Who is Louis Lappe? Meet the 6-1 Little Leaguer mashing home runs for California at LLWS

Dan Treacy

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Who is Louis Lappe? Meet the 6-1 Little Leaguer mashing home runs for California at LLWS image

It's pretty common for players in the Little League World Series to both pitch and hit, but few do it as well as Louis Lappe.

The California standout from El Segundo looks like a man among boys, standing taller than almost all of his opponents and dominating in different phases of the game.

Lappe has been at the center of all California's LLWS success. He hit a walk-off home run in the title-winning game and was dominant against Texas in the U.S. championship after he helped California stave off elimination against Rhode Island and Tennessee in elimination games. 

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Here's what you need to know about Little League World Series star Louis Lappe.

Who is Louis Lappe?

Lappe is a 6-1 two-way player for El Segundo, which represented California and the West Region in the Little League World Series.

Nicknamed "The Natural," Lappe carried the team through the regionals, finishing 6 for 7 with two hits in each of the team's three games. On the mound, he was equally as dominant. He struck out 12 batters across eight innings, allowing a hit in only one of his three appearances.

A solo home run by Lappe accounted for California's only run in a loss to Texas during the quarterfinals, and his nine strikeouts in a dominant pitching performance helped keep the team alive on Tuesday.

Facing elimination against Rhode Island, Lappe fanned nine and allowed just one hit and two walks across 3.2 innings while scoring a run to help lead California to the 9-3 victory.

Though pitch count rules kept Lappe off the mound against Tennessee on Wednesday, his bat was the difference-maker in a 5-3 California win. Lappe went 3-for-3 at the plate, with his two-run, opposite-field homer in the fifth inning proving to be the winning margin. 

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But Lappe's dominance was far from over. With a rematch against Texas in the U.S. championship, Lappe drove in five runs on two hits, including a three-run homer, while pitching 5.1 innings of one-run, three-hit baseball that featured just one walk and a whopping 10 strikeouts.

And in the championship game against Curacao, he scored the second run of the game and walked off California's championship with a solo home run in the bottom of the sixth, his tournament-leading fifth homer.

How tall is Louis Lappe?

Lappe stands at 6-1, which is remarkable for a young athlete who still has many years to grow.

While baseball is a sport in which players of all sizes can succeed, there's no doubt height can be a major advantage. Reigning AL MVP Aaron Judge is 6-7, while Angels two-way star Shohei Ohtani is 6-4. Recent No. 1 pick Paul Skenes is 6-6, and he uses every bit of his frame to his advantage with his commanding fastball..

Louis Lappe age

Perfect Game lists Lappe's age as 12 years and nine months. Players aged 10-12 are allowed to compete in the Little League World Series, so Lappe is on the older end of the range. 

Dan Treacy

Dan Treacy Photo

Dan Treacy is a content producer for Sporting News, joining in 2022 after graduating from Boston University. He founded @allsportsnews on Instagram in 2012 and has written for Lineups and Yardbarker.