Decker is the 13th Mankato MoonDogs alumni to debut in MLB
Mankato, MN – Former Mankato MoonDogs infielder, Cody Decker, made his Major League debut for the San Diego Padres on Monday, September 14, 2015. Decker is the 140th former Northwoods League player to reach the Major League level.
Decker, who played collegiately at UCLA, played for the Mankato MoonDogs in 2007. Decker was drafted by the San Diego Padres in the 22nd round of the 2009 MLB draft.
In 2007 with the MoonDogs he hit .283 with two home runs and nine RBI in 16 games.
Decker started his Minor League career in 2009 with the Padres Rookie level team in the Arizona League. After 52 games he was promoted to the Fort Wayne TinCaps in the Lo-A Midwest League. Over 59 games he hit a combined .333 with 15 home runs and 64 RBI. He also had 22 doubles and three triples.
Over seven minor league seasons Decker has played in 761 games and is a career .265 hitter with 154 home runs, 167 doubles, 17 triples and 504 RBI. He also has a career .993 fielding percentage.
In his Major League debut against the Diamondbacks, Decker entered the game in the 9th inning as a pinch-hitter for Austin Hedges. Facing David Hernandez he popped out to first base in his only plate appearance of the game.
The Mankato MoonDogs are a member of the finest developmental league for elite college baseball players, the Northwoods League. Playing its 22nd season of summer collegiate baseball in 2015, the Northwoods League is the largest organized baseball league in the world with 18 teams, drawing significantly more fans, in a friendly ballpark experience, than any league of its kind. A valuable training ground for coaches, umpires and front office staff, more than 120 Northwoods League players have advanced to Major League Baseball, including Cy Young Award winner Max Scherzer (WAS) and MLB All-Stars Chris Sale (CWS), Jordan Zimmermann (WAS), Curtis Granderson (NYM), Lucas Duda (NYM) and Ben Zobrist (OAK). All league games are viewable live via the Northwoods League Website. – See more at: http://northwoodsleague.com/mankato-moondogs/2015/09/15/4906/#sthash.HCCEjC80.dpuf
