Maryland Players selected in Major League Baseball Free-Agent Drafts Compiled by the Maryland State Association of Baseball Coaches Updated 16 February 2021 Table of Contents History .............................................................................. 2 MLB Draft Selections by Year ......................................... 3 Maryland First Round MLB Draft Selections ................. 27 Maryland Draft Selections Making the Majors ............... 28 MLB Draft Selections by Maryland Player .................... 31 MLB Draft Selections by Maryland High School ........... 53 MLB Draft Selections by Maryland College .................. 77 1 History Major League Baseball’s annual First-Year Player Draft began in June, 1965. The purpose of the draft is to assign amateur baseball players to major league teams. The draft order is determined based on the previous season's standings, with the team possessing the worst record receiving the first pick. Eligible amateur players include graduated high school players who have not attended college, any junior or community college players, and players at four-year colleges and universities three years after first enrolling or after their 21st birthdays (whichever occurs first). From 1966-1986, a January draft was held in addition to the June draft targeting high school players who graduated in the winter, junior college players, and players who had dropped out of four-year colleges and universities. To date, there have been 1,170 Maryland players selected in the First-Year Player Drafts either from a Maryland High School (337), Maryland College (458), Non-Maryland College (357), or a Maryland amateur baseball club (18). The most Maryland selections in a year was in 1970 (38) followed by 1984 (37) and 1983 (36). The first Maryland selection was Jim Spencer from Andover High School with the 11th overall selection in the inaugural 1965 June draft. He is one of 83 Maryland drafted players who have played in the majors. Two of those, Cal Ripken, Jr. and Harold Baines, have been inducted into the National Baseball Hall of Fame in Cooperstown, NY. Harold Baines, who was the first overall pick in the 1977 June draft out of St. Michaels High School, is also the highest Maryland selection. Each of the 30 current major league franchises have made Maryland selections with the Baltimore Orioles making the most, followed by the Pittsburgh Pirates, and the Texas Rangers/Washington Senators. The Maryland draft selections by team franchise are as follows: Angels – 41 Giants – 32 Rangers/Senators – 83 Astros – 32 Indians – 43 Rays – 8 Athletics – 22 Mariners – 31 Red Sox – 23 Blue Jays – 24 Marlins – 17 Reds – 31 Braves – 34 Mets – 35 Rockies – 5 Brewers – 69 Nationals/Expos – 49 Royals – 38 Cardinals – 34 Orioles – 192 Tigers – 32 Cubs – 30 Padres – 21 Twins – 36 Diamondbacks – 14 Phillies – 22 White Sox – 23 Dodgers – 30 Pirates – 85 Yankees – 34 Position wise, Maryland pitchers are the most frequently selected, followed by outfielders and shortstops regardless from where selected. Percentages of Maryland draft selections by position are as follows: Position Total College High School Other P 48% 49% 45% 31% C 8% 8% 9% 13% 1B 5% 4% 6% 13% 2B 3% 4% 1% 0% SS 10% 8% 14% 19% 3B 4% 5% 4% 6% IF 1% 2% 0% 0% OF 20% 20% 20% 19% # 1,170 815 337 18 2 MLB Draft Selections by Year Format: [Round-Overall Pick-Drafting Team] Player, Position, Drafted from {College}(High School) 2019 June First-Year Player Draft [4-137-Boston Red Sox] Noah Song, P, U.S. Naval Academy (CA) [11-330-Philadelphia Phillies] Marcus Lee Sang, OF, Northern High School [17-515-St. Louis Cardinals] Michael YaSenka, P, Eastern Illinois University {Chesapeake College}(PA) [19-568-New York Mets] Hunter Parsons, P, University of Maryland (Parkside) [24-717-Toronto Blue Jays] Spencer Horwitz, 1B, Radford University (St. Paul's) [24-724-Pittsburgh Pirates] Trey McGough, P, Mount St. Mary's University (PA) [24-733-Milwaukee Brewers] Jose Torres, SS, Calvert Hall College High School [32-965-St. Louis Cardinals] Chandler Redmond, 2B, Gardner-Webb University (Georgetown Prep) [34-1018-New York Mets] Ryan Shinn, OF, University of Kentucky {Harford CC} (NJ) [34-1036-Houston Astros] AJ Lee, SS, University of Maryland (DC) 2018 June First-Year Player Draft [3-103-Cleveland Indians] Richie Palacios, SS, Towson University (NY) [5-153-St. Louis Cardinals] Nick Dunn, 2B, University of Maryland (PA) [7-223-Cleveland Indians] Cody Morris, P, University of South Carolina (Reservoir) [10-290-New York Mets] Manny Rodriguez, SS, University of Cincinnati (Calvert Hall) [13-397-New York Yankees] Isaiah Pasteur, P, George Washington University (Winters Mill) [16-473-Oakland Athletics] Bryce Nightengale, P, George Mason University (Allegany) [18-535-Baltimore Orioles] Jake Zebron, P, Colonel Richardson High School [20-586-San Francisco Giants] Jett Manning, SS, University of Alabama {Frederick CC} (VA) [21-644-Los Angeles Dodgers] Tre Todd, C, Liberty University {Harford CC} (NJ) [22-672-Houston Astros] Marty Costes, OF, University of Maryland (Archbishop Curley) [25-756-Colorado Rockies] Robbie Metz, 2B, George Washington University (Poolesville) [26-772-Atlanta Braves] Zach Guth, P, Harford Community College {Maryland} (PA) 2017 June First-Year Player Draft [2-49-Chicago White Sox] Gavin Sheets, 1B, Wake Forest University (Gilman) [4-121-Houston Astros] Peter Solomon, P, University of Notre Dame (Mount Saint Joseph) [4-129-Toronto Blue Jays] Kevin Smith, SS, University of Maryland (NY) [5-140-Atlanta Braves] Bruce Zimmermann, P, Mount Olive College {Towson} (Loyola Blakefield) [6-172-Arizona Diamondbacks] Brian Shaffer, P, University of Maryland (North Harford) [14-422-New York Yankees] Harold Cortijo, P, Riverdale Baptist School [17-497-Cincinnati Reds] Junior Harding, P, Chipola College (Cambridge/SD) [17-513-Seattle Mariners] Jamal Wade, P, University of Maryland (St. Paul's) [20-598-Pittsburgh Pirates] Will Reed, P, Harford Community College (VA) [22-657-Chicago White Sox] Joe Benitez, P, University of South Carolina-Aiken (Archbishop Spalding) [25-751-Houston Astros] Marty Costes, OF, University of Maryland (Archbishop Curley) [27-800-Atlanta Braves] Randy Bednar, OF, Landon School [27-820-Los Angeles Dodgers] Jeremy Arocho, SS, Old Mill High School [31-937-New York Mets] Ryan Selmer, P, University of Maryland (Riverdale Baptist) [32-951-Oakland Athletics] Caleb Evans, P, Liberty University (Crisfield) [36-1087-New York Mets] Robby Kidwell, C, Brunswick Community College (Chopticon) [37-1109-Miami Marlins] Jared Price, P, University of Maryland (PA) 2016 June First-Year Player Draft [5-148-Boston Red Sox] Mike Shawaryn, P, University of Maryland (NJ) [8-229-Atlanta Braves] Taylor Hyssong, P, University of North Carolina at Wilmington (Frederick) [10-311-Los Angeles Dodgers] Kevin LaChance, SS, UMBC (VA) 3 [13-385-Detroit Tigers] Brady Policelli, C, Towson University (Walkersville) [17-511-Baltimore Orioles] Tyler Blohm, P, Archbishop Spalding High School [17-514-Washington Nationals] Tyler Beckwith, SS, University of Richmond (Linganore) [20-594-San Diego Padres] Dominic DiSabatino, P, Harford Community College (DE) [24-728-New York Yankees] Joe Burton, OF, Harford Community College (DE) [25-755-San Francisco Giants] Mike Rescigno, P, University of Maryland (NJ) [26-785-San Francisco Giants] Nick Hill, OF, Eckerd College (Clear Spring) [27-824-Chicago Cubs] Connor Myers, OF, Old Dominion University (Middletown) [29-867-Seattle Mariners] Steven Ridings, P, Messiah College (Annapolis Area Christian School) [36-1079-Arizona Diamondbacks] Robert Galligan, P, University of Maryland (NY) [37-1122-Toronto Blue Jays] Luke Gillingham, P, U.S. Naval Academy (CA) [39-1174-Washington Nationals] Matt Mervis, 1B, Georgetown Preparatory School [40-1204-Washington Nationals] Sean Cook, P, Walt Whitman High School 2015 June First-Year Player Draft [3-76-Arizona Diamondbacks] Taylor Clarke, P, College of Charleston {Towson} (VA) [3-78-Texas Rangers] Michael Matuella, P, Duke University (Georgetown Prep) [3-87-Tampa Bay Rays] Brandon Lowe, 2B, University of Maryland (VA) [5-140-Minnesota Twins] Alex Robinson, P, University of Maryland (NY) [9-260-Minnesota Twins] LaMonte Wade, OF, University of Maryland (St. Paul's) [10-290-Minnesota Twins] Sean Miller, SS, University of South Carolina-Aiken (Archbishop Spalding) [10-300-Atlanta Braves] Stephen Moore, P, U.S. Naval Academy (GA) [10-301-Milwaukee Brewers] Jake Drossner, P, University of Maryland (PA) [11-331-Milwaukee Brewers] Jose Cuas, SS, University of Maryland (NY) [11-343-Baltimore Orioles] Ryan Meisinger, P, Radford University (Northern-C) [15-464-Washington Nationals] Kevin Mooney, P, University of Maryland (North Harford) [18-529-Houston Astros] Kevin Martir, C, University of Maryland (NY) [20-609-Kansas City Royals] Junior Harding, P, Chipola College (Cambridge/SD) [22-665-Seattle Mariners] Joey Strain, P, Winthrop University (Huntingtown) [24-714-Philadelphia Phillies] Zach Morris, P, University of Maryland (DeMatha) [26-785-Seattle Mariners] Ljay Newsome, P, Chopticon High School [30-903-New York Yankees] Chad Martin, P, University of Delaware (Quince Orchard) [32-973-Baltimore Orioles] Cody Morris, P, Reservoir High School [40-1202-Toronto Blue Jays] Robert Lucido, C, Amherst College (St. Paul's) [40-1204-Cleveland Indians] Hunter Parsons, P, Parkside High School 2014 June First-Year Player Draft [2-45-Chicago Cubs] Jake Stinnett, P, University of Maryland (CA) [4-116-Milwaukee Brewers] Troy Stokes, OF, Calvert Hall