The Northwoods League (NWL) will be featuring various former NWL players who are in Major League Baseball (MLB) Spring Training camps over the next month and a half in a daily segment called ‘NWL Alumni in Spring Training’.
The Northwoods League will have 70 former players in MLB camps this spring which is a NWL record. In fact, 29 of the 30 Major League teams will have a former NWL alumnus on their roster. Follow www.northwoodsleague.com during MLB Spring Training to watch the success of former NWL stars.
The Los Angeles Angels of Anaheim are the first Major League Baseball team that will be featured during ‘NWL Alumni in Spring Training’. Matt Meyer, Efren Navarro and Carlos Ramirez will be the featured former NWL players for the Los Angeles Angels of Anaheim. Matt Meyer and Efren Navarro were teammates in Rochester for the Honkers and Carlos Ramirez who was a Mankato MoonDog in 2008.
Matt Meyer – The former Rochester, MN Mayo High School standout was selected in the 2006 MLB Draft by the Cleveland Indians in the 15th round after playing three seasons at Boston College. Meyer, the 6’4’’ southpaw, spent two seasons in the Northwoods playing for his hometown Rochester Honkers. Meyer has made multiple stops throughout Minor League Baseball while reaching Triple-A in 2009 with the Columbus Clippers of the International League. In 2010, Meyer ended the season in Double-A with the Springfield Cardinals of the Texas League. Meyer is a 2011 non-roster invite for the Angels.
Efren Navarro – The 6’0’’ lefty was drafted in 2007 out of University of Nevada-Las Vegas in the 50th round by the Angels. The former Rochester Honker spent three seasons playing in the Northwoods League. In 2006, Navarro was named NWL Most Valuable Player as a dual position player at 1st base and a pitcher. Efren was also an All-Star in 2005 and named ‘Inspirational Player of the Year’. The Lynwood, CA native reached Double-A in 2010 while playing for the Arkansas Travelers of the Texas League. Navarro is a 2011 non-roster invite for the Angels.
Carlos Ramirez – Ramirez was drafted in 2007 by the Angels in the 34th round, but decided to attend Arizona State University after attending Gilbert-Chandler Community College. In one season at ASU Ramirez boosted his draft stock by hitting .338 with 19 homers and 75 RBI. After his 2009 season at ASU he was drafted in the 2009 MLB Draft in the 8th round again by the Angels. The former Mankato MoonDogs was awarded the NWL Most Valuable Player in 2008 after leading the league in home runs (10), slugging percentage (.560), and extra-base hits (29). In 2010, the catcher bounced between Rookie ball and Single-A and eventually ended the season in the Gulf Coast League with the GCL Blue Jays. Ramirez is a 2011 non-roster invite for the Angels.
Visit www.northwoodsleague.com Wednesday, February 23rd as we look into the careers of Clint Barmes and Mark Melancon of the Houston Astros.
