The West Coast League feels it hit it out of the park with 10 current and 30 former players selected in the 2023 Major League Baseball draft, which concluded Tuesday in Seattle.
“Each year, the MLB draft further illustrates the wealth of talent we’re blessed with every summer in all our [16] markets,” WCL commissioner Rob Neyer said in a statement.
Two of those markets are on the Island, represented by the Victoria HarbourCats and Nanaimo NightOwls.
“The quality and volume of draft picks with WCL ties makes it clear that we’re the top collegiate summer league in western North America,” added Neyer.
Former HarbourCats slugging outfielder Joe Redfield was taken in the fourth round by the Los Angeles Angels and former Victoria pitcher Derek Salata in the 19th round by the Oakland A’s. Current NightOwls infielder Elijah Ickes was selected in the 19th round by the Texas Rangers. Although not drafted, former HarbourCats pitcher Dakota Hawkins was signed as a free agent by the New York Mets at the conclusion of the draft.
Of the 40 current or former WCL players selected this year, 17 were in the first 10 rounds.
“This is a real calling card for our league,” said Jim Swanson, GM of the NightOwls, and managing partner of the company that owns both the HarbourCats and NightOwls.
The WCL is among several summer collegiate leagues across North America in which NCAA players can extend their seasons into the summer after their university seasons end in the spring. The growing importance of summer collegiate leagues was amplified by the draft. Baseball players can be selected in the draft in Grade 12 or in their junior year of university or college. The bottom dropped out of the latter.
“High school selections dropped off the table this year,” said Swanson, a former scout for the Detroit Tigers.
“MLB teams are discovering players need more seasoning coming into the draft.”
Grade 12 players don’t have that seasoning. Collegiate juniors, many with three years of summer league experience, do. Of the 314 players taken in the first 10 rounds of the draft this year, only 66 were Grade 12s out of high school, and rest university or college juniors. Statistics for the final 10 rounds were not available by press time.
The highest selection among former WCL players this week was Alonzo Tredwell of the UCLA Bruins, who played for the Portland Pickles, and went in the second round to the Houston Astros. It was, however, the first time in seven years that a former WCL player was not selected in the first round.
ON THE DIAMOND: The HarbourCats (23-11) defeated the Port Angeles Lefties (10-21) by a 4-1 count Tuesday evening at Wilson’s Group Stadium at Royal Athletic Park as Russell Young had three hits and an RBI, Marco Pirruccello two hits and an RBI and Dallas Macias and Tyrus Hall two hits each for Victoria. Reliever Jake Finkelstein took the win. The series continues tonight and concludes Thursday.
