Top Draft Picks in Spokane Indians History
July 23, 2025 - Northwest League (NWL)
Spokane Indians News Release
Major League Baseball held its 2025 First-Year Player Draft on Sunday, July 13th and Monday, July 14th, with the Colorado Rockies selecting Oklahoma prep shortstop Ethan Holliday fourth overall. The son of seven-time All-Star Matt Holliday and younger brother of former No. 1 overall draft pick Jackson Holliday, Ethan will be the 24th top 10 pick to suit up for the Indians upon his arrival at Avista Stadium - likely sometime in 2026.
He's also set to be the highest draft pick to reach Spokane for at least the next few years, with the Rockies unable to pick higher than 10th in the 2026 MLB draft due to MLB's anti-tanking rules. These rules prevent teams from receiving top-six draft picks in three consecutive years, and with Colorado having picked third in 2024 (Charlie Condon) and fourth in 2025 (Ethan Holliday), they are ineligible for a top-10 pick in 2026 - despite a strong probability of finishing with the worst record in baseball.
Prior to 1965, amateurs were free to sign with any Major League team that offered them a contract. The draft was created by MLB owners in response to the rise in bonuses for amateur players that rivaled the salary of some of baseball's top players. The poster boy for this was Rick Reichardt, who signed with California Angels for $205,000 in 1964 - a number that would be not surpassed by a drafted player until Todd Demeter in 1979.
The first amateur draft consisted of 72 rounds and was held in June of 1965. It featured a pair of future Hall of Famers in catcher Johnny Bench (2nd round) and right-hander Nolan Ryan (12th round). Originally, three separate drafts were held each year:
January for high school and college players who graduated in the winter
June for new high school graduates as well as college seniors who had just finished their seasons (this was the largest and most talent rich of the three drafts)
August for players who participated in amateur summer leagues
There was also a secondary phase of each draft in which teams could draft players who had previously been drafted but had not signed. The August draft was eliminated after only two years, while the January draft and secondary phase of the June draft were discontinued in 1987. The vast majority of top players were selected in the primary June draft, though one Hall of Fame player - Carlton Fisk - was selected in the January draft.
The current format of the draft features 20 rounds and takes place in July as part of MLB's All-Star festivities. A complete list of Top 10 draft picks to play for the Spokane Indians can be found below:
No. 2 Overall - Steve Dunning (1970): The second overall pick out of Stanford by the Cleveland Indians in the 1970 MLB June Amateur Draft, Dunning was also the second player to go straight to the Major Leagues after being drafted without spending a day in the minors (Mike Adamson was the first). He struggled in the big leagues and appeared in 22 games with Spokane in 1974 (9-7, 4.68 ERA) after being traded to Texas. The right-hander spent a total of seven seasons in the big leagues, finishing with a 23-41 record and 4.56 ERA.
No. 3 Overall - Charlie Condon (2024): The highest-drafted player in Georgia baseball history, Condon became just the third player in NCAA history to lead the nation in both batting average and home runs in the same season and was named the national 2024 Player of the Year by Baseball America, D1Baseball and Perfect Game. He joined the Indians for the stretch run that summer and helped the team capture their first Northwest League title since 2008. Condon returned to Spokane in 2025 following a wrist injury in Spring Training, slashing .312/.431/420 with three home runs and 17 RBI before earning a promotion to Double-A Hartford in July.
No. 3 Overall - Brendan Rodgers (2015): Drafted third overall by Colorado in 2015 (one pick before Dillon Tate), Rodgers appeared in five games on a rehab assignment with Spokane in 2023. A Gold Glove winner with the Rockies in 2022, Rodgers is a career .261 hitter in parts of seven big league seasons with Colorado (2019-2024) and Houston (2025).
No. 3 Overall - Dick Schofield (1981): The son of 19-year MLB veteran Dick Schofield and uncle of Jayson Werth, the younger Schofield was selected third overall by the California Angels in the 1981 MLB June Amateur Draft and reached Triple-A with Spokane just one year later - hitting .300 in a seven-game stint with the Indians. One of the top defensive shortstops in baseball, Schofield would go on to a 14-year big league career that included a World Series title with Toronto in 1993.
No. 3 Overall - Tommy Bianco (1971): Drafted third overall in the 1971 MLB June Amateur Draft out of Sewanhaka High School (NY) by the Brewers, Bianco got a brief cup of coffee with the Brewers in 1975 (.176 in 18 games) in his lone taste of the big leagues. He held his own with Spokane the following year (.268, 10 HR, 61 RBI) but was out of baseball following the 1979 season at the age of 26.
No. 4 Overall - Dillon Tate (2015): Drafted just one pick after Brendan Rodgers, Tate appeared in a pair of games with Spokane in 2015 but was traded by the Rangers to the Yankees the next year (for another Indians alum - Carlos Beltran). The right-hander eventually reached the big leagues with Baltimore in 2019 and has posted a 7-14 record and 4.11 ERA in 195 MLB appearances with the Orioles and Blue Jays.
No. 4 Overall - Roy Howell (1972): The fourth overall pick in the 1972 MLB Draft by Texas, Howell parlayed a strong season with Spokane in 1974 (.281, 22 HR, 80 RBI) into his first trip to the big leagues. The talented third baseman would spend a total of 11 years in the majors with Texas, Toronto and Milwaukee, highlighted by a trip to the Midsummer Classic with the Blue Jays in 1978.
No. 5 Overall - Roy Branch (1971): A first-round pick of the Royals in 1971 out of Missouri's Beaumont High School, Branch made just two big league appearances with the Seattle Mariners in 1979, allowing 12 hits and 11 runs over 11.1 innings. The right-hander spent the next year in Spokane, struggling to a 3-12 record and 5.51 ERA for an Indians team that finished 60-80 in the Pacific Coast League. Branch performed well with Tecolotes de Nuevo Laredo of the Mexican League in 1982 (7-3, 2.25), but that would prove to be his final season in professional baseball.
No. 5 Overall - Bobby Valentine (1968): A multi-sport star at Rippowam High School in Stamford, Connecticut, Valentine played collegiately at the University of Southern California before being selected fifth overall (one pick after Thurman Munson) by the Los Angeles Dodgers in 1968. He reached Spokane the following year and was named Pacific Coast League MVP in 1970 after slashing .340/.389/.522 with 39 doubles, 16 triples, 14 home runs, 80 RBI, and 29 stolen bases. Valentine spent 10 seasons in the big leagues with the Dodgers, Angels. Padres, Mets, and Mariners, although injuries prevented him from fulfilling his enormous potential. He found a second life as an MLB manager, winning over 1,100 games and leading the New York Mets to a National League pennant in 2000. A true renaissance man, Valentine was a champion ballroom dancer as a teenager and is also credited with inventing (or at least popularizing) the sandwich wrap at this restaurant in Connecticut.
No. 6 Overall - Zach Greinke (2002): Selected sixth overall out of Florida's Apopka High School by the Royals in 2002, Greinke appeared in a pair of games with the Indians that summer and was in the big leagues just two years later. The mercurial right-hander was the American League Cy Young Award winner (16-8, 2.16 ERA, 1.07 WHIP, 10.4 bWAR) with Kansas City in 2009 and finished his career with 225 wins, six All-Star appearances, six Gold Gloves, two Silver Sluggers, and two ERA titles. Greinke's career 77.4 WAR ranks him among the top 30 starting pitchers of all time, and should be a first ballot Hall of Famer when he becomes eligible in 2028.
No. 6 Overall - Dan Thomas (1977): The highest-drafted player in Southern Illinois University history, Thomas reached the big leagues with Milwaukee in 1976 and looked like a star in the making during his 32-game stint with the Brewers (.276/.372/.457). He performed well again in 1977 (.271/.350/.457) but disagreements with the team over religion (Thomas earned the nickname "The Sundown Kid" as he would not play on the Sabbath, from sundown Friday to sundown Saturday) earned him a demotion to Spokane. Thomas struggled with the Indians in what would prove to be his last foray in affiliated baseball - hitting just .237 in 38 games - and was cut loose by the Brewers after refusing a reassignment to Double-A. He spent two more years playing in independent leagues in Boise and Miami before tragically committed suicide in 1980 at the age of 29.
No. 6 Overall - Butch Edge (1974): The right-hander out of El Camino Fundamental High School in Sacramento was picked sixth overall by the Brew Crew in 1974 and made his lone appearance with the Indians in 1976 (0.1 IP, 4 H, 2 ER). Edge was drafted once again - this time by Toronto in the 1976 expansion draft - and started nine games for the Blue Jays in 1979 (3-4, 5.23 ERA). He spent four more years in the minors and retired following the 1986 season at the age of 26.
No. 7 Overall - Kyle Snyder (1999): The towering right-hander starred for three years at the University of North Carolina before the Royals snagged him with the seventh overall pick in 1999. Snyder struck out 25 in 24 innings with Spokane that summer and was named the Northwest League's top prospect by Baseball America. He reached the majors with Kansas City in 2003 and won a World Series title with Boston in 2007, but struggled with injuries and inconsistency, as he finished his big league career with an 8-17 record and 5.57 ERA in 93 appearances (29 GS). Snyder transitioned into a coaching role in the Rays organization following his playing career and has served as Tampa Bay's pitching coach since 2018.
No. 7 Overall - Dan Reichert (1997): Reichert was drafted seventh overall by the Royals in 1997 after winning Big West Conference Pitcher of the Year for the University of the Pacific. The right-hander went 3-4 with a 2.84 ERA that summer with the Indians and was up with the big league club at the age of 22 in 1999. Reichert's best MLB season came the following year in Kansas City (8-10, 4.70 ERA) and he finished his five-year big league career with a 21-25 record, 5.55 ERA, and 1.68 WHIP.
No. 8 Overall - Benny Montgomery (2021): A tooled-up outfielder from Red Land High School in Lewisberry, PA, the Rockies selected Montgomery eighth overall in 2021 despite concerns about his unorthodox mechanics at the plate. After a strong debut season with Fresno in 2022 (.313/.394/.502), Montgomery was solid if unspectacular with Spokane in 2023 (.251, 10 HR, 51 RBI) before missing the bulk of 2024 with a shoulder injury. Currently, he's one of just two players selected in the top 10 of the 2021 draft to not reach the majors (Royals LHP Frank Mozzicato is the other), though at just 22, time is still on Benny's side.
No. 8 Overall - Don Castle (1968): Selected three picks after fellow Indians alum Bobby Valentine in the 1968 draft by the Washinton Senators, Castle reached the majors with Texas in 1973 and hit .308 (4-for-13) in his lone taste of big league action. The outfielder spent the next year in Spokane, hitting .256 with 17 home runs and 72 RBI, and would spend four more years in the minor leagues before retiring after the 1978 season at the age of 28.
No. 9 Overall - Chase Dollander (2023): A candidate to go first overall before the season in 2023, Dollander slipped to the Rockies at No. 9 after an uneven junior season at Tennessee. The right-hander started for Spokane on Opening Night the following year and blew away the competition in the Northwest League with a 2.83 ERA and 111 K's in 70 innings (14.3 K/9). Dollander opened the 2025 season with Albuquerque but earned a quick promotion to the big leagues, making his MLB debut on April 6th at Coors Field against the Athletics. The 23-year-old struggled to a 2-9 record and 6.68 ERA in 15 starts with Colorado before returning to the Isotopes in July for additional seasoning in the minor leagues.
No. 9 Overall - Zac Veen (2020): The rangy outfielder earned Cody Bellinger and Christian Yelich comps coming out of high school in Florida and the Rockies were thrilled to snag him at the number nine spot. Veen was outstanding with Fresno in 2021 (.301/.399/.501, 15 HR, 75 RBI, 36 SB) and earned Northwest League MVP with Spokane in 2022 (11 HR, 60 RBI, 50 SB). He's struggled with injuries the past few seasons but made his big league debut with Colorado in April and connected on his first MLB home run at Coors Field on April 20th. Still just 23 years old, there's plenty of time left for the "Swamp Thing" to make his mark in the bigs.
No. 9 Overall - John Danks (2003): The Texas Rangers selected the local product out of Round Rock High School with the ninth overall pick in a draft that also featured Rickie Weeks, Nick Markakis, Chad Billingsley, and Adam Jones. The southpaw appeared in five games with Spokane at the end of the season in 2003 and was ranked the 80th-best prospect in baseball by Baseball America heading into the 2004 season. Danks was traded to the White Sox organization in 2006 and went on to post a 79-104 record, 4.38 ERA, and 20.4 bWAR in 10 big league seasons with Chicago.
No. 9 Overall - Colt Griffin (2001): An All-American at Marshall HS (TX) with a fastball that reached triple digits, Griffin made his pro debut in 2001 with the Indians and showed the control problems (7 BB, 2 WP in 2.1 IP) that would plague him throughout his career. The right-hander retired after the 2005 season with a 19-25 record, 4.79 ERA, and more walks (278) than strikeouts (271) in 124 career MiLB appearances.
No. 9 Overall - Don Stanhouse (1969): The Oakland A's selected Stanhouse with the ninth overall pick out of Du Quoin High School (IL) in 1969 but traded him to the Texas Rangers in 1972 for an aging Denny McLain. The right-hander made his big league debut with Texas that season and finished the year with a 3.78 ERA in 24 games (16 GS) for the Rangers. He split the next two seasons shuttling between Spokane and Texas before being traded - this time to the Montreal Expos for fellow Indians alum Willie Davis. Stanhouse struggled in his first year with the Expos but strung together four consecutive solid seasons in Montreal (1976-77) and Baltimore (1978-79), even earning an All-Star appearance with the Orioles in 1979. The mercurial Stanhouse was nicknamed "Full Pack" by Baltimore Orioles manager Earl Weaver, a reference to the number of cigarettes Weaver smoked while watching the right-hander pitch, and finished his MLB career with a 38-54 record, 3.84 ERA, and 64 saves in 294 appearances.
No. 10 Overall - Gabriel Hughes (2022): A two-way star at Gonzaga (and the highest-drafted in Zags baseball history), Hughes was picked for his talents on the mound and dazzled in an Opening Night start for the Indians at Avista Stadium in 2023 (5 IP, 0 H, 0 R, 0 BB, 6 K). He was promoted to Hartford after just eight starts in the Northwest League, but underwent Tommy John surgery later that summer and missed all of 2024. The right-hander returned to the Yard Goats to start the 2025 season and was bumped up to Albuquerque in May after posting a 3.07 ERA in nine starts with Hartford.
No. 10 Overall - Thomas Diamond (2004): The Sun Belt Conference Pitcher of the Year at the University of New Orleans, Diamond was selected 10th overall by Texas in 2004 and made quick work of Northwest League hitters with Spokane that summer (15.1 IP, 2.93 ERA, 15.3 K/9). The right-hander appeared in the 2005 Futures Game but was slowed by injuries and would up making just 16 MLB appearances with the Chicago Cubs in 2010 (1-3, 6.83 ERA, 11.2 K/9) before retiring the following the season.
Notable Top 10 Selections from January or Secondary Drafts
No. 1 Overall - Roy Smalley Jr. (1974): The first overall selection by the Texas Rangers in the 1974 MLB January Draft-Regular Phase, Smalley was the son of former Spokane Indians player Roy Smalley Sr. The younger Smalley slashed .340/.425/.438 with the Indians in 1975 and would go on to a 13-year MLB career that included an All-Star appearance in 1979 and a World Series title in 1987 with the Minnesota Twins.
No. 7 Overall - Ned Yost (1974): Yost was selected seventh overall in the 1974 MLB June Draft-Secondary Phase by the New York Mets out of Chabot College (CA) and reached Spokane in 1978 as part of the Brewers organization, hitting .262 with seven home runs and 42 RBI in 89 games. He made his MLB debut with Milwaukee in 1980 and went on to appear in 219 big league games as a backup catcher with the Brewers, Rangers, and Expos. Yost pivoted to managing following his playing career and led the Kansas City Royals to a World Series title in 2015 before retiring after the 2019 season with over 1,200 MLB wins to his name.
No. 7 Overall - Doug Rau (1970): The right-hander out of Texas A&M was picked seventh overall in the 1970 MLB June Draft-Secondary Phase by the Los Angeles Dodgers and spent time with Spokane in both 1970 and 1971. Rau reached the big leagues in 1972 and finished his nine-year career with an 81-60 record, 3.35 ERA, and 12.4 bWAR in 222 games (187 GS) with the Dodgers and Angels.
No. 10 Overall - Lenn Sakata (1975): A member of the Gonzaga Athletic Hall of Fame, Sakata was the 10th overall pick of the 1975 MLB January Draft-Secondary Phase by the Milwaukee Brewers. He was a key part of Spokane's lineup in both 1976 (.280, 10 HR, 70 RBI) and 1977 (.304, 4 HR, 73 RBI) before embarking on an 11-year MLB career with the Brewers, Orioles, A's, and Yankees. Sakata won a World Series title with Baltimore in 1983 - the first player born and raised in Hawai'i to play in the World Series - and posted a career 1,002-880 (.532) record as a minor league manager.
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