Carter Sweeney-Strawberry, grandson of Darryl Strawberry, committed to Rutgers Baseball for the 2026 season on January 2 and broke the news on his social media accounts.
I’m very excited to announce my commitment to play baseball at University of Rutgers. I would like to thank all of my family, coaches and teammates for supporting me throughout my journey!#ScarletKnight@Woodbaseball1 @USEliteMA2026 @PrepBaseballMD @coach_garz pic.twitter.com/c6H2RC3i6l
— Carter Sweeney-Strawberry (@Sweeney18Carter) January 3, 2025
Sweeny-Strawberry is 6-foot-2 175 pounds and is a right-handed hitting outfielder, the opposite of his grandfather Darryl Strawberry, who was a left-handed hitter. However, he did follow in Darryl’s footsteps as an outfielder and will now play college baseball close to the New York area, which the elder Strawberry called home for 13 years with the New York Mets and New York Yankees.
Strawberry spoke to World Baseball Network about his grandson’s commitment to Rutgers on February 2, when he attended the Pinstripe Pride event, organized by Hall of Fame signings at American Dream Mall in East Rutherford, New Jersey.
“I am pretty excited about it. I’m looking forward to him continuing to grow. He’s a great kid; I’m really proud of him and how he goes about his business not only playing but in school and everything else,” Strawberry told World Baseball Network.
Strawberry expressed how great of an area New York and New Jersey is for baseball. He is also happy to have the opportunity to watch Sweeney-Strawberry play baseball around the same area in which he played the majority of his 17-year career. He hopes he’s able to watch Sweeney-Strawberry play four years at Rutgers.
Strawberry was a three-time World Series champion, winning one with the Mets and two with the Yankees. He was the Rookie of the Year in 1983, played in eight All-Star games, and won two Silver Sluggers. His career took place from 1983 to 1999; his numbers were 335 home runs, 1000 RBI, 221 stolen bases, and a slash line of .259/.357/.505 in 5,418 at-bats.
Strawberry was asked if he saw any similarities between Sweeney-Strawberry and himself.
“He is his own kid. I don’t get in the way of him, and I don’t try to tell him how to play, but he can flat-out play,” Strawberry said. “He can hit, run, cover the outfield, and he is going to continue to develop. When you get good coaching around him, that will really help him grow into the player that he wants to be.”
Sweeny-Strawberry has stood out at Sherwood High School in Maryland and participated in the Prer Baseball Future Game in Maryland. His 60-yard dash time of 6.72 was the third fastest of all participants in Maryland and was also ranked ninth overall in the 2026 Prep Baseball Maryland Rankings.
On February 1, he was named Preseason All-State in the Mid-Atlantic by US Elite Baseball.
Proud of Rutgers commit @Sweeney18Carter & Maryland commit @miguelleon_13 for earning Pre-Season All-State honors. Great event by @MSABC1 held at the US Naval Academy to celebrate all players recognized. @maryland_us @USElitebase @mattblethen26 pic.twitter.com/sI0vevubGA
— US Elite 2026 Mid Atlantic – Scout (@USEliteMA2026) February 2, 2025
