16 Year Old French Girl makes MLB History

Jun. 22, 2015

The sports world was taken over by Mone'e Davis when she powered her team in the Little League World Series. However, another girl may become a baseball sensation. 16-year old Melissa Mayeux, of Pole Baseball Academy in Toulouse, France, has been added to MLB's international registration list, meaning that an MLB team can sign her after July 2nd.

She has the family pedigree, too, just what scouts love; her older brother played on national French Junior Team, and is currently a player-coach for the Montigny Cougars.

Of course, being added to a list does not guarantee that she'll make it to the big leagues some day, but it is certainly quite an accomplishment. In watching a few clips of batting practice, she makes a lot of hard contact, not easy for any 16-year old. She also fields well, projecting to stick at the shortstop position.

Even MLB's Director of International Game Development, Mike McClellan, vouches for her fluidity on the field, and her composure at the plate. He remembers one at-bat against a 19-year old Dominican Republic pitcher, in which Melissa smacked a pitch right up the middle against the 91-mph hurler.

Speaking in French for an interview, she said that she hopes to stick with baseball as long as she can; European players often do not sign until they are 18, and Mayeux reiterated that notion, mentioning that she hopes to pass the baccalaureat - the high school completion/college entrance exam, and possibly go to university. If she keeps up her growth as a prospect, and does not get signed by an MLB team, she could potentially come to the US to play collegiate baseball. With her current club, she fits right in; she says that she's grown up with many of her current teammates, so there was no issue "with integration or respect". As a talented athlete, there is no doubt she'll continue to command respect as she continues in her baseball journey.