Quick Notes
The MLB Draft League and Appalachian League, two of the country's top amateur baseball summer leagues, will begin their fourth season on Tuesday, June 4, 2024.
The MLB Draft League has become the premier destination for draft-eligible players each summer, providing hundreds of players with opportunities to be evaluated by MLB Club scouts and to receive unparalleled player development resources.
The MLB Draft League’s six teams (the Frederick Keys (Frederick, MD), Mahoning Valley Scrappers (Niles, OH), State College Spikes (State College, PA), Trenton Thunder (Trenton, NJ), West Virginia Black Bears (Morgantown, WV) and Williamsport Crosscutters (Williamsport, PA) will play an 80-game schedule.
“We’re really excited about the caliber of the draft-eligible talent that will be showcasing their skills in the Draft League prior to the MLB Draft in July,” Sean Campbell, President of the MLB Draft League, said. “The opportunity for players to improve their stock prior to the draft and to provide MLB teams another look at players is beneficial for both sides and we’re looking forward to seeing many of these players use this league as a springboard for their professional careers.”
Since its founding in 2021, the MLB Draft League has had more than 230 players sign with MLB organizations, as 133 were selected in the annual 20-round MLB Draft, and another 103 players signed out of the MLB Draft League as free agents. As of the start of the 2024 season, 37 Draft League alums have reached Double-A or higher, and eight players are currently in Triple-A. Additionally, the 2023 Draft was the league’s most successful, with more players drafted in the top 10 rounds in 2023 than in the 2021 and 2022 Drafts combined.
All six Draft League managers enjoyed professional playing careers, with West Virginia’s David Carpenter, Frederick’s Jacque Jones, Mahoning Valley’s Quinton McCracken, and Williamsport’s Ryan Hanigan reaching the Major League level as players. Trenton’s Adonis Smith and State College’s Tim Battle Jr. played professionally in the United States and overseas.
The 10-team Appalachian League has quickly become one of the top summer leagues in the country for college underclassmen, with White Sox right-hander Jordan Leasure becoming the first player to reach the Major League level since the Appalachian League became a summer collegiate league in 2021.
The league will again play a 48-game schedule from June 4 through July 31, with teams in North Carolina (Burlington), Tennessee (Elizabethton, Greeneville, Johnson City, and Kingsport), Virginia (Bristol, Danville, and Pulaski), and West Virginia (Bluefield and Huntington).
Managers in the 2024 Appalachian League include former Major League players Jack Wilson (Greeneville), Mickey Tettleton (Danville), Tommy Gregg (Tri-State/Huntington), and Todd Steverson (Bristol), as well as former MLB Pitching Coach Rick Adair (Kingsport). Three managers enjoyed professional playing careers, including Drew Dosch (Bluefield), Kevin Mahoney (Johnson City), and Jeremy Owens (Elizabethton), while highly decorated college coaches Bill Kinneberg (Pulaski) and Anthony Essien (Burlington) round out the list of 2024 managers.
“We couldn’t be more pleased with the quality of the managers and coaches we have working with these young players, and we’re really excited about the talent that our fans will see on the field this year as they represent many of the top college programs from across the country,” Brian Graham, Executive Director of the Appalachian League, said.
All games from both leagues can be accessed for free on MLB.TV and on Appalachian League (https://www.appyleague.com/live-streams) and Draft League (https://www.mlbdraftleague.com/live-streams) websites.
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