KALAMAZOO, MI – The 2017 Major League First-Year Player Draft was held June 12 through June 14 and the Northwoods League was well represented. A total of 180 current Northwoods League players and alumni were selected in this year’s draft.
Ten players who appeared on the Kalamazoo Growlers roster through 2014-2017 were chosen: Dylan Busby (3rd round, Pirates), Cam Duzenack (9th round, Diamondbacks), Brandon Hughes (16th round, Cubs), Ryan Lidge (20th round, Yankees), Nick Hutchins (27th round, Royals), Tre Gannt (29th round, Indians), Alec Byrd (33rd round, Rockies), Trey Ganns (35th round, Red Sox), Dalton Combs (35th round, Giants) and Josh Alberius (36th round, Marlins).
"Some of the finest amateur baseball players in the world – those forged in the crucible of the Northwoods League – were up for grabs in this week's MLB draft," said Northwoods League President Gary Hoover. "The Northwoods League's role in developing players, made possible by our model and our excellent operators, continues to become more apparent."
The highest pick in this year’s draft was Greg Deichmann, a junior outfielder from LSU. Deichmann was picked in the 2nd round by the Oakland Athletics with the 43rd overall pick. Deichmann played for the Lakeshore Chinooks in 2015.
Of the 180 players drafted 41 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 8th in Madison.
The Toronto Blue Jays had the most selections of Northwoods League players as they selected 13. The Arizona Diamondbacks and Colorado Rockies each selected 11 Northwoods League players.
The full list of 2017 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 Kalamazoo Growlers are a member of the finest developmental league for elite college baseball players, the Northwoods League. The 23-year-old summer collegiate 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 160 former Northwoods League players have advanced to Major League Baseball, including two-time Cy Young Award winner Max Scherzer (WAS), two-time World Series Champion Ben Zobrist (CHC) and MLB All-Stars Chris Sale (BOS), Jordan Zimmermann (DET), Curtis Granderson (NYM) and Lucas Duda (NYM). All league games are viewable live via the Northwoods League portal. For more information, visit www.growlersbaseball.com or download the new Northwoods League Mobile App on the Apple App Store or on Google Play and set the Growlers as your favorite team.