NWL1 Eugene Emeralds

Emeralds Boast Top Picks from 2019 Draft

July 26, 2019 - Northwest League (NWL1)
Eugene Emeralds News Release


There's no shortage of top tier talent in Eugene these days. With the recent arrival of Chicago Cubs 3rd rounder Michael McAvene, the Eugene Emeralds now carry each of the Chicago Cubs' top five selections from the 2019 MLB Draft.

McAvene is slated to make his professional debut on Saturday when the Emeralds take on the Salem-Keizer Volcanoes in Keizer, and the top picks that he joins have already exhibited strong starts during their early stints with the Emeralds.

Ryan Jensen

Round (Pick): 1 (27) | School: Fresno State

So Far This Season: 1.93 ERA with 8 strikeouts in 4.2 innings pitched.

Chase Strumpf

Round (Pick): 2 (64) | School: UCLA

So Far This Season: Batting .317 with 2 HR, 7 doubles, 11 RBI and a .954 OPS (leads team) in 17 games played.

Chris Clarke

Round (Pick): 4 (132) | School: USC

So Far This Season: 3.60 ERA with 7 strikeouts in 5.0 innings pitched.

Josh Burgmann

Round (Pick): 5 (162) | School: Washington

So Far This Season: Scoreless outings in three of four appearances this season.

However, the players listed above only make up a small portion of the large contigency of 2019 draftees on the current roster. In total, fifteen players selected by the Cubs during the 2019 MLB Draft are now suiting up for the Ems.

2019 Draftees On The Emeralds

1 Ryan Jensen RHP Fresno State

2 Chase Strumpf 2B UCLA

3 Michael McAvene RHP Louisville

4 Chris Clarke RHP USC

5 Josh Burgmann RHP Washington

12 Hunter Bigge RHP Harvard

17 Tanner Dalton RHP Sacramento State

20 Darius Hill OF West Virginia

21 Nelson Maldonado OF Florida

24 Grayson Byrd OF Clemson

25 Zac Taylor OF Illinois

26 Jacob Olson OF South Carolina

28 Chris Kachmar RHP Lipscomb

29 Jake Washer C East Carolina

30 Bryan King LHP McNeese State

ROUND NAME POSITION SCHOOL

Beyond the headliners, a number of this year's Cubs draftees have already provided an immediate impact since joining the team:

Hunter Bigge

Round (Pick): 12 (372) | School: Harvard

So Far This Season: 1-0 with a 2.00 ERA and 12 strikeouts in 9.0 innings pitched (5 appearances).

Nelson Maldonado

Round (Pick): 21 (642) | School: Florida

So Far This Season: Batting .392 (leads team) with 1 HR and 10 RBI in 13 games.

Zac Taylor

Round (Pick): 25 (762) | School: Illinois

So Far This Season: Batting .303 with 6 RBI, 5 SB and 15 runs in 16 games.

Chris Kachmar

Round (Pick): 28 (852) | School: Lipscomb

So Far This Season: 4 wins in 4 appearances; tied for 2nd in NWL in wins.

In recent years, the Emeralds have seen top prospects like Eloy Jimenez (2015), Adbert Alzolay (2015), Dylan Cease (2016), Aramis Ademan (2017), Miguel Amaya (2017), Nico Hoerner (2018), and Brailyn Marquez (2018) come through PK Park en route to claiming two of the past three Nortwhest League titles.

The Emeralds start a season-long seven-game homestand on Monday, July 29 when they host the Spokane Indians for a four-game series followed by a three-game series against the Boise Hawks.

You can find the full promotional schedule for the 2019 Eugene Emeralds season by visiting www.EmeraldsBaseball.com.

Tickets to Emeralds home games are on sale now at www.EmeraldsBaseball.com or by calling (541) 342-5367.

Check out the Eugene Emeralds Statistics



Northwest League Stories from July 26, 2019


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