Fort Myers Native Makes Pro Baseball Debut with Hometown Team

The Minnesota Twins picked local star Peyton Carr in the 10th round of the 2024 MLB draft, assigning him to the Fort Myers Mighty Mussels. The Fort Myers High School graduate now plays for his hometown team.

"By God's grace and mercy, I'm so blessed to be in this spot," said Carr to Gulf Coast News Now.

After shining at High Point University, Carr takes the field at Hammond Stadium - the same place where he watched games as a kid. "I grew up coming here to the Miracle games... I was looking up to those guys and I'm kind of in those guys' shoes back then."

Tom Carr, his father, recalled the emotions of draft day: "That was his entire goal growing up. Super emotional when he got drafted. Both of us had tears in my eyes."

Hammond Stadium does double duty as spring training home for the Twins and base for their Single-A team. The 7,500-seat ballpark helped launch the careers of baseball stars David Ortiz and Joe Mauer.

Baseball first came to the area when the Palms brought the game to local fans in 1926. The current team can trace its roots to the Miami Marlins of Class D, before moving up to Fort Myers.

In 2019, the team changed its name from the Miracle to the Mighty Mussels, starting a new era in its 92-year history. Minor league games have been played at Hammond Stadium since '92.

While moving up to pro ball comes with challenges, Carr feels at home in familiar territory. "Just be able to go home, sleep in my own bed. My family, they're always there for me. So that's a blessing."