Chris Cates

Chris Cates (born April 15, 1985) is a minor league shortstop. He was selected by the Twins in the 38th round of the 2007 Major League Baseball Draft.

Cates graduated in 2003 from Brandon High School in Brandon, Florida where he was a four year letter winner in baseball. When he joined the University of Louisville Cardinals in 2004, he was the smallest player in NCAA Division I baseball. Despite standing only 5'3" tall and weighing just 145 lbs., his junior year he was named Third-Team All-Big East while leading the Louisville Cardinals with a .332 batting average and 47 runs scored.

Cates also played for the North Adams Steeplecats of the New England Collegiate Baseball League, a collegite summer baseball league. He won the Most Valuable Player award at the 2005 NECBL All-Star Game.

In 2008, he represented the Beloit Snappers in the Midwest League All-Star game, and in 2009, Cates was 1-3 with a walk and a run scored as the starting shortstop for the South in the Florida State League All-Star game. For the season, he batted .251 with 25 RBIs and 41 runs scored. Cates split 2010 between Fort Myers and New Britain, batting a combined .198. He has yet to hit a professional home run.