New York Yankees

Mariano Rivera's son is an All-Star closer in the minor leagues

Published Nov. 15, 2016 3:05 p.m. ET

foxsports

Mariano Rivera III never had any interest in becoming his father, a New York Yankees legend and one of the greatest relief pitchers baseball has ever seen, and therefore he never had much interest in baseball.

He played soccer and swam growing up, only dabbling in baseball, never considering a future in game. Yet, somehow, something kept pulling him back, and now Rivera is a closer in the Washington Nationals' organization. He has fully embraced the family business that's in genes.

Rivera walked on at Quinnipiac University, was drafted by the Yankees in the 29th round in 2014, returned to school and then was drafted by the Nationals in the fourth round a year later.

Mariano Rivera III isn't his dad, which is just how he wants it https://t.co/EDEe0fB0J4 pic.twitter.com/qbC3NxJfz0
— Adeniyi (@BeingProtocol) August 19, 2016

This year, he's the closer for Single-A Hagerstown, flashing a mid-90s fastball, a slider that reaches 91 mph and a changeup. Rivera III is raw -- he's walked 22 and given up 65 hits in 60 innings, to go with 43 strikeouts -- but talented enough to be a South Atlantic League All-Star selection this summer.

Rivera III is not on the cusp of breaking into the big leagues, let alone assuming one of the 30 closer jobs available in MLB. He has to do all the things young pitchers with limited experience have to do -- develop consistency in their mechanics, refine command, fine-tune their secondary offerings, reduce the walks and dozens of other little things.

But at 22 years old, he has the raw ingredients to become a big leaguer and the time to mold them. Unfortunately, if and when he gets to The Show, I don't think he'll be coming out to "Enter Sandman."