Sports are a big thing for the people of Mount Vernon, so moving here from California four years ago may help Porter Chatman chase his goal of playing baseball at a Division 1 school. Chatman, a sophomore, eventually hopes to make it to a major league baseball team.

Chatman, an amazing middle infielder, said that his game is different from the average player because of his glove and his arm slots. “Having a ‘good glove’ is just a thing that baseball players say to talk about their defense ability,” he said, “and ‘arm slots’ are the angle your arm is when you throw the ball.  Having five different arm slots like I do makes it much easier to throw on the run.”

For Chatman, the journey he will need to take to reach his goals of the big league will take sacrifice and focus. He will need to be able to balance schoolwork, robotics, youth group, baseball, and personal life which is no easy feat. With that, he still remains dedicated to his dream. His father is the head coach of the high school team and his brother plays at Knox College. Baseball must run in the family.

Chatman’s dedication to his game is clearly seen in his daily routine. Beyond his school and sports commitments, he’s in the gym every day, working on his speed, strength, and baseball fundamentals. After school, he’s often found on the field or his at home batting cage that he helped build with his dad and brother, perfecting his defense or refining his batting technique.

“It’s all about putting in effort every single day, even when things are getting tough.” Chatman explained. “I’ve heard from my dad many times and learned it myself that nothing comes easy in baseball. When you want something, you have to work for it. I look up to a guy named David Fletcher who plays on the Atlanta Braves,” Chatman said. Fletcher worked his way up to the major leagues just like Porter has the dreams of doing. “My dad coached him ever since he was 11 years old and we have been family friends ever since.” 

While Chatman knows the road to DI baseball and the MLB is long, he’s taking it step by step. For now, he’s locked in on helping his Mount Vernon Mustangs succeed and improving his game, one practice at a time.

“I know it’s going to be very hard, but I’m ready for it,” Chatman said. “Every game I play is a chance to get better, and I’ll keep working until I get there.”