50+ NECBL Alumni Drafted Or Signed by Major League Teams in 2023
July 26, 2023 - New England Collegiate Baseball League (NECBL) News Release
NORTH ADAMS, Mass. - The New England Collegiate Baseball League (NECBL) saw 45 players with current or former ties to its members selected in the 2023 MLB Draft, which was a three-day event that concluded on Tuesday, July 11. So far there have already been several undrafted signings from former NECBL players, bringing the total over 50.
Seven teams had three or more players selected. The Newport Gulls led the way with nine players picked. Close behind were the Ocean State Waves (7), Danbury Westerners (6), Upper Valley Nighthawks (5) and Martha's Vineyard Sharks (5). Six other teams also had representation, including the Bristol Blues (4), North Adams SteepleCats (3), Vermont Mountaineers (2), North Shore Navigators (1), Valley Blue Sox (1), Sanford Mainers (1) and Mystic Schooners (1). This year's 45 draftees makes 1,060 former NECBL products picked in the last 14 drafts.
The first NECBL alum to be drafted in 2023 was Colton Ledbetter (Mississippi State), an All-Star outfielder for the Newport Gulls in 2022 and the winner of the Rick Ligi Most Valuable Player and the Stephen Strasburg Top Prospect awards. Ledbetter was drafted No. 55 overall in the second round by the Tampa Bay Rays.
Two more players were selected in the second round, as Ben Williamson (William & Mary) was drafted No. 57 overall by the Seattle Mariners and Cade Kuehler (Campball) was drafted No. 70 overall by the Atlanta Braves. Williamson appeared in 22 games for the Vermont Mountaineers and was named NECBL Week 1 Player of the Week in 2022, sporting a .299 batting average along with 15 RBIs and 14 runs scored. Kuehler appeared in five games for the Ocean State Waves in 2021, sporting a 5.40 ERA along with eight strikeouts and two saves across 6.2 innings pitched. Out of the 44 alumni selected in the 2023 MLB Draft, 22 appeared in the 2021 season and 21 appeared in the 2022 season.
Five current NECBL players were also selected in the draft, four of the five representing the Newport Gulls. The first to come off the board was INF Sam Mongelli (Sacred Heart) of the Danbury Westerners, who was drafted No. 310 overall in the tenth round by the Los Angeles Dodgers. Mongelli batted .440 with one home run, four RBIs, 11 hits and three stolen bases across six games and 25 at-bats. The next player selected was RHP Brian Hendry (Oklahoma State) of the Newport Gulls, who was drafted No. 312 in the tenth round by the New York Yankees. Hendry sported a 2.00 ERA along with 16 strikeouts across four outings and nine innings pitched.
Another former Gull, INF Bryan Broecker (Michigan State) was drafted No. 393 in the thirteenth round by the Tampa Bay Rays. Broecker recorded six hits, seven walks and three RBIs in 14 games for Newport in 2023. He also appeared in 12 games for the Gulls in 2022 and batted .235 along with eight hits and seven RBIs. Broecker was one of five draftees to play multiple seasons in the NECBL. One of those players was Gulls teammate INF Samuel Kulasingam (U.S. Air Force Academy), who was drafted No. 514 in the seventeenth round by the Toronto Blue Jays. Kulasingam batted .383 with two home runs, 15 RBIs, nine walks and 17 runs in 19 games for Newport.
The fifth pick of a 2023 NECBL player was North Shore Navigator catcher Jackson Hornung (Skidmore), who was taken by the Toronto Blue Jays in the 16th round of the draft, #484 overall.
Seven free agents who appeared in the NECBL have been signed by MLB teams since the conclusion of the 2023 MLB Draft. Two current players penned contracts, including Mystic infielder Addison Kopack (University of Rhode Island) with the San Diego Padres and Newport infielder Trent Farquhar (Michigan State) with the Philadelphia Phillies. Other free agent signings included 2021 Vermont outfielder Kade Kretzschmar (Dartmouth) with the St. Louis Cardinals, 2022 Keene catcher Caleb Pendleton (Florida Atlantic) with the Los Angeles Angels, 2022 Martha's Vineyard RHP Ronaldo Gallo (Miami) with the Pittsburgh Pirates and 2022 Valley shortstop Anthony Sherwin (Bucknell) along with 2022 Martha's Vineyard RHP Alejandro Torres (Miami) with the Houston Astros.
Including undrafted free agents, 25 of 30 MLB teams added a former NECBL player. The Miami Marlins led the way with five alumni, with the San Francisco Giants and Toronto Blue Jays (4) close behind. The St. Louis Cardinals, Houston Astros, Seattle Mariners, and New York Yankees each added three signings of their own. Miami's first NECBL draft pick was Ocean State catcher Justin Storm (Southern Mississippi), who appeared with the Waves in 2021. Storm pitched 9.2 scoreless innings along with 11 strikeouts to help Ocean State reach the postseason.
There were 23 different pitchers selected in the draft, leading all positions. Ten outfielders and four catchers were also selected. 41 of the 45 total picks represented Division â... baseball programs while two players came from Junior Colleges, one played for a Division â... â... program, and one in Division III.
The NECBL congratulates all current and former players who were drafted or signed in the 2023 MLB Draft!
The New England Collegiate Baseball League is a wooden bat college summer league that fields teams in all six New England states. Partially funded by Major League Baseball, the New England League started play in 1994 and has sent over 225 alumni to the Major Leagues with nearly 30 alumni taken in the first round of the MLB Draft. For continuing coverage of the NECBL, visit NECBL.com and follow the league on Twitter, Instagram and on Facebook.
New England Collegiate Baseball League Stories from July 26, 2023
- Gallagher's Heroics Pave Way to Walk-off Win - Sanford Mainers
- 50+ NECBL Alumni Drafted Or Signed by Major League Teams in 2023 - NECBL
The opinions expressed in this release are those of the organization issuing it, and do not necessarily reflect the thoughts or opinions of OurSports Central or its staff.
