Northwoods Madison Mallards

14 Former Mallards Selected in 2019 MLB First-Year Player Draft

Published on June 6, 2019 under Northwoods League (Northwoods)
Madison Mallards News Release


MADISON, Wis. - 14 former Madison Mallards will continue their baseball dreams into the professional ranks after being chosen in the 2019 MLB First-Year Player Draft. No team in the competing Great Lakes West division had more former players selected than the Mallards.

"That's what it's all about for me - strictly," Mallards' manager Donnie Scott said. "That's what I'm here for, I want to try and help these guys prepare for pro ball and hopefully they get the opportunity."

Tyler Dyson (2017) was the first Mallard off the board. The Florida product was selected 153rd overall by the Washington Nationals in the fifth round. Dyson pitched for the Mallards during the 2017 season and finished with a perfect 4-0 record on the mound with a stellar 1.58 ERA. Dyson also picked up a win during the 2017 Major League Dreams Showcase in Madison that year.

The next former Mallard was taken 15 picks later. Maverick Handley (2017) was picked by the Baltimore Orioles in the sixth round with the 168th selection of the draft. Handley was also on the 2017 squad and picked up 27 hits, including two doubles and a home run during the summer. He also drew 27 walks over 40 games.

Angel Camacho (2017), another product of the 2017 Mallards, was the third former player taken. The Toronto Blue Jays chose Camacho in the eighth round with the 237th pick. While sporting the Mallards' green and yellow, Camacho hit .282 over 19 games, highlighted by eight extra-base hits and 21 RBI.

Three Mallard standouts from last season were selected on Wednesday. Trevor Schwecke (2018), Jake Randa (2018) and David Vinsky (2018) all helped Madison win a franchise-record 49 games during the 2018 season. The Toronto Blue Jays selected Schwecke in the 13th round and four picks later the Washington Nationals scooped up Randa. Vinsky was picked up by the St. Louis Cardinals in the 15th round. Between the three, they blasted 23 of the Mallards' 55 home runs in 2018 and all hit .298 or better while playing in nearly every game.

Davis Moore (2017) was selected earlier in the 15th round also by the Washington Nationals while Jason Ruffcorn (2017) and Trevor Boone (2018) were each chosen in the 18th round by Cincinnati and Colorado, respectively. Moore pitched in 14 games for Madison during the 2017 summer and Boone hit three home runs and a triple during his stint in Madison.

In the 20th round, the Pittsburgh Pirates snagged Jake Snider (2017) with the 604th pick of the draft. Snider hit a stellar .395 in 10 games a Mallard, going 15-for-38 at the plate.

Nelson Maldonado (2016) was the lone 2016 Mallard drafted. The Florida product hit .308 for the Mallards and drove home 22 runs.

With their 23rd-round pick, the Atlanta Braves chose Drew Campbell (2018) who hit .331 as a Mallard and was a 2018 Northwoods League All Star for the South Divison.

Leon Hunter (2018) and Cade Bunnell (2017) rounded out the drafted Mallards. Hunter was selected by the Texas Rangers in the 35th round and the Atlanta Braves picked Bunnell in the 40th round. Hunter threw 30.2 innings last summer and had a 1.17 ERA to go along with a 4-0 record. Bunnell ripped 12 doubles and two home runs for the Mallards in the 2017 season.

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Northwoods League Stories from June 6, 2019


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