Eighteen NECBL Alums Represent 2018 Opening Day Rosters
March 31, 2018 - New England Collegiate Baseball League (NECBL) News Release
NORTH ADAMS, Mass. - Eighteen New England Collegiate Baseball League (NECBL) alumni were fixtures on 12 different Major League Baseball (MLB) franchise rosters on Opening Day 2018, which saw all 30 pro teams in action yesterday.
The Los Angeles Dodgers led the way with three ex-NECBL players, including two from the Keene Swamp Bats in pitchers Josh Fields '05 and Alex Wood '10, while as well 2010 Newport Gulls outfielder Chris Taylor. The Cleveland Indians, Colorado Rockies, Oakland Athletics and Washington Nationals all had two NECBL alums apiece, while the Arizona Diamondbacks, Baltimore Orioles, Cincinnati Reds, defending World Series champion Houston Astros, Miami Marlins, St. Louis Cardinals and Tampa Bay Rays all had one NECBL alum each.
Last season, 56 NECBL graduates played in the Major Leagues, including 13 that made their MLB debuts, the most in the last five years. Those debuts brought the NECBL's all-time list of MLB players up to 144, six away from a major milestone of 150, which The New England League will likely see at some point this season.
The oldest former NECBL-er, Rajai Davis (Middletown '01), starts the season with the Cleveland Indians, who will look to claim their third straight AL Central title this year. The youngest alumni both played in the NECBL in 2011 in both Baltimore outfielder Trey Mancini (Holyoke '11) and Miami catcher Chad Wallach (Laconia '11).
The 2018 NECBL campaign begins in just over two months on June 5, 2018.
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