11 More Honkers Drafted on Day 3
June 9, 2013 - Northwoods League (Northwoods)
Rochester Honkers News Release
(Rochester, MN)- There were 11 current and former members of the Rochester Honkers selected in the final 30 rounds of the 2013 MLB First-Year Player Draft on Saturday, June 8; giving the Honkers 17 total selections in the three-day draft.
Spencer Navin (Vanderbilt) was the first Honker to be drafted on Day 3. He was chosen with the 334th overall pick in the 11th round by the Los Angeles Dodgers. Navin hit .280 in 18 games with the Honkers in 2011. This season, as a junior at Vanderbilt, he hit .304 with four homeruns and 34 RBI.
Two rounds later, Michael Benjamin (Arizona State) was selected with the 379th overall pick by the Colorado Rockies. Benjamin hit .273 and scored five runs in 14 games with the Honkers in 2012. The Rockies also drafted him in the 45th round of the 2010 MLB Draft. Benjamin was followed by a teammate from the 2012 Honkers team as Jordan Parr (Illinois) was selected by the Arizona Diamondbacks in the 15th round. Parr hit .284 with eight homeruns and 36 RBI in 55 games with Rochester last summer.
Kevin Johnson (Illinois,) Nate Goro (Oral Roberts,) and Jeff McKenzie (Cal State Bakersfield) were the other former Honkers to hear their name called on Saturday. Johnson, who played two seasons in Rochester, was selected in the 24th round by the Oakland Athletics. In 18 starts with the Honkers, he went 6-5 with a 5.67 ERA. Goro, who was selected by the Los Angeles Angels in the 27th round, signed to play with the Honkers in 2012, but never came to Rochester. As a senior this season, he hit .258 with 21 RBI in 57 games for the Golden Eagles. The Chicago White Sox selected McKenzie, who played with the Honkers in 2011, in the 28th round. As a Honker, he made seven starts and posted a 1-3 record while maintaining a 3.57 ERA.
Toby Thomas (Pensacola State ) was the first member of the 2013 Rochester Honkers to be drafted during Saturday's selections. The White Sox selected him in the 21st round. Toby's father, Larry, spent three seasons in the White Sox bullpen. He posted a career 3.02 ERA in 79 games. Ryan Boldt (Red Wing High School-MN,) who signed to play with the Honkers in 2013, but has not played because of a knee injury, was selected in the following round by the Boston Red Sox. Boldt was a projected first round pick before suffering his injury.
Alex Greer (Iowa Western) was the next Honkers player taken. He was selected by the Cincinnati Reds in the 29th round. Greer has a team-leading two homeruns in just three games this season. As a sophomore at Iowa Western, Greer hit .402 with four triples, five homeruns and 38 RBI in 38 games. Connor Goedert (Neosho County Community College) followed Greer, as the Pittsburgh Pirates selected the Honkers third baseman in the 34th round. Goedert hit .326 with 11 homeruns and 51 RBI as he played in all 63 games of his freshman season.
Jordan Milbrath (Augustana College) was the final Rochester player to be drafted, as he was selected in the 35th round by the Cleveland Indians. Milbrath, the Springfield, MN, native, went 7-2 in his sophomore season at Augustana College. Milbrath is playing with the Honkers for a second consecutive season. He is 2-5 in his 16 career Northwoods League appearances.
Saturday's selections joined a group of six current and former Honkers who were drafted on Friday, June 7th.
Rd. Pick Team Player Year(s) Signed with Honkers Position School
5th 137 Houston Astros Tony Kemp 2011 2B Vanderbilt
5th 142 Miami Marlins Chad Wallach** 2012-13 C Cal State Fullerton
7th 201 Cleveland Indians Kenny Mathews** 2013 LHP Riverside City College
8th 241 Philadelphia Phillies Justin Parr 2012 OF Illinois
9th 282 San Francisco Giants DJ Snelten** 2011-13 LHP Minnesota
10th 310 Texas Rangers Cole Wiper** 2013 RHP Oregon
11th 334 Los Angeles Dodgers Spencer Navin 2011 C Vanderbilt
13th 379 Colorado Rockies Michael Benjamin 2012 3B Arizona State
15th 450 Arizona Diamondbacks Jordan Parr 2012 OF Illinois
21st 633 Chicago White Sox Toby Thomas 2013 SS Pensacola State
22nd 653 Boston Red Sox Ryan Boldt** 2013 OF Red Wing HS (MN)
24th 731 Oakland Athletics Kevin Johnson 2011-12 RHP Illinois
27th 817 Los Angeles Angels Nate Goro* 2012 SS Oral Roberts
28th 843 Chicago White Sox Jeff McKenzie 2011 LHP Cal State "" Bakersfield
29th 885 Cincinnati Reds Alex Greer 2013 OF Iowa Western CC
34th 1019 Pittsburgh Pirates Connor Goedert 2013 3B Neosho County CC
35th 1041 Cleveland Indians Jordan Milbrath 2013 RHP Augustana College (SD)
* Signed but did-not play
** Signed for 2013, not here yet
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