Noah Sheffield Carving His Own Path: Son of MLB Star Gary Sheffield Records First Hit for Florida State

Jesuit High School standout Noah Sheffield makes an impact in his Florida State debut; determined to forge his own baseball legacy beyond his father’s Hall of Fame-caliber career

Gary Sheffield (left) and son Noah with Nearly Identical Batting Stances / Gary Sheffield (Left); Photo by mlbreports.com/Noah Sheffield (Right) Photo by NoelBaseball Instagram Account

With Jesuit High School (Tampa, FL) graduate Noah Sheffield having recently recorded the first career base hit of his collegiate career in his very first at-bat as a Florida St. Seminole, it seems like a logical time to take a deep dive into the background of the son of one of the most feared sluggers in recent major league baseball history.

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When his dad, nine-time All-Star Gary Sheffield  strode into the right side of the batter’s box in each of his 9,217 MLB at-bats, and began waving his 32-ounce piece of lumber which appeared as if it were a tooth pick in his muscular arms, the opposing pitcher took pause.

Defensive players pounded their gloves a bit harder and in both dugouts everyone in uniform inched closer to get a better look. Up in the stands, the fans shimmed up to the edge of their seat, and viewers across the land peer into their TV’s with the keenest of interest, for a Gary Sheffield at-bat was a must-see moment.

Back in the day, Gary Sheffield brought that same type of menacing attitude with him to each plate appearance that Kansas City Chiefs' running back Isiah Pacheco brings with each NFL carry. Over 22 seasons, spanning from 1988-2009, with eight different organizations, time stood still when Noah’s dad made his menacing way to the plate.

But as he progressed in his baseball career, from Little League through high school, Noah didn’t want to be given any extra privileges because of the name emblazoned on the back of his uniform. No sir, Noah is dead set on being his own man and doesn’t want to be handed a thing, relaying a conversation he had with his father many years ago to Jesús Cano of MLB.com.

“I told him, ‘Leave me alone. “I said, 'Do not call anybody for me. I need to be on my own. I need other people to tell me what to do. I don't want to go in there relying that you taught me everything that I know.’”

Later in Cano’s account, Gary Sheffield confirmed that he’s always been on board with his son’s approach, perfectly content to sit in the stands with the other parents, watching his son play the game each of them love so much.

“When I hand my son over to you to coach, I want you to coach him the way you would coach him,” Gary recalled to Muno of conversations he’d had with his son’s coaches throughout his son’s formative years. “Not with my influence. Anybody who knows me knows I will sit as far away as possible. The only way my son knows I'm at the game is when he smells my cigars.”

According to his official biography on the Florida State Baseball website, during his senior season at Jesuit, Noah hit .346 with 62 hits, 14 doubles, seven home runs, 51 RBIs to go with a .457 OBP. .999 OPS, and a slugging percentage of .541. He also drew 33 bases on ball and had 28 stolen bases. in leading the Tigers to a 5A State Title.

At the , Noah’s full arsenal was on display, both at the plate and in the field, hammering two home runs over the left field wall during his batting practice session at Chase Field in Phoenix, AZ.

Noah is well aware that the comparisons to his dad will always be there, but he’s intent on proving his own worth, carrying his own weight, every step of the way.