For the Pittsburgh Pirates 13th round pick Charles McAdoo, getting drafted by a big league ball club has always been a dream, and now it has come to fruition. 

His Journey

McAdoo was raised in Antioch, California where baseball was prevalent in his family. He started playing T-ball when he was 3 years old and eventually stopped the game till he was 9, when he entered little leagues with players older than him. Charles, a two sport athlete also played football as a kid. In high school, he transferred to De La Salle in California, one of the best in the state for baseball. He played WR and SS for the football team. He didn’t make the varsity roster till his junior year of high school. He started his recruitment with help from his mother and brother as they sent emails to over 40 collegiate teams Charles had interest in. Most responses were just to go to recruitment camps so coaches can look at the young prospect. McAdoo banked on himself, and trusted his athleticism as his guide in the baseball journey. For his senior year, the team went 29-1 including a 28 game win streak with a loaded roster that included San Francisco Giants top pitcher prospect Kyle Harrison, New York Mets prospect Chris Santiago, Tennessee University first baseman Blake Burke, amongst others in a star studded lineup. McAdoo’s coach advised him to continue with camps and showcases to gain attention to his game. The coach then called up Coach Brad Sanfillipo of San Jose State to come see McAdoo play, and soon after a couple of visits to watch the youngster’s performance, he earned him an unofficial visit to the university, which was followed by a spot on the roster. He quickly accepted and was now a member of the Spartan family. 

McAdoo quickly earned himself playing time with the Spartans as a freshman in 2020-21 batting .227 with 2 home runs and 19 RBIs. He found his groove in 2021-22 with a .345 batting average, 12 home runs, and 63 RBIs. He capped off his junior year with a .325 batting average, 10 home runs, and 47 RBIs. The communications major racked up the accolades as well during his sophomore and junior seasons including First Team All Mountain West (2022,2023), NCAA All Stanford Regional Team (2023), Preseason All American first team (2023), Academic All Mountain West (2021,2023), and All American Second Team (2022). McAdoo also has one superstition he carries with him and that is compression underwear. His pants ripped and he was forced to make the switch. McAdoo faced many challenges in college including playing his now teammate Paul Skenes who also hit a couple home runs off SJ State. The Spartans had a phenomenal year, making it to the Stanford Regional in 2023. Despite losing to Cal State Fullerton, McAdoo says “It was my best sound game”. 

The draft process for McAdoo was very stressful in his eyes, but with the help of Fortnite and family by his side, the nerves were calmed. He got a morning workout in before day 3 of the draft followed by some battle royale before taking his place in front of the TV with his close ones. The call finally came in round 13 and the second baseman knew where he’d be starting his pro career: Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania. 

From battling to getting a college look to now being a pro draft pick, Charles McAdoo fought through the adversity to get to this moment, and now he’s rewarded with an opportunity to be a Pittsburgh Pirate. 

Charles McAdoo Fun Facts

Hometown: Antioch, CA

Position: 2B but likes SS more 

College: SJ State

High School: De La Salle

Favorite college stadium to play: Air Force 

Warmup songs: Let’s get it by Hucnho and 21 Savage, Projects by Moneybagg Yo, Flights by Lil Baby, D to the A Tee Grizzly. 

Superstition; Compression underwear 

Best game: Vs Cal State Fullerton, Stanford Regional. 

Dream job/after baseball career: Coach and mentor youth baseball 

Pregame meal: “can’t eat too much before a game but something small like a granola bar” 

City he’s looking forward to play in: “Greensboro, I have never been to North Carolina”