Although the season is over for the Iowa Baseball team, the major league season is in full swing, which means there are plenty of former Hawkeyes still playing ball. Since Rick Heller took over as head coach in 2013, Iowa has seen 30 former players sign professional contracts, including 27 players going in the MLB Draft. As it currently stands, four former Hawkeyes are just one call away from making their MLB debut. Over the last three years, Nick Allgeyer, Mason McCoy and Tyler Cropley have appeared in an MLB game.
Triple-A
RHP Adam Mazur – El Paso Chihuahuas (San Diego Padres)
Selected in the 2nd Round of the 2022 MLB Draft, Adam Mazur is in his second year with the Padres organization. He split time in his first season with High-A Fort Wayne and Double-A San Antonio posting a 2.81 ERA over 96.0 innings. This season, Mazur started the season in San Antonio, but was promoted to Triple-A El Paso back on May 14th. In three starts with the Chihuahuas, Adam has a 5.82 ERA over 17.0 innings, including 15 strikeouts to just two walks. If the Padres are not in the playoff race late in the year, it would not be a surpise to see Mazur get his MLB debut if he continues to pitch well.
RHP Cole McDonald – Sugar Land Space Cowboys (Houston Astros)
Selected in the 15th Round of the 2019 MLB Draft, Cole McDonald is in his fifth season with the Houston Astros organization. McDonald spent the majority of last season with Double-A Corpus Christi, posting a 3.94 ERA over 48.0 innings. He was named a non-roster invitee to the Houston Astros spring training and has spent this season with Triple-A Sugar Land. McDonald has appeared in 13 games with a 9.69 ERA over 13.0 innings, including 14 strikeouts to eigth walks. It’s been pretty impressive to see Cole McDonald go from the GCL Astros all the way to being a spring training invitee this season.
LHP Jack Dreyer – Oklahoma City Baseball Club (LA Dodgers)
An undrafted free agent in 2021, Jack Dreyer is in his third year with the Los Angeles Dodgers organization and he has been very impressive. Last season, Dreyer appeared in 42 games with High-A Great Lakes, boasting a 2.30 ERA over 54.2 innings. That earned him a promotion to Double-A Tulsa this season. In nine games, Jack did not allow a run over 14.2 innings, including 20 strikeouts to three walks. He was promoted to Triple-A Oklahoma City back on May 7th and has appeared in six games with a 4.05 ERA. The Dodgers are going to be a tough roster to crack into, but it’s impossible to argue against his 1.94 ERA over 69 career appearances.
SS 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 seventh year of pro ball. McCoy has spent time with Baltimore, Seattle, Toronto and San Diego organizations. He made his MLB debut with the Blue Jays last season and signed a free agent contract with the Padres over the offseason. In 48 games this season with Triple-A El Paso, McCoy is batting .244, with a .325 on-base percentage, including seven doubles, three home runs and 25 RBI’s. Mason has been on the brink of the majors for much of his career, as 398 of his 707 career games have come at the Triple-A level.
Double-A
LHP Trenton Wallace – New Hampshire Fisher Cats (Toronto Blue Jays)
Selected in the 11th Round of the 2021 MLB Draft, Trenton Wallace is in his fourth season with the Toronto Blue Jays organization. Last season, Wallace made 12 starts with four different minor league teams, posting a 2.65 ERA over 51.0 innings. This season, Wallace is pitching with Double-A New Hampshire and has continued put together solid numbers. In nine starts, Trenton has a 2.53 ERA over 42.2 innings, including 55 strikeouts to 21 walks. Through 182.0 career innings, opponents are batting just .167 against him and are averaging 0.58 hits per inning.
Single-A
RHP Duncan Davitt – High-A Bowling Green Hot Rods (Tampa Bay Rays)
Selected in the 18th Round of the 2022 MLB Draft, Duncan Davitt is in his third season with the Tampa Bay Rays organization. Last season, Davitt appeared in 28 games with 11 starts with Single-A Charleston and High-A Bowling Green, posting a 4.95 ERA. So far this year, Duncan is having the best year of his career. He has made nine starts, with a 3.08 ERA over 49.2 innings, including 55 strikeouts to just 16 walks. Back on May 16th, Davitt tossed the first complete game shutout for the Hot Rods since Matthew Liberatore in 2019. He struck out four and allowed just three baserunners over 7.0 innings.
RHP Grant Judkins – High-A Lansing Lugnuts (Oakland A’s)
An undrafted free agent signing for the Oakland A’s back in 2020, Grant Judkins is in his fourth year with the organization. After not pitching last season, Judkins has returned this season to pitch with High-A Lansing. He has appeared in nine games with five starts, posting a 3.90 ERA over 30.0 innings, including 28 strikeouts to ten walks.
LHP Jared Simpson – Fredericksburg Nationals (Washington Nationals)
Selected in the 8th Round of the 2023 MLB Draft, Jared Simpson is in his second year with the Washington Nationals organization. Last season, Simpson appeared in nine games after the draft. He finished with an impressive 1.59 ERA over 11.1 innings, including 17 strikeouts to five walks for Single-A Fredericksburg. Unfortunately, back on March 20th, Fredericksburg placed Simpson the 60-day injured list, which means he is likely out for the season due to an injury.
1B Keaton Anthony – Clearwater Threshers (Philadelphia Phillies)
An undrafted free agent signing by the Philadelphia Phillies organization last season, Keaton Anthony was able to get his first taste of pro ball after the draft last season. He appeared in 14 games, with nine of them coming with the FCL Phillies. This season, Keaton has appeared in 31 games for Single-A Clearwater. He is batting .304, with a .458 on-base percentage, including seven doubles and 12 RBI’s.
1B Peyton Williams – High-A Vancouver Canadians (Toronto Blue Jays)
Selected in the 7th Round of the 2022 MLB Draft, Peyton Williams is in his third year with the Toronto Blue Jays organization. Williams split time last season, playing with Single-A Dunedin (45 games) and High-A Vancouver (35 games). He combined for 14 doubles, 14 home runs and 57 RBI’s. Peyton started this season on the 60-day injured list, but was reactivated on May 20th. He reached base nine times in 15 at-bats over five games with the FCL Blue Jays to begin his rehab assignment and was moved up to Single-A Dunedin on May 29th.
RHP Ty Langenberg – Fort Myers Mighty Mussels (Minnesota Twins)
Selected in the 11th Round of the 2023 MLB Draft, Ty Langenberg is in his second season with the Minnesota Twins organization. So far this season, Langenberg has started eight games this season for Single-A Fort Myers. He owns a 3.56 ERA over 43.0 innings, including 52 strikeouts to just ten walks. Over his last four starts, Ty has a 1.59 ERA over 22.2 innings, with 32 strikeouts and five walks. Last time out against Bradenton, Langenberg hit 96.4 mph on the radar gun, which is the fastest pitch of his young career.
RHP Will Christophersen – Inland Empire 66ers (Los Angeles Angels)
An undrafted free agent signing by the Los Angeles Angels, Will Christophersen is in his second year with the organization. He appeared in eight games for High-A Tri-City last season and is currently with Single-A Inland Empire this year. Christophersen has appeared in 12 games and has a 4.62 ERA over 25.1 innings, including 37 strikeouts to 16 walks. It is worth noting that 11 of his 13 earned runs allowed have come in three outings. Over his other nine appearances, Will has a 0.88 ERA over 20.1 innings, including 32 strikeouts to 12 walks and has allowed just eight hits.
Released
LHP Nick Allgeyer – Spent 5 years with Toronto, Philadelphia and Houston. Made career 118 appearances, including one MLB game with the Blue Jays.
RHP Nick Gallagher – Spent 5 years with Cleveland and Chicago. Made 136 career appearances, including three games with Triple-A Charlotte in the White Sox organization.
RHP Dylan Nedved – Spent 2 years with the San Diego Padres. Made 46 career appearances, with all of them coming with Single-A Lake Elsinore.
OF Robert Neustrom – Spent 4 years with the Baltimore Orioles. Made 370 career appearances, including 165 games with Triple-A Norfolk.
C Tyler Cropley – Spent 5 years with Washington and Kansas City. Made 164 career appearances, including two MLB games with the Kansas City Royals.
OF Ben Norman – Spent 2 years with the Chicago White Sox. Made 127 career appearances, including 49 with Double-A Birmingham.
RHP CJ Eldred – Spent 4 years with the Kansas City Royals. Made 69 career appearances, including 11 with Double-A Northwest Arkansas.
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