270 former MLB players are Baseball Hall of Famers, but only a select few were stars in the Little League World Series as well. The baseball tournament for youth stars is a great showcase for the most talented players aged 10-12, most of whom likely dream of making it to the MLB one day.

With the Little League World Series tournament starting on Aug. 16, here is a look at the five greatest MLB players who also starred in the Little League World Series.

5. Todd Frazier, 3B

Nicknamed “The Toddfather,” Todd Frazier was also a baseball star as a child. Frazier played in the 1998 LLBWS for Toms River American LL out of Toms River, N.J. Frazier's team won that championship in '98, and Frazier was arguably the best player in the tournament. Frazier's team beat a team from Japan in the championship, and Frazier went 4-4 with a home run. Starting at shortstop, Frazier finished the game as the closing pitcher and recorded the game-winning strikeout in the 12-9 victory. It was the first American victory since 1993.

After the Toms River team won the tournament, their players met the New York Yankees roster. Todd Frazier was Toms River's shortstop, so he got to stand next to Derek Jeter. In 2017 Frazier ended up playing for the Yankees.

Although Frazier won a World Series as a Little Leaguer, he never won an MLB World Series. Still, Frazier had a very successful MLB career. Playing in parts of 11 seasons in the majors, Frazier was selected to two All-Star games (2014-2015). The third baseman was a great power hitter, smashing 218 home runs in his career, with a career-high 40 of those homers coming in 2016. Frazier won the 2015 Home Run Derby.

Frazier's best playing days were with the Cincinnati Reds and the Chicago White Sox, and he played for four more MLB teams until he retired in 2022.

4. Cody Bellinger, OF

Cody Bellinger is from an exclusive group of baseball players to play in both the Little League World Series and the MLB World Series. He was very successful in both, but he was especially dominant in the 2007 LLWS. In regional play, he had a crucial four-RBI game to clinch a spot in Williamsport.

Bellinger's team from Chandler, AZ. was eventually eliminated in the semi-finals, but Bellinger had a great game earlier. A Bellinger three-hit game with a homer helped his squad eliminate the team from Maryland.

Bellinger debuted in the pros just a decade later. He quickly became a star, becoming an All-Star in his rookie season and blasting 47 home runs in his third year. The two-time All-Star won the championship in 2020 and was the NL MVP in 2019. He has won both a Gold-Glove Award and a Silver Slugger Award.

While Bellinger had a couple of injury-prone years that saw him regress, he's had a bounce-back season with the Chicago Cubs. A career .257 hitter, Bellinger has improved his contact rate and has a batting average of .331 in 2023, good enough for fourth in the MLB.

3. Jason Varitek, C

Only three players have played in the Little League World Series, College World Series, and Major League World Series, and Jason Varitek is one of them.

Varitek was only 1-7 in Williamsport, but his team reached the title game, where they lost to a team from South Korea. Still, Varitek and his teammates were the United States champions.

Varitek was one of the most memorable players from one of the best eras of Boston Red Sox baseball. He won the World Series with Boston in both 2004 and 2007. Varitek played his entire career in Boston and was a three-time All-Star.

2. Boog Powell, 1B

Boog Powell was the first Little League World Series graduate (1954) to later play in the Major League World Series.

Powell had a long and successful MLB career and is a legendary player in Baltimore Orioles' history. In Baltimore, Powell went to four straight All-Star Games and won World Series titles in 1966 and 1970. The first baseman was the AL MVP in 1970.

Powell played 17 seasons in the majors, and he is in the Baltimore Orioles Hall of Fame.

1. Gary Sheffield, OF 

Gary Sheffield's illustrious career began in the 1980 Little League World Series. There he led Tampa Bay's Belmont Heights LL to the title game, where they lost to Chinese Taipei.

With perhaps the most iconic batting stance in MLB history, Sheffield became a nine-time All-Star. Sheffield jumped from team to team in the MLB, playing for eight different squads, but the outfielder has 509 career home runs and was a World Series champion in 1997.

Sheffield is one of the game's best hitters ever, as he won a batting title and five Silver-Slugger Awards.