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Farm Report: Former Hawkeyes in the minor leagues

On3 imageby:Kyle Huesmann•04/02/25•

HuesmannKyle

San Diego Padres infielder Mason McCoy is tagged out at the plate in a game against the Detroit Tigers. (Photo by Denis Poroy-Imagn Images)
San Diego Padres infielder Mason McCoy is tagged out at the plate in a game against the Detroit Tigers. (Photo by Denis Poroy-Imagn Images)

The MLB season is officially underway, while over 100 minor league teams are set to get their respective seasons going soon. The Iowa Baseball program currently has 16 former players competing at various levels of the MLB system. Since Rick Heller took over as head coach in 2013, Iowa has seen 35 former players sign professional contracts, including 31 players going in the MLB Draft. This season, left-handed pitcher Jack Dreyer became the first Rick Heller coached Hawkeye to make an Opening Day roster, while three more players are just one call away from the MLB. Over the last four years, Nick Allgeyer, Mason McCoy, Tyler Cropley, Jack Dreyer and Adam Mazur have appeared in an MLB game.

MLB (1)

LHP Jack Dreyer – Los Angeles Dodgers

An undrafted free agent in 2021, Jack Dreyer is in his fourth year with the Los Angeles Dodgers organization, and he has been very impressive, earning himself a spot on the 26-man roster to start this season. Last season, Dreyer started with Double-A Tulsa, but was promoted to Triple-A Oklahoma City after not allowing a single run in nine appearances. In OKC, Jack posted a 2.95 ERA (37 app) over 42.2 innings, including 52 strikeouts to just nine walks. This year, Dreyer made the Dodgers 31-man travel roster for the Tokyo Series against the Cubs and is now on the 26-man major league roster. He has appeared in three games, allowing one run on two hits over 3.1 innings.

It has been quite the journey for Dreyer who, despite coming off an injury, decided to forgo his final year of eligibility at Iowa and sign an undrafted free agent contract with Los Angeles in 2021. Over the course of his three-year path to the majors, Dreyer pitched the ACL Dodgers (12 app), High-A Great Lakes (42 app), Double-A Tulsa (9 app) and Triple-A Oklahoma City (37 app).

Triple-A (3)

RHP Adam Mazur – Jacksonville Jumbo Shrimp (Miami Marlins)

Selected in the 2nd Round of the 2022 MLB Draft, Adam Mazur is in his third year of professional ball and his first with the Marlins organization after getting traded from San Diego last season. It’s been a pretty quick rise for Mazur to the cusp of the big leagues, needing just one full minor league season before making his MLB debut with the Padres last season. He is currently listed as the #15 prospect in the Marlins organization.

In 2023, Mazur was impressive in 24 appearances (2.81 ERA) split between High-A Fort Wayne and Double-A San Antonio. Last season, Adam started in Double-A, but made the jump to Triple-A El Paso after six starts and made his MLB debut on June 4th, allowing one run on two hits over 6.0 innings against the Angels. He posted a 7.49 ERA over eight starts and was traded to Miami in July. Mazur will start the season with Triple-A Jacksonville where he made eight starts at the end of last year after the trade.

INF Mason McCoy – El Paso Chihuahuas (San Diego Padres)

Selected in the 6th Round of the 2017 MLB Draft by Baltimore, Mason McCoy is in his eighth year of pro ball. McCoy has spent time with Baltimore, Seattle, Toronto and San Diego organizations, making his MLB debut in 2023 with the Blue Jays.

McCoy is a Triple-A veteran, as 348 of his 771 career minor league games have come at the highest level. In 2023, Mason made his MLB debut with the Blue Jays, appearing in six games, but got just one at-bat. Last season, with the Padres organization, McCoy played in 108 games with Triple-A El Paso, slashing .260/.329/.382, with 100 hits, 26 doubles, five home runs and 50 RBI’s. He also appeared in 19 games with San Diego, reaching base 15 times in 57 plate appearances, including his first career MLB hit on August 21st against Minnesota.

LHP Trenton Wallace – Buffalo Bisons (Toronto Blue Jays)

Selected in the 11th Round of the 2021 MLB Draft, Trenton Wallace is in his fifth season with the Toronto Blue Jays organization and has slowly made the climb towards a potential major league debut. Wallace started last season with Double-A New Hampshire, posting a 2.68 ERA over 17 starts, including 97 strikeouts to 30 walks in 80.2 innings. That earned him a promotion to Triple-A Buffalo where he finished out the season with a 6.27 ERA over nine starts and 33.0 innings.

Over four seasons with the Blue Jays organization, Trenton has pitched with FCL Blue Jays (1 app), Single-A Dunedin (6 app), High-A Vancouver (17 app), Double-A New Hampshire (19 app) and Triple-A Buffalo (9 app). With Dreyer, Mazur and McCoy all having made their MLB debuts, Wallace is the next closest former Hawkeye.

Double-A (4)

RHP Duncan Davitt – Montgomery Biscuits (Tampa Bay Rays)

Selected in the 18th Round of the 2022 MLB Draft, Duncan Davitt is in his fourth season with the Tampa Bay Rays organization. Davitt has quietly put together a solid minor league career to this point, beginning in 2022 with the FCL Rays and now all the way to Double-A Montgomery.

Last season, Duncan started with High-A Bowling Green, posting a 2.94 ERA over 16 starts and 85.2 innings, including 85 strikeouts and just 66 hits allowed. He earned a promotion to Double-A Montgomery and finished the season with the Biscuits, starting ten games with a 4.76 ERA over 51.0 innings, including 56 strikeouts to 19 walks. Over three seasons, Davitt has a 4.28 ERA over 57 appearances at four levels.

1B Keaton Anthony – Reading Fightin Phils (Philadelphia Phillies)

An undrafted free agent signing by the Philadelphia Phillies in 2023, Keaton Anthony is in his third year with the organization. An easy guy to root for after all the went on at the tail end of his Iowa career, including missing the Hawkeyes NCAA Regional, Keaton made a lot of progress in the Phillies farm system last season.

He began the season with Single-A Clearwater, slashing .322/.446/.470 over 44 games, with 48 hits and 10 doubles, as well as 28 walks to 28 strikeouts. Anthony was promoted to High-A Jersey Shore, and he continued to produce there, slashing .356/.418/.483 over 53 games, with 773 hits, ten doubles and 45 RBI’s. After the High-A season concluded, Keaton moved up to Double-A Reading, appearing in six games and that is where he will start the 2025 season.

RHP Cole McDonald – Corpus Christi Hooks (Houston Astros)

Selected in the 15th Round of the 2019 MLB Draft, Cole McDonald is in his sixth season with the Houston Astros organization. The most veteran former Hawkeye in pro ball behind Mason McCoy, McDonald has appeared in 121 games during his minor league career with Houston.

Last season, Cole began the year with Double-A Corpus Christi and turned some heads. Over 20 appearances and 24.0 innings, he posted a 1.50 ERA, including 31 strikeouts to 11 walks. That earned him a promotion to Triple-A Sugar Land, but things didn’t go quite as well. McDonald appeared in 20 games with a 10.02 ERA over 20.2 innings, allowing 23 runs on 25 hits. He will start the 2025 season with Double-A Corpus Christi looking to get another shot at the Triple-A level.

1B Peyton Williams – Double-A New Hampshire Fisher Cats (Toronto Blue Jays)

Selected in the 7th Round of the 2022 MLB Draft, Peyton Williams is in his fourth year with the Toronto Blue Jays organization. Williams dealt with an injury last season that saw him go on the injured list on March 20th and not return until May 20th.

After short rehab stints with the FCL Blue Jays and Single-A Dunedin, Williams returned to High-A Vancouver. In 77 games, Peyton slashed .289/.362/.476, with 85 hits, 20 doubles, 11 home runs and 50 RBI’s. After the regular season concluded, he played in the Arizona Fall League with the Scottsdale Scorpions and was named to the American League Fall Stars team. He will start the 2025 season with Double-A New Hampshire, which is the highest level he has reached.

Single-A (8)

RHP Grant Judkins – High-A Lansing Lugnuts (Athletics)

An undrafted free agent signing for the formerly known Oakland Athletics back in 2020, Grant Judkins is in his fifth year with the organization. For many undrafted signings, the leash can be pretty short, but Judkins has found a way to stick around with the A’s organization, appearing in 54 career games.

After missing the entire 2023 season with an injury, Judkins returned to the mound last season with High-A Lansing. He put together the best year of his career, appearing in 25 games with 12 starts, posting a 3.56 ERA over 83.1 innings, including 75 strikeouts to 27 walks. If Grant can continue his success into this season, he may get an opportunity to move up and pitch with Double-A Midland.

RHP Ty Langenberg – High-A Cedar Rapids Kernels (Minnesota Twins)

Selected in the 11th Round of the 2023 MLB Draft, Ty Langenberg is in his third season with the Minnesota Twins organization. A name to keep an eye on this season and one that could move up in the Twins system, Langenberg was a really solid starter last season.

After pitching in just five games after the 2023 Draft, Ty started his first full minor league season with Single-A Fort Myers. He posted a 3.38 ERA over nine starts and 48.0 innings, including 56 strikeouts to just 12 walks. That earned him a promotion back to just up the road from Iowa City with High-A Cedar Rapids, where he had a 3.90 ERA over 12 appearances, including 11 starts. For the full year, Langenberg totaled 116 strikeouts to just 30 walks over 108.0 innings.

LHP Jared Simpson – High-A Wilmington Blue Rocks (Washington Nationals)

Selected in the 8th Round of the 2023 MLB Draft, Jared Simpson is in his third year with the Washington Nationals organization. Simpson missed almost the entirety of the 2024 season with an injury, but did make two appearances at the tail end of the season.

After the draft in 2023. Jared appeared in nine games with Single-A Fredericksburg, posting an impressive 1.59 ERA over 11.1 innings, including 17 strikeouts to five walks. Last year, he was placed on the 60-day injured list on March 20th and did not return until September. He appeared in two games with High-A Wilmington, tossing a pair of scoreless innings.

OF Sam Petersen – Unknown (Washington Nationals)

Selected in the 8th Round of the 2024 MLB Draft, Sam Petersen is in his second year with the Washington Nationals organization, but there is a bit of uncertainty about where he will be this season. After the draft last year, Petersen appeared in seven games with Single-A Fredericksburg, batting .364 in 22 at-bats, with eight hits and three doubles.

As for this season, Petersen was not listed on the opening day rosters for Fredericksburg (Single-A), Wilmington (High-A) or Harrisburg (Double-A), but has not been released by the Nationals.

RHP Brody Brecht – Fresno Grizzlies (Colorado Rockies)

Selected with the 38th pick in 2024 MLB Draft, Brody Brecht became the highest-drafted Hawkeye since the selection of Tim Costo (8th) in 1990. Brecht will start the season with Single-A Fresno, but appeared in a Spring Breakout Showcase game for the Rockies. In his March 16th outing, Brecht tossed a scoreless inning, including a pair of strikeouts against the White Sox prospects. Over the course of his Hawkeye career, Brody appeared in 49 games, with 32 starts, posting a 3.49 ERA over 178.0 innings.

RHP Marcus Morgan – Clearwater Threshers (Philadelphia Phillies)

Selected in the 9th Round of the 2024 MLB Draft, Marcus Morgan spent some time with the FCL Phillies, but did not appear in a game. He has been assigned to Single-A Clearwater and will make his pro ball debut in the Florida State League, with former Iowa teammate Raider Tello also on the roster. Morgan appeared in 43 career games with the Hawkeyes, including 31 starts, posting a 5.67 ERA over 135.0 innings.

RHP Jack Young – Kannapolis Cannon Ballers (Chicago White Sox)

Selected in the 9th Round of the 2024 MLB Draft, Jack Young spent some time with the ACL White Sox, but did not appear in a game. He has been assigned to Single-A Kannapolis and will make his pro ball debut in the Carolina League. Young appeared in 36 games during his Iowa career, including 24 relief appearances during the 2024 season with a 2.76 ERA over 3.2 innings.

3B Raider Tello – Clearwater Threshers (Philadelphia Phillies)

An undrafted free agent signing by the Philadelphia Phillies organization last season, Raider Tello was able to make his first pro ball appearance after the draft. He appeared in 14 games for Single-A Clearwater, slashing .255/.345/.294 over 58 plate appearances, totaling 13 hits, nine runs scored, two doubles and seven RBI’s. Over two seasons at Iowa, Tello appeared in 113 games, totaling 155 hits, 33 doubles, 11 home runs and 110 RBI’s.

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