NECBL to MLB: Jack Little and Josh Simpson Make Pitching Debuts
By Christopher Mason
The New England Collegiate Baseball League (NECBL) is proud to announce two NECBL alums that have made their debut in Major League Baseball featuring Jack Little of Newport’s 2017 squad and Josh Simpson who was a member of the 2016 North Adams SteepleCats. Both Little and Simpson were initially drafted into the MLB in 2019 and have risen to their respective debuts just last week for the Los Angeles Dodgers and Miami Marlins, respectively.
Little, a 2017 member of the Newport Gulls, made his MLB debut for the Los Angeles Dodgers on June 19th. Little became the latest NECBL alumnus to appear in the MLB and the latest former Gull to reach The Show.
Little appeared in 13 games for the Gulls during the 2017 summer season where he posted a 1-0 record with a 5.04 ERA in 25 innings pitched. Little recorded 30 strikeouts and 12 walks, allowing 21 total hits on the season.
During his collegiate career at Stanford, Little developed into a solid player for the Cardinal. A three-year pitcher from 2016 to 2019, he held a 6-2 record with 28 saves and 117 strikeouts on 90 innings pitched. As a junior, he helped Stanford to a PAC-12 Championship and two appearances in the NCAA Regional tournament, landing first team All-Pac-12 honors that same season.
Little was selected 161st overall in the 2019 MLB Draft by the Los Angeles Dodgers. The relief pitcher spent three years in single-A ball with the Dodgers organization before rocketing up to AA in 2023, where he appeared in 66 games over two seasons and posted 86 total strikeouts.
His early 2024 campaign with the Triple-A Oklahoma City Comets caught the attention of Los Angeles’ front office, and Little was called up in June to join the Dodgers. He became the latest Stanford alum to appear in a Major League game.
On June 19th, Little recorded his first-career strikeout in the MLB against the San Diego Padres.
Simpson, a 2016 member of the North Adams SteepleCats, made his MLB debut for the Miami Marlins on June 21st. Simpson became one of the latest NECBL alumni to appear in the MLB and the latest former SteepleCat to reach the Major Leagues.
Simpson played in 16 games for North Adams during the 2016 summer season as he posted two close losing decisions allowing just three runs in those contests. Throughout Simpson’s stint for the SteepleCats, he posted an ERA of 4.39 with one appearance as a starter. Simpson recorded 28 strikeouts and 13 walks on 26.2 innings pitched in the 2016 summer.
During his collegiate career at Columbia, Simpson developed into one of the top players in the program. A four-year starter from 2016 to 2019, he posted a 4.2 career ERA with 127 strikeouts. As a junior, he led the Lions to a victory over their rival, Harvard, in the Ivy League Playoff Series.
Simpson, like Little, was selected in the 2019 MLB Draft 951st overall by the Miami Marlins. The relief pitcher rose through the ranks, reaching AAA in 2022 before being sent down for a rehab stint in single-A before he returned to the AAA Jacksonville Jumbo Shrimp in 2024. In 2025, he appeared in 27 games and posted a 3.41 ERA.
On June 21st, Simpson made his MLB debut against the Atlanta Braves, where he pitched two innings and was able to record his first career strikeout.
Congratulations, Jack and Josh! Best of luck in your Major League journey!
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The New England Collegiate Baseball League is a wooden bat college summer league that fields teams in all six New England states. Partially funded by Major League Baseball, the New England League started play in 1994 and has sent over 230 alumni to the Major Leagues with nearly 30 alumni taken in the first round of the MLB Draft. For continuing coverage of the NECBL, visit NECBL.com and follow the league on Twitter, Instagram and on Facebook.
