James McCann

James Thomas McCann (born June 13, 1990) is an American professional baseball catcher for the Baltimore Orioles of Major League Baseball (MLB). He has previously played in MLB for the Detroit Tigers, Chicago White Sox, and New York Mets. Prior to his professional career, McCann played college baseball at the University of Arkansas. McCann has also competed for the United States national baseball team. In 2019, as a member of the White Sox, he was named to the MLB All-Star Game. McCann has caught two no-hitters in the major leagues: one pitched by Lucas Giolito in 2020 with the White Sox, and one pitched by Tylor Megill, Drew Smith, Joely Rodríguez, Seth Lugo and Edwin Díaz in 2022 with the Mets. Early life McCann was born on June 13, 1990, in Santa Barbara, California. His mother Carla suffered a torn amniotic sac while she was pregnant with McCann, and she spent the bulk of the pregnancy on bed rest. During that time, she watched local sports, particularly the Los Angeles Lakers of the National Basketball Association (NBA) and the Los Angeles Dodgers of Major League Baseball (MLB). After McCann was born, his mother served as his tee ball coach and drove him to and from Little League Baseball games and tournaments. As a child, McCann was teammates with future MLB All-Star Jeff McNeil. Amateur career McCann attended Dos Pueblos High School in Goleta, California. He played baseball in the Channel League and was named to the all-league first team in 2006 2007, and 2008. Out of high school, the White Sox drafted McCann in the 31st round of the 2008 MLB draft, but he did not sign, opting to attend college at Arkansas.