163 Current and Former Players Selected overall
Rochester, Minn. – The 2018 Major League First-Year Player Draft was held June 4 through June 6 and a total of 163 current Northwoods League players and alumni were selected in this year’s draft.
“The highly developed and road-tested players from the Northwoods League were once again recognized and well-represented in the MLB draft this year,” said Northwoods League President Gary Hoover.” “The combination of the Northwoods League model, our terrific Affiliate Club operators, and our great fans provides the best preparatory environment available for players seeking excellence.”
The highest pick in this year’s draft was Rico Hoerner, a junior shortstop from Stanford. Hoerner was picked in the 1st round by the Chicago Cubs with the 24th overall pick. Hoerner played for the Madison Mallards in 2016.
Of the 163 players drafted 40 of them had played in the Northwoods League Major League Dreams Showcase. The Major League Dreams Showcase brings together 100 of the Northwoods League’s top prospects to form four teams for a day of scouting workouts and double-header action. Played in front of Major League scouts, the Showcase provides an invaluable platform for players looking to one day make it into the professional ranks. Participating players are hand-selected by a panel of MLB scouts, distinguishing this event from the more traditional All-Star Game format that features representatives from every team. This year’s Major League Dreams Showcase will take place on August 7th in Madison.
The Rochester Honkers had a league high, 21 players drafted this year. The highest pick for the Honkers came in the 9th round, when outfielder Scott Schreiber from Nebraska was taken by the Houston Astros.
The Chicago White Sox and the Houston Astros had the most selections of Northwoods League players as they each selected nine. The Pittsburgh Pirates, Cleveland Indians and the Seattle Mariners each selected seven Northwoods League players.
The full list of 2018 NWL draftees can be found by going to www.northwoodsleague.com and clicking the about NWL link at the top of the page and then select Draft Results.
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The Duluth Huskies are a member of the finest developmental league for elite college baseball players, the Northwoods League. Now in its 25th anniversary season, the Northwoods League is the largest organized baseball league in the world with 20 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 190 former Northwoods League players have advanced to Major League Baseball, including three-time Cy Young Award winner Max Scherzer (WAS), two-time World Series Champions Ben Zobrist (CHC) and Brandon Crawford (SFG) and MLB All-Stars Chris Sale (BOS), Jordan Zimmermann (DET) and Curtis Granderson (TOR). All league games are viewable live via the Northwoods League portal. For more information, visitwww.duluthhuskies.com or download the new Northwoods League Mobile App on the Apple App Store or on Google Play and set the Huskies as your favorite team.