how little money they had, they were going to have every opportunity as every other kid in Jacksonville.
“I get a tear in my eye thinking about how respectful they are,’ Oklahoma baseball coach Skip Johnson says. “You can’t say enough about that motherly love, and it was hard love too. Those kids are her life. She broke her back for those kids. She was there, man. She was the backbone of that deal. It’s such a crazy, beautiful story. It’s something movies are made of, man.’’
The Witherspoons had their share of rough times. They would move if Meg thought their apartment complex was unsafe. They would move if her sons weren’t treated the same as other kids. They would move if the rent increased beyond their means.
Still, no matter what, they endured. Meg made sure the kids weren’t deprived. They were in gymnastics. They played ice hockey. Soccer. Tennis. Swimming. Football. And, oh, did they ever play baseball, falling in love with the sport when they turned 12.
Kyson played shortstop and pitched in high school, while Malachi pitched and was a catcher. They blossomed into two of the best collegiate pitchers in the country at OU.
“Our Mom never stopped working,’’ Malachi said, “but she was always at our games. She always made sure we got to practice. And, yeah, she always made sure we got good grades.’’
Meg was tough. If the boys weren’t getting A’s in school, they weren’t playing ball. She would apologize to the coaches if one of them couldn’t play for their team that weekend, but rules are rules. School always came first.
She also made sure that the boys realized the understanding of love for each other. Sure, brothers fight and argue all of the time growing up, fiercely competing with each other. But when you are twins, well, there’s a love that stays forever, and Meg always reminded her boys that this bond is a gift that should be forever treasured.
“I remember they had an argument when they were 5 or 6,’ Meg said, “and were hitting each other. I stopped the car and told them, ‘You get one punch each. Punch each other as hard as you can to the chest, and that’s it.’ They both did, one hit each, and they both started crying. I said, ‘So who feels better now? Look at each other, this is the one who has your back for the rest of your life. So I’m not going to put up with any fighting or bickering.”
They became best of friends and can’t even begin to imagine what life would be like if they ever had to face each other in a game. At Fletcher High School in Neptune Beach, it was Malachi who caught the attention of pro scouts and rated as one of the best high school pitchers in the country with his 96 mph fastball and lethal curveball. The Arizona Diamondbacks promised him a signing bonus exceeding $1 million if they drafted him. They selected him in the 12th round in 2022, but when it came time for a bonus, it was reduced to $500,000.
“I mean, it was money our family had never seen in our lives’ Malachi said. “But to have money that was promised before dangling in front of my face, and then kind of taken away from me, I couldn’t do it. It was just a matter of principle.’
So, with Kyson already committed to Northwest Florida State College, Malachi followed him. They spent a year together, transferred together to Oklahoma, and guess who packed up and moved across country to be with them?
Yep, Meg took her young son with her, got an apartment in nearby Edmond, Oklahoma, making sure they could all be together while the twins were in college.
“She never stopped working,’ Malachi says, “but she was always at our games.’
Says Johnson: “Just seeing them there all together, and the love they have for each other, it’s a reminder that it’s not always about winning and losing. Or who gets paid the most money. It’s about becoming great young men.
“I’ll always cherish the letter she sent thanking me and my staff, how we took care of her young men.’
Now, after being together their whole lives, it’s almost inevitable that they will wind up for the first time on different teams. Sure, it’s possible that the team who selects Kyson, who struck out 124 batters in 95 innings with a 99 mph fastball, will take Malachi, too, but they realize the odds are heavily against it. Meg just hopes they wind up in the same region of the country.
Wherever they go, and after they receive their signing bonuses, the boys have a gift already planned for Mom.
“She’s always wanted a Jeep Wrangler,” Malachi says. “That’s her dream car. She doesn’t need to have the Mom-mobile anymore with sliding doors. Whatever she needs, she’ll get, because she’s been working too much for too long.’
The dream of being the first twins to be drafted in the same year and play in the major leagues since 1996 – Sooners alumni Ryan and Damon Minor – well, that’s part of the plan, too, no matter if they ever play on the same team again.
“You can split them up,’ Laufman said, “but at this point they are so connected, even if you split them up, you’re not really splitting them up. You’re never going to split those kids up. They’re still going to talk to each other every day. They’ve got that twins’ synergy. They always are going to be pulling for each other.
“We just pray they end up at the right place, whoever gives them their best chance to live their dream.’’
It will happen. The Witherspoons know it. They didn’t travel this journey to be let down now.
“It’s going to be a beautiful story,’’ Malachi says, “for all of us.’
Around the basepaths
– The Chicago Cubs have been approved by Major League Baseball to host the 2027 All-Star Game – and will make the announcement July 30 in Chicago. It will be the Cubs’ first All-Star Game since 1990. The Philadelphia Phillies will host the 2026 All-Star Game, while the Toronto Blue Jays and Baltimore Orioles are the front-runners to host in 2028.
– The Philadelphia Phillies have been extensively scouting Minnesota Twins relievers Jhoan Duran and Griffin Jax of the Minnesota Twins, hoping to acquire at least one of them.
The Twins also are drawing strong interest from the Detroit Tigers, Chicago Cubs, Los Angeles Dodgers and Cincinnati Reds.
– The Arizona Diamondbacks, muddling along around .500, will definitely be sellers at the trade deadline according to rival executives, believing they have no choice if they want to compete in 2026.
“I don’t see a world they don’t sell,’ one GM said. “They have so many holes, and so many free agents.’
They are making starters Zac Gallen and Merrill Kelly, All-Star third baseman Eugenio Suárez and first baseman Josh Naylor available. They are all free agents after the season. The D-backs are searching for young pitching in return.
– The Seattle Mariners, after Suárez to the Diamondbacks in November 2023, now would love to have him back in their lineup – and have interest in Naylor, too.
– GMs believe that the Toronto Blue Jays could be as aggressive as any team in baseball at the deadline, believing this could be their best chance to return to the World Series since 1993. The Blue Jays are looking for a front-line pitcher, and have shown interest in Gallen.
– Atlanta are making DH Marcell Ozuna, reliever Raisel Iglesias and a few others available at the deadline, but they have no intention to trade any player under a multi-year contract, at least not until this winter. Ozuna has 10-and-5 rights so he can reject any deal.
– Turns out the best trade of the winter was the Chicago Cubs-Houston Astros deal with All-Star outfielder Kyle Tucker going to Chicago and All-Star third baseman Isaac Paredes, rookie right fielder Cam Smith and pitcher Hayden Wesneski going to Houston.
Both teams are sitting in first place, and both teams would do the deal again in a heartbeat.
– Most of the deals that come at the trade deadline, GMs say, will involve players who are free agents after the season. Even if a team has a desire to trade a controllable player, they say, why limit yourself at the deadline when you can shop then to every team during the winter?
– Contending teams may be more aggressive than usual, GMs predict, because there is no superteam or overwhelming favorite to reach the World Series. The best teams are flawed.
– While rumors are rampant in the industry that Colorado Rockies GM Bill Schmidt will be reassigned after the trade deadline, no one in the organization has informed Schmidt that his duties could soon be changing. Schmidt has been with the Rockies since 1999.
– MLB is concerned by the rash of players who have bailed out of the All-Star Game this year. The most common reason by the players who have opted out of playing the game is “is rest and recuperation.’
– The best prospects expected to be traded by contenders this month, GMs believe, could be Cubs outfielder Owen Caissie and Seattle Mariners catcher Harry Ford. But Caisse doesn’t want to hear the rumors
“I don’t have Twitter, so I don’t check that stuff at all,’ Caisse said. “I never really paid attention to that stuff, and I’m not going to start now. Playing GM isn’t a good idea because you never know what’s going to happen.
“I’m just going to show up at the ballpark every day with a smile on my face and just try to be the best I can be.’
Said Ford: “I try my best to stay where I’m at. You know, something that I lean on the most is a proverb. and it says the king’s heart is in the hand of Lord, he guides it like a stream of water. He guides it wherever he pleases.
“I’m just like, you know what, my career is in in God’s hands and I just let it let it be where he decides it will go.’’
– The Houston Astros easily have the best record in baseball facing the other first-place teams this season, according to MLB researcher Bill Chuck. The Astros are 13-2 against first-place teams while the Philadelphia Phillies are 10-8. No other first-place team has a winning record against the other division leaders.
– If Milwaukee Brewers rookie Jacob Misiorowski can make the All-Star Game after only five starts, will there be a day where a player who has yet to play his first game in the major leagues be far behind, based on his minor league stats?
MLB officials actually reached out to about a dozen pitchers looking for a replacement for the All-Star Game until Misiorowski agreed on Friday.
– Seattle Mariners catcher Cal Raleigh’s historic homer pace makes the AL MVP race an absolute doozy against Yankees two-time MVP Aaron Judge. Raleigh is putting on the greatest power-hitting exhibition by a catcher in history with his 38 homers entering Saturday, just one behind Barry Bonds for the most homers before the All-Star break.
When Hall of Fame catcher Johnny Bench won the NL MVP award in 1970, he hit 45 homers with 148 RBI, starting at five different positions.
– Kudos to Cubs 23-year-old center fielder Pete Crow-Armstrong who walked into the daily Wrigley Field pre-game meeting of ushers and security guards last week to thank them.
“You guys go through the same 162-game season we do, in a way,” Crow-Armstrong told the employees, according to Chicago Tribune columnist Paul Sullivan. “You do so much for us in terms of our families and people that matter to me and my teammates. First and foremost, that’s one of the more important things I recognize when we think about you guys and the work that you do. And I know it’s been so hot recently, and I just appreciate you guys on a daily basis being out there with us, and doing a lot of work … You guys are the best.”
– Hall of Famer Joe Torre will be in uniform on Aaron Boone’s All-Star staff 62 years after making his All-Star debut in 1963.
– Baltimore Orioles starter Zach Eflin, who has been out with back discomfort since late June, is expected to return to the Orioles rotation after the All-Star break, and will become immediate trade bait.
The Orioles also are expected to trade Charlie Morton and Tomoyuki Sugano barring a dramatic winning streak after the break.
– The Tampa Bay Rays are open for business after acquiring reliever Bryan Baker of the Baltimore Orioles and are listening to offers for starter Taj Bradley
– Keep an eye on right-handed pitcher Tyrelle Chadwick, the son of former Angels pitcher Ray Chadwick, and power-hitting first baseman Judah Morris in the draft. Neither of the Illinois State players were invited to the MLB combine but could be selected in the late rounds.
– Chicago White Sox starter Adrian Houser, who was released by four organizations since last July, suddenly has become a valuable trade chip. Houser, 32, is 5-2 with a 1.56 ERA in nine starts since joining the White Sox.
– The Dodgers have already used 35 pitchers this season – already the fourth-most in franchise history – including 16 starters. They’re hoping to have Blake Snell back after the All-Star break with Shohei Ohtani ramping up to at least five innings in August, joining Yoshinobu Yamamoto, Tyler Glasnow, Clayton Kershaw and Dustin May.
– The Rockies quietly set the major-league record with 72 losses before the All-Star break, eclipsing the White Sox’s record of 71 losses a year ago in the first half.
– Yes, Royals GM J.J. Picollo is well-aware that the organization gave up on both of the AL All-Star DHs in Ryan O’Hearn of the Orioles and Brent Rooker of the A’s in a seven-week span after the 2022 season.
Rooker was designated for assignment. O’Hearn was traded to the Orioles for cash considerations.
And yes, the Royals desperately are in need of offense.
– Quote of the week comes from Milwaukee Brewers manager Pat Murphy on his prized 23-year-old All Star rookie pitcher Jacob Misiorowski:
“He’s just broken the shell, man. “He’s just out of the egg. All arms and legs. He’s still got gooey stuff coming off him.’’
– MLB is currently on pace to have 365 shutouts this season, the most in baseball history, eclipsing the current record of 359 set in 1915, according to Jayson Stark of The Athletic.
– San Diego Padres starter Yu Darvish, in his 20th professional season, needs just one more victory for the most wins by a Japanese pitcher. He has won 110 games in MLB and 93 in Nippon Professional Baseball, tied with Hiroki Kuroda.
– Washington Nationals interim manager Miguel Cairo insists he would not have taken the job if he didn’t get the blessing from Davey Martinez, who was fired last week. Martinez, who was in the final year of his $4 million annual contract, lost the clubhouse after saying that the players were at fault for their last-place status and not his coaching staff.
– Former Cincinnati Reds All-Star closer Alexis Diaz, who was traded to the Dodgers in May, still continues to struggle with his control. He was promoted from Triple-A Oklahoma City for one day, but then immediately returned the next without pitching.
– Miami Marlins starter Sandy Alcantara may not be traded if hecontinues to struggle. He is yielding a 7.22 ERA this season, and has allowed 19 earned runs in the last 18 innings for a 9.50 ERA.
– The Yankees not only owe infielder D.J. LeMahieu the remaining $22 million of his salary through 2026, but still owe former outfielder Aaron Hicks $10 million this season.
– Athletics owner John Fisher certainly is putting down roots in Las Vegas. He purchased one of the most expensive homes in Las Vegas history, a 10,094 square-foot, 7-bedroom, 10-bathroom home for $29.25 million in nearby Sumerlin.
– It looks possible nobody will win 300 games again with Giants starter Justin Verlander, 42, still stuck at 262 victories and time running out. He enters the All-Star break with an 0-7 record and 4.70 ERA in his 15 starts. He is the first starting pitcher to enter the All-Star break with at least 65 strikeouts and no victories, according to OptaSTATS.
– No wonder Padres right fielder Fernando Tatis Jr. had already made vacation plans when he learned that he made the All-Star team. He is hitting just .206 with a .315 on-base percentage and .320 slugging percentage since May 14.
– The Blue Jays’ ascension to first place in the AL East is particularly stunning considering that slugger Anthony Santander, who signed a five-year, $92.5 million contract last winter, hasn’t played a game since May 29 and veteran starter Max Scherzer has made only four starts.
Their 55 victories before the All-Star break already are the most in franchise history.
– The personal collection of late Hall of Famer Willie Mays is going on sale with all proceeds of the auction going to Mays’ Say Hey! Foundation. The collection includes his Presidential Medal of Freedom, his 1954 World Series ring and two MVP awards.
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