That drive has been especially evident on the baseball field, where Rauls serves as the starting shortstop and leadoff hitter for the Philly Bandits 14U team. Last Saturday, he played a major role in snapping the Collegeville Spiders’ 18-game win streak—going 3-for-4 with two doubles and two RBIs in the Bandits’ 11–1 victory.
“I feel like the work ethic just comes from people telling me that you have to give 100% or you are just not gonna make it in life,” Rauls said. “So I just want to give it 100% because you never know who's watching. It could be somebody's first time and you just want to make a good impression.”
That performance was just a snapshot of what Rauls has meant to the Bandits this summer. The rising ninth grader leads the club with a .421 batting average, a 1.149 OPS, and 21 stolen bases—helping power the team to a 24-9-3 record, including a 7-5-1 mark in Philly Select League play.
Rauls started playing baseball at four years old, just having fun with friends. But as he got older, his mindset shifted. He began working out with his dad and joined high school and college players for training sessions by the time he was 12—and more than held his own.
His father, Ian Rauls, knows what it takes. A 12th-round pick by the Phillies in 1998, Ian spent two seasons in the minor leagues. Now, he’s behind the scenes, recording every game from behind the backstop so London can break down the footage afterward.
“By the time he turned about nine, he was just fully in—head over heels about the sport,” Ian said. “So that's when I just said to myself if he's in this, I'm backing him all the way, and I'm gonna see exactly how far he wants to go. As long as he's in it, I'm behind him.”
“We see what he does—every team that he's been on, he hasn't just been a player, he's been a phenomenal player. And he's always stood out,” added London’s mom, Angelique Perkins. “It just makes us so proud. We're enjoying his journey, because we're just here for it, watching the magic come alive.”
That work ethic extends beyond baseball.
Rauls has earned Honor Roll recognition every year he’s been eligible. At home, academics come first—homework must be done before he’s allowed to pick up a bat. That commitment to the classroom recently earned him a spot at The Pennington School, where he’ll begin his high school career this fall. He plans to continue his baseball journey there and suit up for the football team, too.
At just 14, Rauls is already setting himself apart—and he’s just getting started.
His goals? Lofty, but unwavering.
“My goal is to go all the way to the end, to the MLB, just to be the best of my ability,” Rauls said. “Then after that, after baseball is over, I want to make my own business so I could not only physically play baseball, but then get my own business, make more stuff and just expand the world.”
Most parents might raise an eyebrow at their kid talking about the big leagues. But Ian and Angelique know better. They see the hours, the effort, and the passion behind every swing—and they believe.
“It’ll be the greatest gift to me for the fact that this kid set out a goal as a little boy and he actually achieved it,” Ian said. “To me, that’s the best thing to happen since his birth. The fact that he's able to hold a dream and achieve it—any dream. And it doesn't have to be majors. He could be a businessman. Whatever goal he has—if he achieves it, that’s everything.”
Philly baseball deserves more.
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