Some of the biggest names in baseball are Northwoods League alumni, having spent one or more summers honing their skills in NWL ballparks. From Cy Young Award Winners, to Rookie of the Year contenders, to Draft picks working their way up the system, Northwoods League alumni are making their mark throughout the game of baseball. There is no better way for amateur players to get a taste of what a career as a baseball player might look like, than to spend a summer in the Northwoods League.
ALUMNI IN MLB | ALUMNI IN THE PROS | DRAFT RESULTS
Northwoods League Alumni in MLB
Every month of the MLB regular season since September 2014, at least one Northwoods League alum has debuted in the major leagues. That’s quite a streak! To see a complete list of Northwoods League players who have gotten the call, click the image below. NWL Alumni in MLB
Making it onto an MLB roster is a considerable achievement. Staying on the roster is the culmination of hard work, talent, and timing. Finishing the season as a member of the last team standing, well that’s what every big league dream is made of.
Alumni Who’ve Won a World Series
| 2003 | Juan Pierre |
| 2006 | Jeff Weaver |
| 2007 | Bobby Kielty |
| 2011 | Allen Craig, Danny Descalso |
| 2012 | Brandon Crawford |
| 2014 | Brandon Crawford |
| 2015 | Ben Zobrist |
| 2016 | Ben Zobrist (MVP) |
| 2017 | Derek Fisher |
| 2018 | Chris Sale |
| 2019 | Max Scherzer |
| 2020 | Tony Gonsolin, Austin Barnes, Matt Beaty, Scott Alexander (Taxi Squad), Rocky Gale (Taxi Squad) and Zach McKinstry (Taxi Squad) |
| 2022 | David Hensley |
| 2023 | Max Scherzer, Marcus Semien, Mitch Garver, Dane Dunning |
| 2024 | Alex Vesia, Austin Barnes |
Whether voted in by the fans, players or selected by the manager, being an All-Star is a honor. Every year since 2008, the Northwoods League has been represented in the MLB All-Star Game by at least one alum. Who will be there this summer?
Alumni Named to MLB All-Star Team
| 2008 | George Sherrill |
| 2009 | Curtis Granderson, Ben Zobrist |
| 2010 | Andre Ethier |
| 2011 | Curtis Granderson, Andre Ethier |
| 2012 | Curtis Granderson, Chris Sale, Mark Melancon |
| 2013 | Max Scherzer, Chris Sale, Allen Craig, Ben Zobrist, Jordan Zimmermann, Mark Malancon |
| 2014 | Max Scherzer, Chris Sale, Pat Neshek, Jordan Zimmermann |
| 2015 | Brandon Crawford, Mark Melancon, Max Scherzer, Chris Sale |
| 2016 | Chris Sale, Ben Zobrist, Mark Melancon, Max Scherzer |
| 2017 | Chris Sale (starting pitcher), Max Scherzer (starting pitcher), Pat Neshek |
| 2018 | Max Scherzer (starting pitcher), Brandon Crawford, Chris Sale (starting pitcher), Mitch Haniger |
| 2019 | Max Scherzer, Pete Alonso (Home Run Derby Champion), Paul DeJong, Matt Chapman |
| 2020 | No MLB All-Star Game |
| 2021 | Max Scherzer (starting pitcher), Pete Alonso (Home Run Derby Champion), Marcus Semien, Brandon Crawford, Mark Melancon |
| 2022 | Jose Trevino, Pete Alonso, Tony Gonsolin |
| 2023 | Marcus Semien, Pete Alonso |
| 2024 | Marcus Semien, Pete Alonso, Matt Strahm, Chris Sale |
Alumni Honors
| 2009 | NL Silver Slugger | Andre Ethier |
| 2011 | AL Silver Slugger | Curtis Granderson |
| 2011 | NL Rawlings Gold Glove | Andre Ethier |
| 2013 | AL Cy Young | Max Scherzer |
| 2015 | AL Rawlings Gold Glove | Kole Calhoun |
| 2015 | NL Rawlings Gold Glove | Brandon Crawford |
| 2015 | NL Silver Slugger | Brandon Crawford |
| 2016 | NL Cy Young | Max Scherzer |
| 2016 | NL Rawlings Gold Glove | Brandon Crawford |
| 2017 | NL Cy Young | Max Scherzer |
| 2017 | NL Rawlings Gold Glove | Brandon Crawford |
| 2018 | AL Rawlings Gold Glove | Matt Chapman |
| 2018 | AL Rawlings Platinum Glove | Matt Chapman |
| 2019 | NL Rookie of the Year | Pete Alonso |
| 2019 | AL Rawlings Gold Glove | Matt Chapman |
| 2019 | AL Rawlings Platinum Glove | Matt Chapman |
| 2019 | AL Silver Slugger | Mitch Garver |
| 2021 | AL Silver Slugger | Marcus Semien |
| 2021 | NL Rawlings Gold Glove | Brandon Crawford |
| 2021 | NL Rawlings Gold Glove | Harrison Bader |
| 2021 | AL Rawlings Gold Glove | Marcus Semien |
| 2021 | AL Rawlings Gold Glove | Matt Chapman |
| 2022 | AL Rawlings Gold Glove | Jose Trevino |
| 2023 | AL Silver Slugger | Marcus Semien |
| 2023 | AL Rawlings Gold Glove | Matt Chapman |
| 2023 | NL Rawlings Gold Glove | Nico Hoerner |
| 2024 | AL Rawlings Gold Glove | Daulton Varsho |
| 2024 | NL Rawlings Gold Glove | Chris Sale |
| 2024 | NL Rawlings Gold Glove | Matt Chapman |
Northwoods League Alumni in Professional Baseball
On any given summer night, you can see hundreds of former Northwoods League players chasing their dream in minor league and professional baseball stadiums around the country. To see a complete list of Northwoods League players who have played or are playing professional baseball, click the image below.
Northwoods League Alumni First Year Player Draft Results
Every June, the baseball world tunes into the MLB First Year Player Draft, including Northwoods League teams and fans. With the wealth of top collegiate talent playing in the League each summer, our fans and teams keep a keen eye on the draft for the favorite former players. And there are typically plenty of celebrations to go around! In recent years, more than 160 alumni have been drafted annually.
| DRAFT YEAR | TOP ALUMNI DRAFT PICK | FULL LIST |
| 2007 | Matt Mangini, Thunder Bay (52nd by SEA) | View PDF |
| 2008 | Brad Holt, La Crosse (33rd by NY-N) | View PDF |
| 2009 | Tony Sanchez, Battle Creek (4th by PIT) | View PDF |
| 2010 | Chris Sale, La Crosse (13th by CHI-A) | View PDF |
| 2011 | Chris Reed, Wisconsin (16th by LA-N) | View PDF |
| 2012 | Tyler Naquin, Mankato (15th by CLE) | View PDF |
| 2013 | Hunter Dozier, Willmar (8th by KC) | View PDF |
| 2014 | Nick Howard, Madison (19th by CIN) | View PDF |
| 2015 | Alex Young, Lakeshore (43rd by ARI) | View PDF |
| 2016 | A.J. Puk, Waterloo (6th by OAK) | View PDF |
| 2017 | Greg Deichmann, Lakeshore (43rd by OAK) | View PDF |
| 2018 | Nico Hoerner, Madison (24th by CHI-N) | View PDF |
| 2019 | Bryson Stott, Wisconsin Rapids (14th by PHI) | View PDF |
| 2020 | Garrett Mitchell, Mankato (20th by MIL) | View PDF |
| 2021 | Jordan Wicks, Rockford (21st by CHI-N) | View PDF |
| 2022 | Brooks Lee, Willmar (8th by MIN) | View PDF |
| 2023 | Jacob Wilson, Mankato, (6th by Oakland) | View PDF |
| 2024 | Charlie Condon, St. Cloud, (3rd by Colorado) | View PDF |