![Fleming](https://www.christschool.org/sites/default/files/uploaded/fleming.jpg)
Showing up for work every day at the ballpark is not a bad gig.
Christ School alumnus William Fleming ‘17 is considered one of the top pitching prospects in the Seattle Mariners’ minor-league system and is currently with their Single-A affiliate in Modesto (Calif.).
“It’s definitely a little wild when you take a step back and realize you are playing baseball for a job. There’s nothing I’d rather be doing,” William said by phone last week.
“You build a routine, and that routine is definitely big. We play six days a week and I usually try to get to the field pretty early on game days. I’m enjoying it a lot and just taking it all in. It’s nice to play with guys from all over, some of them are familiar faces and some are new."
![Fleming](https://www.christschool.org/sites/default/files/uploaded/fleming2.png)
By all accounts, William has the size (he is 6-foot-6, 220 pounds) and the stuff to keep progressing in the minors. The righthander throws a two-seam and four-seam fastball to go along with his changeup and slider.
Every one of those pitches was working Thursday when William made his latest start. He allowed just one hit and a walk to go along with eight strikeouts in six shutout innings. Modesto beat Rancho Cucamonga (Calif), 11-1.
William is only the second professional baseball player in Christ School history – Champ Stuart ‘10 advanced to the Double-A level with the New York Mets before his career ended in 2018.
William graduated a year ago from Wake Forest University with a B.A. in Communication and a minor in Entrepreneurship/Entrepreneurial Studies. He might not have played four seasons for the Demon Deacons if the pandemic hadn’t happened, but now thinks of it as a blessing in disguise.
“Having that degree is everything to me. A lot of guys decide to leave after three years. Down the road, I think I’ll look back and be thankful that things happened the way they did,” William said.
“My experience at Wake was phenomenal. I grew a lot as a person and a player. Christ School helped me prepare. I played both basketball and baseball in high school. I continued to grow athletically and academically once I could zero in on just playing baseball.”