Hughes and spence are the 428th and 429th NWL alums to debut in MLB
Rochester, Minn. – The Northwoods League is thrilled to announce that two more of its alumni, Gabriel Hughes and Lucas Spence, have reached Major League Baseball, making their debuts in July 2026.
Gabriel Hughes, who played for the Great Lakes Resorters in 2020, made his MLB debut with the Colorado Rockies on July 3, 2026. The right-handed pitcher, selected 10th overall by the Rockies in the 2022 MLB Draft out of Gonzaga University, entered in relief and delivered three scoreless innings with a save in his first appearance.
In the Northwoods League, Hughes made one appearance for the Resorters, tossing 3.0 scoreless innings with four strikeouts. Standing 6’4″ and 238 pounds, the big right-hander has impressed with his command and strikeout ability early in his big-league tenure, posting a 3.14 ERA through his initial outings.
Lucas Spence, a former Rockford Rivets player in 2024, made his MLB debut with the Houston Astros on July 17, 2026. The outfielder, signed as a free agent after a standout collegiate career at Southern Illinois University Edwardsville, went 1-for-3 with a walk in his first game while starting in center field.
In the Northwoods League with the Rivets, Spence appeared in 18 games, batting .203 (13-for-64) with two doubles, one home run, eight RBI, 13 runs scored, and 10 walks. Spence collected his first major league hit with a single up the middle.
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The Northwoods League is the proven leader in the development of elite college baseball players. Now in its’ 33rd season, the Northwoods League is the largest organized baseball league in history with 26 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, nearly 2400 NWL alums have been drafted and over 425 Northwoods League players have advanced to Major League Baseball, including three-time All-Star and 2016 Roberto Clemente Award winner Curtis Granderson, three-time Cy Young Award winner and two-time World Series Champion Max Scherzer (TOR), two-time World Series Champions Ben Zobrist and Brandon Crawford and World Series Champion and Cy Young Award winner Chris Sale (ATL). As well as 2019 Rookie of the Year and 2019/2021 Home Run Derby Champion Pete Alonso (BAL) and 2023 World Series Champion, MLB All-Star, MLB Gold Glove, two-time Silver Slugger winner and two-time All-MLB first team shortstop Marcus Semien (NYM). League games are viewable live on FloSports.tv.