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Baseball Factory Alumni Performing Well In First Taste of Pro Ball

It’s been nearly two months since the 2016 MLB Draft commenced and its time to take a look at how Baseball Factory alumni are performing in their first taste of professional baseball so far.

Let’s take a look at some of this year’s Draft selectees who have gotten off to fast starts, showing off their bright and promising futures in baseball.

Mickey Moniak – Philadelphia Phillies (1st overall pick)

Moniak is 23 games into his professional career and at just 18 years old, the 6’2″, 185 outfielder from La Costa Canyon High School in Carlsbad, CA is handling himself well and adjusting just fine to professional baseball.

Playing in the Gulf Coast League, a league where a portion of that year’s draft picks begin, didn’t take himself long to acclimate to the pros, recording an RBI single in his first professional game and he hasn’t looked back. The No.1 overall pick by the Phillies in this year’s Draft collected his first home run as a pro on July 7th, a pinch-hit, three-run shot, finishing that game with a four RBI day to help lift the GCL Phillies over the GCL Tigers.

Moniak, who attended a 2014 Under Armour Futures West showcase, is hitting .322 with two doubles, two triples, a homer, 20 RBI, 15 runs scored, seven walks and four stolen bases through 23 games.

Zack Collins – Chicago White Sox (10th overall pick)

Collins started out with the Arizona League White Sox to begin his pro career and despite a 1-for-11 start, the organization quickly moved him to High-A Winston-Salem to face advanced pitching and so far the results have been positive.

Since his promotion on July 14th, the 2012 Under Armour All-American and former Team One Futures standout has gone 10-for-34 with two doubles, three home runs and 10 RBI. A legitimate power threat, Collins has absolutely mashed home runs for The Dash during his time there, including a 430-foot blast to straight-away center on July 24th, his third homer in nine games.

Blake Rutherford – New York Yankees (18th overall pick)

Rutherford, a former participant in the Under Armour So Cal Classic and Southwest Championships in 2013 and 2014, is another advanced hitter being tested early on in his pro career, after signing with the Yankees and starting the season with GCL Yankees West.

In eight games, the 19-year old OF hit .240 with a double, a homer and three RBI. On July 14th, he was promoted to the rookie-league Pulaski Yankees in the Appalachian League where the Yankees first-round selection has collected 29 hits in his first 65 at-bats. In his last 10 games, Blake is hitting .514 with three RBI and six runs scored, blasting his first home run with Pulaski on July 18th.

Delvin Perez – St. Louis Cardinals (23rd overall pick)

Widely considered one of the best defensive prospects coming into the 2016 MLB Draft, Delvin Perez has not disappointed in the field while also getting it done at the plate.

Assigned to the GCL Cardinals on June 24th, Perez has played in 29 games with the team, hitting .305, posting an OBP of .362 with six doubles, three triples, 19 RBI and 10 stolen bases. Perez was a 2015 Under Armour All-American.

Taylor Trammell – Cincinnati Reds (Lottery A Pick – 35th overall pick)

Perhaps no one else on today’s list has put together a season so far like Taylor Trammell has for the Cincinnati Reds organization. The 2015 Under Armour All-American, who went 35th overall in this year’s Draft, has hit well atop the order for the rookie-league Billings Mustangs in the Pioneer League.

In 34 games, Trammell is hitting .288 with two doubles, two triples, 17 RBI and 14 stolen bases. Trammell had his first three-hit game as a pro on July 8th. Defensively, he’s been outstanding, having played all three outfield positions so far, while not committing an error in 48 chances.

Kyle Muller – Atlanta Braves (2nd Round – 44th overall pick)

The 2nd round selection out of Dallas Jesuit College Prep in Dallas, TX, has been stellar so far in the Braves organization as they continue to revamp a farm system, chock full of potential pitching studs.

Muller, who attended the 2014 Futures Texas Showcase and was a 2015 Under Armour All-American, has started five games so far for the GCL Braves, having allowed only two earned runs in his first 14 2/3 innings pitched. He’s struck out 19 batters during that time, including six hitters in three innings against the GCL Yankees East on July 27th. He hasn’t allowed an earned run in his last three starts and has lowered his ERA to 1.23.

Pete Alonso – New York Mets (2nd Round – 64th overall pick)

Another high draft pick to come from the state of Florida, Alonso, who starred at the University of Florida, was the Mets second round selection this year and has not disappointed so far in the early going, displaying the pop that the organization wanted when selecting him.

Alonso, who we first saw at an Under Armour Baseball Factory College PREP event in Tampa, FL back in May of 2010, was also a participant at the Arizona Freshman/Sophomore Fall Classic in 2010 and Team One South in 2011.

Having the type of quality college bat that teams look for, Alonso began the season with the short-season Brooklyn Cyclones in the New York-Penn League, hitting .284, slugging .500 and hitting three homers (good for second on the team) in 21 games. He’s also drawn 10 walks and is second on the Cyclones with .868 OPS.

Bo Bichette – Toronto Blue Jays (2nd Round – 66th overall pick)

Bichette is absolutely tearing up the rookie league GCL with the Blue Jays; in just 20 games, the 2015 Under Armour All-American and Pre-Season All-American is hitting .421 with seven doubles, two triples, four homers and 35 RBI.

He’s also played well defensively at both second base and shortstop, splitting time between the two positions, turning six double plays and committing just one error in 84 chances.

Connor Jones – St. Louis Cardinals (2nd Round – 70th overall pick)

Jones, the St. Louis Cardinals second round selection out of the University of Virginia has seen action in three games so far for the GCL Cardinals, throwing an inning each in his first three pro games. The First-Team All-ACC honoree this past season as a junior and won a National Championship with the Cavs in 2015 as a sophomore.

The 2012 Under Armour All-American who has also participated in Team One South and Futures East events, struck out his first two hitters during his last appearance on July 28th against the GCL Astros.

Khalil Lee – Kansas City Royals (3rd Round – 103rd overall pick)

Khalil Lee has burst onto the scene for the Royals, as the 5’10”, 170 pound outfielder from Flint Hill High School in Oakton, VA, is putting together a nice season so far in the Arizona rookie league for the Royals.

Lee, who attended an Under Armour Baseball Factory National Tryout in Purchase, NY in August of 2014, was a standout during the 2015 Under Armour All-America Pre-Season Tournament, proving to be a solid left-handed two-way prospect who could knock the cover off the baseball.

So far in 27 games, Lee is hitting .284 with six doubles, two triples, three homers, 15 RBI, 20 walks and an OBP of .425 (both tallies are third-best in the AZL).

Colton Welker – Colorado Rockies (4th Round – 110th overall pick)

One of the more pure high school hitters to come out of this year’s draft, Welker, the Coral Springs, FL native has attended multiple Baseball Factory National Tryouts as well as Under Armour Fall Classic and Memorial Day Tournaments in 2012 and 2013. The Stoneman-Douglas High School alum came into last year’s All-America Game with one of the better bats in the country and a steady presence defensively, making him one of the more complete players ready to be drafted in 2016.

The Rockies snagged him in the fourth round and they are certainly pleased with his start at rookie-level Grand Junction. Colton is hitting .287 with six doubles, a triple, two homers, 17 RBI and 15 runs scored in just 27 games.

Matt Krook – San Francisco Giants (4th Round – 125th overall pick)

The left-hander from the University of Oregon, was the Giants fourth-round selection, rapidly ascending up the Giants ranks. He began his professional career with the AZL Giants where he posted a 1.59 ERA before being bumped to short-season Salem-Keizer on July 5th where he’s been even better through his first five starts.

The California native who had aspirations of one day playing in the Giants organization, attended a College PREP event in Oakland, CA and later, a Pre-Season All-American and competed in the USA Baseball 16U Championships in Arizona in 2011. Krook sports a 1.80 ERA with 16 strikeouts in 20.0 innings pitched, holding opponents to a .176 batting average.

Jeremy Martinez – St. Louis Cardinals (4th Round – 136th overall pick)

The Cardinals tabbed the 2011 Under Armour All-American in the fourth round out of the University of Southern California and quickly moved him to the New York-Penn League to play for the State College Spikes.

Through 28 games, Martinez is batting .333 with seven doubles and 16 RBI and providing steady defense behind the plate. In his last 10 games, he’s hitting .393 with six RBI and six runs scored.

Cole Irvin – Philadelphia Phillies – (5th Round – 137th overall pick)

Another Oregon starter on this list, Irvin, the 2011 Under Armour All-American was selected by the Phillies in the fifth round, pitching very well so far for the Williamsport Crosscutters in the New York-Penn League.

Irvin is 2-1 with an ERA of 1.45 in five appearances (two starts), walking just two and striking out 14 in 18 2/3 innings pitched.

Colby Woodmansee – New York Mets – (5th Round – 160th overall pick)

Woodmansee was a College PREP participant in August of 2010 in La Jolla, CA and later, the Arizona Fall Invitational and Team One West event in 2011.

Drafted in the fifth round out of Arizona State University, the Mets got another quality college bat in this Draft, and through 34 games, Woodmansee has played well for the Brooklyn Cyclones, teaming with another high-Draft pick, Alonso (above).

Woodmansee is hitting .298 with six doubles, two home runs, 18 RBI, 17 runs scored and 51 total bases.

 

 

 

 

 

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