Below is a partial list of

minor league Minor leagues are professional sports leagues which are not regarded as the premier leagues in those sports. Minor league teams tend to play in smaller, less elaborate venues, often competing in smaller cities/markets. This term is used in N ...

baseball player Baseball is a bat-and-ball sport played between two teams of nine players each, taking turns batting and fielding. The game occurs over the course of several plays, with each play generally beginning when a player on the fielding t ...

s in the

Chicago Cubs The Chicago Cubs are an American professional baseball team based in Chicago. The Cubs compete in Major League Baseball (MLB) as part of the National League (NL) Central division. The club plays its home games at Wrigley Field, which is locate ...

system:

Players

Kevin Alcántara

Kevin Alcántara (born July 12, 2002) is a Dominican

professional baseball Professional baseball is organized baseball in which players are selected for their talents and are paid to play for a specific team or club system. It is played in leagues and associated farm teams throughout the world. Modern professiona ...

outfielder An outfielder is a person playing in one of the three defensive positions in baseball or softball, farthest from the batter. These defenders are the left fielder, the center fielder, and the right fielder. As an outfielder, their duty is to c ...

for the

Major League Baseball Major League Baseball (MLB) is a professional baseball organization and the oldest major professional sports league in the world. MLB is composed of 30 total teams, divided equally between the National League (NL) and the American League (AL) ...

(MLB). Alcántara signed with the

New York Yankees The New York Yankees are an American professional baseball team based in the New York City borough of the Bronx. The Yankees compete in Major League Baseball (MLB) as a member club of the American League (AL) East division. They are one o ...

as an international free agent in July 2018. He spent his first professional season in 2019 with the

Dominican Summer League Yankees The Dominican Summer Yankees are a minor league baseball team in the Dominican Summer League. The team plays in the Boca Chica South division and is affiliated with the New York Yankees The New York Yankees are an American professional b ...

and

Gulf Coast Yankees The Florida Complex League Yankees are a Rookie-level affiliate of the New York Yankees, competing in the Florida Complex League of Minor League Baseball. The team is composed mainly of players who are in their first year of professional baseball ...

. He did not play in 2020 due to the Minor League Baseball season being cancelled because of the

COVID-19 pandemic The COVID-19 pandemic, also known as the coronavirus pandemic, is an ongoing global pandemic of coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) caused by severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus 2 (SARS-CoV-2). The novel virus was first identified ...

. Alcántara started 2021 with the

Florida Complex League Yankees The Florida Complex League Yankees are a Rookie-level affiliate of the New York Yankees, competing in the Florida Complex League of Minor League Baseball. The team is composed mainly of players who are in their first year of professional basebal ...

. On July 29, 2021, the Yankees traded Alcántara and Alexander Vizcaíno to the Chicago Cubs for

Anthony Rizzo Anthony Vincent Rizzo (born August 8, 1989) is an American professional baseball first baseman for the New York Yankees of Major League Baseball (MLB). He has previously played in MLB for the San Diego Padres and Chicago Cubs. He is a three-time ...

. He started his Cubs career with the Arizona Complex League Cubs. He started 2022 with the

Myrtle Beach Pelicans The Myrtle Beach Pelicans are a Minor League Baseball team in Myrtle Beach, South Carolina, and the Single-A affiliate of the Chicago Cubs. The Pelicans compete in the Carolina League. Home games are played at TicketReturn.com Field, which opene ...

. On November 15, 2022, the Cubs added Alcántara to their

40-man roster A Major League Baseball roster is a list of players who are allowed, by league agreement, to play for a Major League Baseball (MLB) team. Each MLB team maintains two rosters: an active roster of players eligible to participate in an MLB game, and ...

to protect him from the Rule 5 draft. Alcántara was optioned to the High-A

South Bend Cubs The South Bend Cubs are a Minor League Baseball team of the Midwest League and the High-A affiliate of the Chicago Cubs. They are located in South Bend, Indiana, and play their home games at Four Winds Field at Coveleski Stadium. The team was ...

to begin the 2023 season. In 95 games for South Bend, he batted .286/.341/.466 with 12 home runs, 66 RBI, and 15 stolen bases. Alcántara was optioned to the Double–A

Tennessee Smokies The Tennessee Smokies are a Minor League Baseball team based in Kodak, Tennessee, a suburb of Knoxville. The team, which plays in the Southern League, is the Double-A affiliate of the Chicago Cubs. They play at Smokies Stadium, directly off I ...

to begin the 2024 season.

Michael Arias

Michael Alexander Arias (born November 15, 2001) is a Dominican

pitcher In baseball, the pitcher is the player who throws ("pitches") the Baseball (ball), baseball from the pitcher's mound toward the catcher to begin each play, with the goal of out (baseball), retiring a batter (baseball), batter, who attempts to e ...

for the

(MLB). Arias signed with the

Toronto Blue Jays The Toronto Blue Jays are a Canadian professional baseball team based in Toronto. The Blue Jays compete in Major League Baseball (MLB) as a member club of the American League (AL) East division. Since 1989, the team has played its home games ...

as an international free agent in July 2018. He was an

infielder An infielder is a baseball player stationed at one of four defensive "infield" positions on the baseball field. Standard arrangement of positions In a game of baseball, two teams of nine players take turns playing offensive and defensive roles. ...

in the Blue Jays organization until he was released in 2020. He signed with the

in 2021 and was converted into a pitcher. On November 14, 2023, the Cubs added Arias to their

to protect him from the Rule 5 draft. He was optioned to the Double–A

to begin the 2024 season.

Moisés Ballesteros

Moisés Alejandro Ballesteros (born November 8, 2003) is a Venezuelan

catcher Catcher is a position in baseball and softball. When a batter takes their turn to hit, the catcher crouches behind home plate, in front of the (home) umpire, and receives the ball from the pitcher. In addition to this primary duty, the catcher ...

in the

organization. Ballesteros sgiend with the

as an international free agent in January 2021. He made his professional debut that year with the

Dominican Summer League Cubs The Dominican Summer League Cubs or DSL Cubs are a rookie league affiliate of the Chicago Cubs based in the Dominican Republic. They play in the Boca Chica North Division of the Dominican Summer League. History The team began in 1991 with a join ...

. He played 2022 with the Arizona Complex League Cubs and

. Ballesteros played 2023 with Myrtle Beach,

and

and was named the Cubs Minor League Player of the Year. He returned to Tennessee to start the 2024 season.

Brandon Birdsell

Brandon Lee Birdsell (born March 23, 2000) is an American

in the

organization. Birdsell attended

Willis High School Willis High School is a public senior high school in Conroe, Texas, with a Willis postal address. It is a part of the Willis Independent School District. History In 2004 the school had about 1,440 students. Ben Cooper was the principal until 2 ...

Willis, Texas Willis is a city in Montgomery County, Texas, United States, located eight miles north of Conroe in north central Montgomery County. The city began to develop in 1870 after what is now the Union Pacific Railroad built track through the area. As a p ...

, and played

college baseball College baseball is baseball that is played on the intercollegiate level at institutions of higher education. In comparison to football and basketball, college competition in the United States plays a smaller role in developing professional pl ...

Texas A&M University Texas A&M University (Texas A&M, A&M, or TAMU) is a public, land-grant, research university in College Station, Texas. It was founded in 1876 and became the flagship institution of the Texas A&M University System in 1948. As of late 2021, T ...

in 2019,

San Jacinto College San Jacinto College is a public community college in the Greater Houston with its campuses in Pasadena and Houston, Texas. Established in 1961, San Jacinto College originally consisted of the independent school districts (ISD) of Channelview, ...

in 2020, and

Texas Tech Texas Tech University (Texas Tech, Tech, or TTU) is a public university, public research university in Lubbock, Texas. Established on , and called Texas Technological College until 1969, it is the main institution of the five-institution Texas ...

in 2021 and 2022. He appeared in seven games for Texas Tech in 2021 before he underwent rotator cuff surgery, ending his season. He was selected by the

Minnesota Twins The Minnesota Twins are an American professional baseball team based in Minneapolis. The Twins compete in Major League Baseball (MLB) as a member club of the American League (AL) Central Division. The team is named after the Twin Cities area ...

in the 11th round of the

2021 Major League Baseball draft The 2021 Major League Baseball First-Year Player Draft took place on July 11–13, 2021. In conjunction with the 2021 Major League Baseball All-Star Game, the draft was held in Denver. The draft assigned amateur baseball players to MLB teams. The ...

but did not sign. In 2022, he started 15 games for Texas Tech and went 9-3 with a 2.75 ERA over 85 innings. After the season, he was selected by the

in the fifth round of the

2022 Major League Baseball draft The 2022 Major League Baseball First-Year Player Draft took place on July 17–19, 2022, in Los Angeles. The draft assigned amateur baseball players to Major League Baseball (MLB) teams. The draft order was based on the reverse order of the 2021 M ...

. He signed for $385,000. Birdsell made his professional debut in 2023 with the

and was promoted to the

in August. Over 24 starts between the two teams, he went 4-8 with a 2.77 ERA and 97 strikeouts over innings. He opened the 2024 season with Tennessee and was promoted to the

Iowa Cubs The Iowa Cubs are a Minor League Baseball team of the International League and the Triple-A affiliate of the Chicago Cubs. They are located in Des Moines, Iowa, and are named for their Major League Baseball (MLB) affiliate. The Cubs play their ho ...

July.
Texas Tech Red Raiders bio

Burl Carraway

Ausley Burl Carraway (born May 27, 1999) is an American

in the

organization. Carraway attended

A&M Consolidated High School A&M Consolidated High School, also known as "Consol", is a public high school located in the city of College Station, Texas, United States. It is classified as a 5A school by the UIL. The school is part of the College Station Independent School ...

College Station, Texas College Station is a city in Brazos County, Texas, situated in East-Central Texas in the heart of the Brazos Valley, towards the eastern edge of the region known as the Texas Triangle. It is northwest of Houston and east-northeast of Austin. As ...

, and played

Dallas Baptist University Dallas Baptist University (DBU) is a Christian liberal arts university in Dallas, Texas. Founded in 1898 as Decatur Baptist College, Dallas Baptist University currently operates campuses in Dallas, Plano, and Hurst. History Dallas Baptist Uni ...

. As a junior in 2019, he went 4–2 with a 2.81 ERA and six saves over innings. That summer, he played for the USA Baseball Collegiate National Team, as well as playing

collegiate summer baseball Collegiate summer baseball leagues are amateur baseball leagues in the United States and Canada featuring players who have attended at least one year of college and have at least one year of athletic eligibility remaining. Generally, they operate ...

with the

Chatham Anglers The Chatham Anglers, more commonly referred to as the Chatham A's and formerly the Chatham Athletics, are a collegiate summer baseball team based in Chatham, Massachusetts. The team is a member of the Cape Cod Baseball League (CCBL) and plays in ...

of the

Cape Cod Baseball League The Cape Cod Baseball League (CCBL or Cape League) is a collegiate summer baseball wooden bat league located on Cape Cod in the U.S. state of Massachusetts. One of the nation's premier collegiate summer leagues, the league boasts over one thous ...

. He pitched innings in 2020 before the season was cancelled due to the

. He was selected by the

in the second round with the 51st overall selection of the

2020 Major League Baseball draft The 2020 Major League Baseball First-Year Player Draft took place on June 10 and 11, 2020. The draft assigned amateur baseball players to Major League Baseball (MLB) teams. The draft order was set based on the reverse order of the 2019 MLB season ...

. He signed for $1.1 million. Carraway made his professional debut in 2021 with the

and was promoted to the

at the end of the season. Over relief innings pitched between the two clubs, he went 3–3 with a 5.30 ERA and 54 strikeouts. He opened the 2022 season with Tennessee. Due to injury, he pitched only ten innings in which he gave up 12 runs and 24 walks. He missed all of the 2023 season due to injury.
Dallas Baptist Patriots bio

Chris Clarke

Christopher Norman Clarke (born May 13, 1998) is an American

in the

organization. Clarke attended

Newbury Park High School Newbury Park High School, founded in 1967, is a co-educational public high school located in Newbury Park, California. Academics The school is one of two International Baccalaureate schools in Ventura County, the other being Rio Mesa High Sch ...

Newbury Park, California Newbury Park is a populated place and townReal Estate Communications, Inc. (1984). ''California Real Estate Directory''. Page 201. in Ventura County, California, United States. Most of it lies within the western Thousand Oaks, California, Thous ...

. Clarke attended the

University of Southern California , mottoeng = "Let whoever earns the palm bear it" , religious_affiliation = Nonsectarian—historically Methodist , established = , accreditation = WSCUC , type = Private research university , academic_affiliations = , endowment = $8. ...

(USC), where he played

for the

USC Trojans The USC Trojans are the College athletics in the United States, intercollegiate athletic teams that represent the University of Southern California (USC), located in Los Angeles, Los Angeles, California. While the men's teams are nicknamed the ' ...

. The

selected Clarke in the fourth round, with the 132nd overall selection, of the

2019 MLB draft The 2019 Major League Baseball (MLB) First-Year Player Draft was held from June 3 to 5, 2019. The draft assigned amateur baseball players to MLB teams. The draft order was set based on the reverse order of the 2018 MLB season standings. In addit ...

. On December 7, 2022, the

Seattle Mariners The Seattle Mariners are an American professional baseball team based in Seattle. They compete in Major League Baseball (MLB) as a member club of the American League (AL) West division. The team joined the American League as an expansion team ...

selected Clarke from the Cubs in the 2022 Rule 5 draft. Clarke posted a 5.40 ERA in 7 spring appearances for Seattle before he was returned to the Cubs on March 26, 2023.

Luis Devers

Luis Enrique Devers (born April 24, 2000) is a Dominican

in the

organization. Devers signed with the Chicago Cubs as an international free agent in July 2017. He made his professional debut in 2018 with the

and pitched 2019 with them. He did not play for a team in 2020 due to the Minor League Baseball season being cancelled because of the

. Devers returned in 2021 to pitch for the Arizona Complex League Cubs and

. He spent 2022 with Myrtle Beach and the

and was named the Cubs' Minor League Pitcher of the Year.

Christian Franklin

Christian Franklin (born November 30, 1999) is an American

in the

organization. He played

for the

Arkansas Razorbacks The Arkansas Razorbacks, also known as the Hogs, are the intercollegiate athletics teams representing the University of Arkansas, located in Fayetteville. The University of Arkansas student body voted to change the name of the school mascot (o ...

. Franklin grew up in

Overland Park, Kansas Overland Park ( ) is the second-most populous city in the U.S. state of Kansas. Located in Johnson County, Kansas, it is one of four principal cities in the Kansas City metropolitan area and the most populous suburb of Kansas City, Missouri. A ...

, and attended

Rockhurst High School Rockhurst High School is a private, Roman Catholic, Jesuit, all-boys, preparatory school founded in 1910 along with Rockhurst College, in Kansas City, Missouri, United States. It moved away from the College in 1962 to a campus on State Line Roa ...

in Kansas City, Missouri. He batted .361 over his junior and senior seasons with 18 RBIs and 14 runs scored. Franklin became the Razorbacks' starting left fielder as a freshman and was named to the

Southeastern Conference The Southeastern Conference (SEC) is an American college athletic conference whose member institutions are located primarily in the South Central and Southeastern United States. Its fourteen members include the flagship public universities o ...

(SEC) All-Freshman team after batting .274 with 41 runs scored, 34 runs batted in and 12 stolen bases. After the season, he played summer baseball for the Santa Barbara Foresters of the

California Collegiate League The California Collegiate League (CCL), founded in 1993, is a collegiate summer baseball league headquartered in Moorpark, California, United States. It is associated with both the National Baseball Congress and National Alliance of College Sum ...

. As a sophomore, Franklin batted .381 with four doubles, a triple, three home runs and RBIs in 16 games before the season was cut short due to the

coronavirus pandemic The COVID-19 pandemic, also known as the coronavirus pandemic, is an ongoing global pandemic of coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) caused by severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus 2 (SARS-CoV-2). The novel virus was first identifie ...

. Franklin was named a preseason First Team All-American by ''

Baseball America ''Baseball America'' is a sports enterprise that covers baseball at every level, including MLB, with a particular focus on up-and-coming players in the MiLB, college, high school, and international leagues. It is currently published in the form ...

'' and by the National College Baseball Writers Association going into his junior year. He was named the SEC Player of the Week on May 3, 2021, after driving in 10 runs in three games against LSU and was a second team All-SEC selection at the end of the regular season. In the opening game of the 2021 NCAA Division I baseball tournament, Franklin had a run-saving catch followed by a home run to spark a come from behind win over NJIT. Franklin was selected in the 4th round with the 123rd overall pick in the

by the Chicago Cubs. He signed with the team on July 16, 2021, and received a $425,000 bonus. Franklin was assigned to the Rookie-level Arizona Complex League Cubs to begin his professional career, where he played four games before being promoted to the

Low-A Class A, also known as Single-A and sometimes as Low-A, is the fourth-highest level of play in Minor League Baseball in the United States, below Triple-A, Double-A, and High-A. There are 30 teams classified at the Single-A level, one for each ...

. Over 24 games between the two teams, he batted .237 with one home run and eight RBIs.
Arkansas Razorbacks bio

Kohl Franklin

Kohl Riddle Franklin (born September 9, 1999) is an American

in the

organization. Franklin attended

Broken Arrow High School Broken Arrow Senior High School is the highest level of secondary education in the Broken Arrow Public Schools system, for students in tenth through twelfth grade. Combined with the Broken Arrow Freshman Academy, it is the largest high school in ...

Broken Arrow, Oklahoma Broken Arrow is a city located in the northeastern part of the U.S. state of Oklahoma, primarily in Tulsa County, with a portion in western Wagoner County. It is the largest suburb of Tulsa. According to the 2010 census, Broken Arrow has a popu ...

. He missed a majority of his senior baseball season in 2018 while nursing a fractured foot. After the season, he was selected by the

in the sixth round (188th overall) of the

2018 Major League Baseball draft The 2018 Major League Baseball (MLB) First-Year Player Draft began on June 4, 2018. The draft assigned amateur baseball players to MLB teams. The draft order was determined based on the reverse order of the 2017 MLB season final standings. In ad ...

. He signed with the Cubs for $540,000, forgoing his college commitment to the

University of Oklahoma , mottoeng = "For the benefit of the Citizen and the State" , type = Public research university , established = , academic_affiliations = , endowment = $2.7billion (2021) , pr ...

. Franklin made his professional debut that year with the Rookie-level

Arizona League Cubs The Arizona Complex League Cubs are a Rookie-level affiliate of the Chicago Cubs, competing in the Arizona Complex League of Minor League Baseball. The team plays it home games at Sloan Park in Mesa, Arizona. The team is composed mainly of player ...

, compiling a 6.23 ERA over innings. In 2019, he spent a majority of the season with the

Eugene Emeralds The Eugene Emeralds (nicknamed the Ems) are a Minor League Baseball team in the northwest United States, based in Eugene, Oregon. The Emeralds are members of the Northwest League and are affiliated with the San Francisco Giants. Eugene plays their ...

of the

Class A Short Season Class A Short Season (officially Short-Season A) was a level of play in Minor League Baseball in the United States from 1965 through 2020. In the hierarchy of minor league classifications, it was below Triple-A, Double-A, Class A-Advanced (cre ...

Northwest League The Northwest League is a Minor League Baseball league that operates in the Northwestern United States and Western Canada. A Class A Short Season league for most of its history, the league was promoted to High-A as part of Major League Basebal ...

, pitching to a 1–3 record with a 2.31 ERA over ten starts, striking out 49 batters over 39 innings. Near the end of the season, he was promoted to the

of the Class A

Midwest League The Midwest League is a Minor League Baseball league established in 1947 and based in the Midwestern United States. A Class A league for most of its history, the league was promoted to High-A as part of Major League Baseball's 2021 reorganiza ...

and pitched in one game for them. Franklin did not play a minor league game in 2020 due to the cancellation of the minor league season caused by the

. He missed all of the 2021 season due to an oblique injury and shoulder strain. He was assigned to South Bend (now members of the

High-A High-A (officially Class High-A, formerly known as Class A-Advanced, and sometimes abbreviated "A+" in writing) is the third-highest level of play in Minor League Baseball in the United States and Canada, below Triple-A and Double-A, and abov ...

) for the 2022 season. Over 23 starts, he went 3–7 with a 6.88 ERA, 75 strikeouts, and 41 walks over innings. To open the 2023 season, Franklin returned to South Bend. In mid-May, he was promoted to the

of the Double-A Southern League. Over 26 starts between the two teams, Franklin went 4-12 with a 5.40 ERA and 116 strikeouts over 105 innings. He was assigned back to Tennessee to open the 2024 season. Franklin's father, Jay Franklin, is a baseball agent as well as the president of BBI Sports Group, representing MLB players such as

Dylan Bundy Dylan Matthew Bundy (born November 15, 1992) is an American professional baseball pitcher who is a free agent. He has played in Major League Baseball (MLB)for the Baltimore Orioles, Los Angeles Angels and Minnesota Twins. The Orioles selected Bu ...

Ian Kinsler Ian Michael Kinsler ( he, איאן קינסלר; born June 22, 1982) is an American-Israeli former professional baseball second baseman, World Series champion, World Baseball Classic champion, Olympian, and advisor in the San Diego Padres fron ...

, and Archie Bradley. He is also the nephew of former MLB pitcher

Ryan Franklin Ryan Ray Franklin (born March 5, 1973), is an American former professional baseball pitcher, who played in Major League Baseball (MLB) for the Seattle Mariners, Philadelphia Phillies, Cincinnati Reds, and St. Louis Cardinals. Franklin currently ...

Darius Hill

Darius Anthony Hill (born August 17, 1997) is an American

in the

organization. He played

for the

West Virginia Mountaineers The West Virginia Mountaineers are the athletic teams that represent West Virginia University, an American university located in Morgantown, West Virginia. The school is a member of National Collegiate Athletic Association Division I. The Mou ...

. Hill grew up in

Dallas, Texas Dallas () is the third largest city in Texas and the largest city in the Dallas–Fort Worth metroplex, the fourth-largest metropolitan area in the United States at 7.5 million people. It is the largest city in and seat of Dallas County wi ...

, and attended the

Jesuit College Preparatory School of Dallas Jesuit College Preparatory School of Dallas (commonly referred to as Jesuit Dallas or Dallas Jesuit, and formerly known as Jesuit High School) is a private, college-preparatory school for young men under the direction of the Society of Jesus a ...

. Hill played

West Virginia West Virginia is a state in the Appalachian, Mid-Atlantic and Southeastern regions of the United States.The Census Bureau and the Association of American Geographers classify West Virginia as part of the Southern United States while the ...

for four seasons. He was named second team All-

Big 12 Conference The Big 12 Conference is a college athletic conference headquartered in Irving, Texas, USA. It consists of ten full-member universities. It is a member of Division I of the National Collegiate Athletic Association (NCAA) for all sports. Its f ...

and a freshman All-American after leading the team with 75 hits, 20 doubles, four triples, and 112 total bases. Hill batted .307 with four home runs and 46 RBIs as a sophomore. After the 2017 season, he played

for the

Brewster Whitecaps The Brewster Whitecaps are a collegiate summer baseball team based in Brewster, Massachusetts. The team is a member of the Cape Cod Baseball League (CCBL) and plays in the league's East Division. The Whitecaps play their home games at Stony Brook ...

of the

. Hill was again named second team All-Big 12 as a junior after batting .329 and finishing second in the conference with 79 hits. He hit .315 with 6 home runs, 25 doubles, and 41 RBIs and was named second team all-conference for a third time in his senior season. Hill was selected in the 20th round of the

2019 Major League Baseball draft The 2019 Major League Baseball (MLB) First-Year Player Draft was held from June 3 to 5, 2019. The draft assigned amateur baseball players to MLB teams. The draft order was set based on the reverse order of the 2018 MLB season standings. In addit ...

by the

. After signing with the team he was assigned to the Rookie-level

, where he played eight games before being promoted to the

of the

. Hill was later promoted to the Single-A

. Hill was assigned to the Single-A

to start the 2021 season. He had 12 hits in seven games for the Pelicans and was promoted to the Double-A

. Hill returned to Tennessee to start the 2022 season and batted .308 with 57 hits in 44 games before being promoted to the Triple-A

.
West Virginia Mountaineers bio

Ben Leeper

Benjamin Kyle Leeper (born June 15, 1997) is an American

in the

organization. Leeper attended

Carroll Senior High School Carroll Senior High School (commonly known as Southlake Carroll) is a public secondary school in Southlake, Texas, serving students in grades 11 and 12. The school is part of the Carroll Independent School District, serving the majority of the c ...

Southlake, Texas Southlake is a city located predominantly in Tarrant County with minor areas extending into Denton County in the U.S. state of Texas. Southlake is a suburb of Dallas/Fort Worth. As of th2019 census estimateit had a population of 32,376. His ...

. In 2014, as a junior, he went 11–1 with a 0.90 ERA and 106 strikeouts. He underwent

Tommy John surgery Ulnar collateral ligament reconstruction, colloquially known as Tommy John surgery (TJS), is a surgical graft procedure where the ulnar collateral ligament in the medial elbow is replaced with either a tendon from elsewhere in the patient's ...

during his senior year. After graduating, he enrolled at

Oklahoma State University Oklahoma (; Choctaw: ; chr, ᎣᎧᎳᎰᎹ, ''Okalahoma'' ) is a state in the South Central region of the United States, bordered by Texas on the south and west, Kansas on the north, Missouri on the northeast, Arkansas on the east, New ...

where he played

. Leeper made two appearances as a freshman in 2016 before an arm injury that required a second Tommy John surgery, forcing him to miss all of the 2017 season as well. He returned to play in 2018, pitching innings in which he compiled a 12.69 ERA. In 2019, he moved into the closer role and pitched to a 4–4 record, a 4.31 ERA, and seven saves with 43 strikeouts over innings. That summer, he played

with the

Wareham Gatemen The Wareham Gatemen are a collegiate summer baseball team based in Wareham, Massachusetts. The team is a member of the Cape Cod Baseball League (CCBL) and plays in the league's West Division. The Gatemen play their home games at Clem Spillane F ...

of the

. He made six appearances in 2020 before the season was cancelled due to the

. Unselected in the

, he signed with the Chicago Cubs as an undrafted free agent. Leeper made his professional debut in 2021 with the

of the

Double-A South AA, Aa, Double A, or Double-A may refer to: Arts, entertainment and media * ''America's Army'', a 2002 computer game published by the U.S. Army * '' Ancient Anguish'', a computer game in existence since 1992 * Aa!, a J-Pop musical group * Do ...

and was promoted to the

of the

Triple-A East The International League (IL) is a Minor League Baseball league that operates in the United States. Along with the Pacific Coast League, it is one of two leagues playing at the Triple-A level, which is one grade below Major League Baseball ...

in early June. He was shut down in mid-August after pitching the most innings he had thrown since his junior year of high school. Over 35 relief innings pitched between the two teams, Leeper went 4–3 with a 1.29 ERA and 53 strikeouts. He was a non-roster invitee to spring training in 2022. He returned to Iowa for the 2022 season. Over 42 relief appearances, he went 3–3 with a 4.50 ERA and 57 strikeouts over 46 innings. On April 4, 2023, Leeper announced that he had undergone

for the third time, and would miss the entire 2023 season as a result.
Oklahoma State bio

Haydn McGeary

Haydn McGeary (born October 19, 1999) is an American

first baseman A first baseman, abbreviated 1B, is the player on a baseball or softball team who fields the area nearest first base, the first of four bases a baserunner must touch in succession to score a run. The first baseman is responsible for the major ...

in the

organization. McGeary attended

Thunderbird High School Thunderbird High School is a public high school located in northwestern Phoenix, Arizona. The school is a part of the Glendale Union High School District. Feeder schools Some schools in the Washington Elementary School District feed into Thunde ...

Phoenix, Arizona Phoenix ( ; nv, Hoozdo; es, Fénix or , yuf-x-wal, Banyà:nyuwá) is the capital and most populous city of the U.S. state of Arizona, with 1,608,139 residents as of 2020. It is the fifth-most populous city in the United States, and the o ...

, and played

Colorado Mesa University Colorado Mesa University is a public university in Grand Junction, Colorado. The university's other locations include Bishop Campus, which houses Western Colorado Community College in northwestern Grand Junction, and a regional campus in Mont ...

. He was drafted by the

in the 15th round of the

. He was originally going to transfer to the

University of Kentucky The University of Kentucky (UK, UKY, or U of K) is a public land-grant research university in Lexington, Kentucky. Founded in 1865 by John Bryan Bowman as the Agricultural and Mechanical College of Kentucky, the university is one of the state's ...

, but signed with the Cubs. McGeary made his professional debut with the Arizona Complex League Cubs and was later promoted to the

. He started 2023 with the

before being promoted to the

BJ Murray

Bertram Gerard Alfonzo Murray Jr. (born January 5, 2000) is a Bahamian

third baseman A third baseman, abbreviated 3B, is the player in baseball or softball whose responsibility is to defend the area nearest to third base — the third of four bases a baserunner must touch in succession to score a run. In the scoring system u ...

in the

organization. Murray played

Florida Atlantic Florida Atlantic University (Florida Atlantic or FAU) is a public research university with its main campus in Boca Raton, Florida, and satellite campuses in Dania Beach, Davie, Fort Lauderdale, Jupiter, and Fort Pierce. FAU belongs to the 12-camp ...

. He hit .203 in 15 games during his sophomore season before it was cut short due to the

. Murray was named second team All-

Conference USA Conference USA (C-USA or CUSA) is an intercollegiate athletic conference whose current member institutions are located within the Southern United States. The conference participates in the NCAA's Division I in all sports. C-USA's offices are ...

as a junior after batting .317 with 14 home runs and 52 RBIs. Murray was selected in the 15th round of the

by the

. After signing with the team he was assigned to the

, where he hit .305 over 39 games before being promoted to the

of the

. Murray began the 2023 season with the Double-A

. He was selected to play in the 2023

All-Star Futures Game The All-Star Futures Game is an annual baseball exhibition game hosted by Major League Baseball (MLB) in conjunction with the mid-summer MLB All-Star Game. A team of American League-affiliated prospects competes against a team of National Le ...

.
Florida Atlantic Owls bio

Connor Noland

Connor Julian Noland (born July 20, 1999) is an American

in the

organization. Noland was born in

Greenwood, Arkansas Greenwood is a city in and one of the two county seats of Sebastian County, Arkansas, United States. It is the fifth largest municipality in the Fort Smith, Arkansas- Oklahoma Metropolitan Statistical Area with a population of 8,952 according to ...

and lived there until his family moved to

Tampa, Florida Tampa () is a city on the Gulf Coast of the U.S. state of Florida. The city's borders include the north shore of Tampa Bay and the east shore of Old Tampa Bay. Tampa is the largest city in the Tampa Bay area and the seat of Hillsborough C ...

when he was five. His family moved again to

Reno, Nevada Reno ( ) is a city in the northwest section of the U.S. state of Nevada, along the Nevada-California border, about north from Lake Tahoe, known as "The Biggest Little City in the World". Known for its casino and tourism industry, Reno is the c ...

when he was 12. Noland initially attended

Bishop Manogue High School Bishop Manogue Catholic High School is a Catholic high school in Reno, Nevada. It is the only Catholic high school in the Roman Catholic Diocese of Reno and one of only two Catholic high schools in the state of Nevada. History The Catholic high s ...

and was the starting quarterback on the football team as a freshman. After one semester, he moved back to Greenwood and lived with his grandmother and enrolled at Greenwood High School. Noland played college baseball and college football at Arkansas. He made one start at quarterback against Tulsa during his freshman season. In baseball, Nolan went 3-5 with a 4.02 ERA over 19 starts. After his freshman year he decided to focus solely on baseball. In 2021, Noland made nine pitching appearances, all in relief, and had a 6.91 ERA. As a senior, he made 19 starts and went 8-6 with a 3.65 ERA and 113 strikeouts. Noland was selected in the 9th round by the

in the

. He signed with the team on July 23, 2022, and received a $140,000 signing bonus. Noland was assigned to the

of the

at the beginning of the 2023 season.
Arkansas Razorbacks baseball bioArkansas Razorbacks football bio

Reginald Preciado

Reginald Jamel Preciado (born May 16, 2003) is a Panamanian

shortstop Shortstop, abbreviated SS, is the baseball or softball fielding position between second and third base, which is considered to be among the most demanding defensive positions. Historically the position was assigned to defensive specialists wh ...

in the

organization. Preciado signed with the

San Diego Padres The San Diego Padres are an American professional baseball team based in San Diego. The Padres compete in Major League Baseball (MLB) as a member club of the National League (NL) West division. Founded in 1969, the club has won two NL penna ...

as an international free agent in 2019 for a $1.3 million

signing bonus A signing bonus or sign-on bonus is a sum of money paid to a new employee (including a professional sports person) by a company as an incentive to join that company. They are often given as a way of making a compensation package more attractive ...

. He was then traded to the Cubs along with

Zach Davies Zachary Ryan Davies (born February 7, 1993) is an American professional baseball pitcher who is a free agent. He has previously played in Major League Baseball (MLB) for the Milwaukee Brewers, San Diego Padres, Chicago Cubs and Arizona Diamondba ...

Owen Caissie Owen Andrew Caissie (born July 8, 2002) is a Canadian professional baseball outfielder for the Chicago Cubs of Major League Baseball (MLB). Amateur career Caissie grew up in Burlington, Ontario, and attended Notre Dame Catholic Secondary School ...

, Ismael Mena, and Yeison Santana for

Yu Darvish , more commonly known as Yu Darvish (ダルビッシュ有), is a Japanese professional baseball pitcher for the San Diego Padres of Major League Baseball (MLB). Darvish has also played in MLB for the Texas Rangers, Los Angeles Dodgers, and ...

and Victor Caratini on December 30, 2020. Preciado was promoted to the

Arizona Complex League The Arizona Complex League (ACL) is a rookie-level Minor League Baseball league that operates in and around Phoenix, Arizona, since 1988. Prior to 2021, it was known as the Arizona League (AZL). Along with the Florida Complex League (FCL), it ...

in the 2021 season, posting a .333/.383/.511/.894 slash line with 3 home runs in 34 games.

Josh Rivera

Joshua Ismael Rivera (born October 10, 2000) is an American

in the

organization. Rivera played

for the

Florida Gators The Florida Gators are the intercollegiate athletic teams that represent the University of Florida, located in Gainesville. The University of Florida, its athletic program, its alumni and its sports fans are often collectively referred to as th ...

for four seasons. He batted .253 with five home runs and 26 RBIs as a sophomore. Rivera batted .38 with 19 home runs and 72 RBIs during his senior season In 2021, he played

with the

of the

. Rivera was selected in the third round of the

2023 MLB draft The 2023 Major League Baseball draft took place on July 9–11, 2023, in Seattle. The draft assigned amateur baseball players to MLB teams. For the first time, a draft lottery was used to set a portion of the draft order. The first six selections ...

by the

. He signed with the team on July 19, 2023, and received a $725,000 signing bonus. After signing, Rivera was assigned to the Rookie-level Arizona Complex League Cubs to begin his professional career. He played three games before being promoted to the

of the

.
Florida Gators bio

Cole Roederer

Cole Roederer (born September 24, 1999) is an American

in the

organization. Roederer attended

William S. Hart High School William S. Hart High School is a four-year State school, public secondary education in the United States, high school in the neighborhood of Newhall, Santa Clarita, California, Newhall in the city of Santa Clarita, California, United States. Found ...

Santa Clarita, California Santa Clarita (; Spanish for "Little St. Clare") is a city in northwestern Los Angeles County in the U.S. state of California. With a 2020 census population of 228,673, it is the third-largest city by population in Los Angeles County, the 17 ...

. In 2018, as a senior, he batted .392 with seven home runs and 19 RBIs. After his senior year, the Chicago Cubs drafted Roederer with the 77th overall pick of the

. He signed with the Cubs, forgoing his commitment to play

UCLA The University of California, Los Angeles (UCLA) is a public university, public Land-grant university, land-grant research university in Los Angeles, California. UCLA's academic roots were established in 1881 as a Normal school, teachers colle ...

. After signing, Roederer was assigned to the Rookie-level

. He homered in his first at-bat of his first professional game. He finished the year in Arizona batting .275 with five home runs, 24 RBIs, and 13 stolen bases in 36 games. He spent the 2019 season with the

of the Class A

, slashing .224/.319/.365 with nine home runs, sixty RBIs, and 16 stolen bases over 108 games. Roederer did not play a minor league game in 2020 due to the cancellation of the minor league season caused by the

. To begin the 2021 season, he returned to South Bend, now members of the

High-A Central The Midwest League is a Minor League Baseball league established in 1947 and based in the Midwestern United States. A Class A league for most of its history, the league was promoted to High-A as part of Major League Baseball's 2021 reorganizat ...

. He underwent

on his left arm in July, forcing him to miss the remainder of the season. Over seventy

at-bat In baseball, an at bat (AB) or time at bat is a batter's turn batting against a pitcher. An at bat is different from a plate appearance. A batter is credited with a plate appearance regardless of what happens during their turn at bat, but a batt ...

s for the 2021 season, Roederer hit .229 with eight RBIs, five doubles, and four stolen bases. He opened the 2022 season with the

of the Class A

Carolina League The Carolina League is a Minor League Baseball league which has operated along the Atlantic Coast of the United States since 1945. Having been classified at various levels throughout its existence, it operated at Class A-Advanced from 1990 un ...

and was promoted to South Bend after four games. After 14 games with South Bend, he was promoted to the

of the Double-A Southern League. Over 71 games between the three teams, he slashed .245/.314/.412 with nine home runs, 37 RBIs, and eight stolen bases. He returned to Tennessee to open the 2023 season and was promoted to the

of the Triple-A

International League The International League (IL) is a Minor League Baseball league that operates in the United States. Along with the Pacific Coast League, it is one of two leagues playing at the Triple-A level, which is one grade below Major League Baseball ( ...

. Over 93 games played, Roederer batted .249 with 13 home runs and 53 RBIs.

Cam Sanders

Cameron Ronald Sanders (born December 9, 1996) is an American

in the

organization. Sanders attended Edward Douglas White Catholic High School and played

Northwest Florida State College Northwest Florida State College is a public college in Niceville, Florida. It is part of the Florida College System and is accredited by the Southern Association of Colleges and Schools to award associate and baccalaureate degrees. Northwest F ...

for two years before transferring to

Louisiana State University Louisiana State University (officially Louisiana State University and Agricultural and Mechanical College, commonly referred to as LSU) is a public land-grant research university in Baton Rouge, Louisiana. The university was founded in 1860 near ...

(LSU) for the 2018 season. He went 1–0 with a 5.59 ERA over innings for LSU in 2018. After the season, he was selected by the

in the 12th round of the

. Sanders signed, forgoing his senior year of college baseball. Sanders made his professional debut with the

and was promoted to the

after one game, finishing the season with a 4.32 ERA over innings. He spent the 2019 season with the

, starting twenty games and going 8–4 with a 2.94 ERA and 84 strikeouts over 101 innings, earning All-Star honors. After not playing a game in 2020 due to the cancellation of the season, he played 2021 with the

with whom he started 18 games and went 4–7 with a 5.32 ERA and 107 strikeouts over innings. He returned to Tennessee to open the 2022 season and was promoted to the

in early May. Over 35 games (17 starts) between the two teams, he went 2–9 with a 4.94 ERA, 111 strikeouts, and sixty walks over innings. Sanders played the 2023 season with Iowa and made 51 relief appearances, going 7-2 with a 5.15 ERA, 97 strikeouts, and 69 walks over innings. He was assigned to Iowa to open the 2024 season. Sanders's father, Scott Sanders, played seven years of Major League Baseball.
LSU Tigers bio

Matthew Thompson

Matthew Philip Thompson (born August 11, 2000) is an American

in the

organization. Thompson was born in Houston, Texas and grew up in

Cypress, Texas Cypress is an unincorporated community in Harris County, Texas, United States, located completely inside the extraterritorial jurisdiction of the City of Houston. The Cypress area is located along U.S. Highway 290 (Northwest Freeway) is twenty- ...

, where attended

Cypress Ranch High School Cypress Ranch High School is a secondary school located in Cypress, which is an unincorporated area in Harris County, Texas, near Houston. It is a part of the Cypress-Fairbanks Independent School District. History Building and opening of the ...

. After his junior year, he played in the Perfect Game All-American Classic and the Under Armour All-America Game. Thompson finished his senior season with a 13–0 record and a 0.87 ERA with 124 strikeouts. Thompson was selected in the second round of the

by the

Chicago White Sox The Chicago White Sox are an American professional baseball team based in Chicago. The White Sox compete in Major League Baseball (MLB) as a member club of the American League (AL) Central division. The team is owned by Jerry Reinsdorf, and ...

. After signing with the team, he was assigned to the

Arizona League White Sox The Arizona Complex League White Sox are a Rookie-level affiliate of the Chicago White Sox, competing in the Arizona Complex League of Minor League Baseball. The team plays its home games at Camelback Ranch in Phoenix, Arizona. The team is comp ...

, where he made two one-inning appearances. After the 2020 minor league season was canceled due to COVID-19, Thompson was added to the White Sox's alternate training site. Thompson was assigned to the

Kannapolis Cannon Ballers The Kannapolis Cannon Ballers are a Minor League Baseball team of the Carolina League and the Single-A affiliate of the Chicago White Sox. They are located in Kannapolis, North Carolina, and play their home games at Atrium Health Ballpark. The t ...

for the 2021 season. Over 19 starts, he went 2–8 with a 5.90 ERA and 77 strikeouts over innings. On February 27, 2024, Thompson was traded to the

in exchange for

Bailey Horn Bailey Christian Tant Horn (born January 15, 1998) is an American professional baseball pitcher for the Boston Red Sox of Major League Baseball (MLB). Career Horn attended West High School in West, Texas, and played college baseball at M ...

James Triantos

James Douglas Triantos (born January 29, 2003) is an American

second baseman in the

organization. Triantos attended and played high school baseball at James Madison High School in Vienna, Virginia. During his senior year, he hit .712 while striking out only twice and also pitched to a 1.18 ERA, leading his team to a Class 6A State Championship. He was reclassified from the 2022 draft class to the 2021 class and was selected in the draft's second round by the Cubs. He signed for $2.1 million, forgoing his commitment to play

at the

University of North Carolina The University of North Carolina is the multi-campus public university system for the state of North Carolina. Overseeing the state's 16 public universities and the NC School of Science and Mathematics, it is commonly referred to as the UNC Sys ...

. He saw limited action with the Cubs' Arizona Complex League team during 2021 and posted a .327/.376/.594/.970 slash line in 25 games.

Cayne Ueckert

Cayne Levi Ueckert (born May 28, 1996) is an American

in the

organization. Ueckert attended Jasper High School in

Jasper, Texas Jasper is a city in and the county seat of Jasper County, Texas, United States. Its population was 6,884 at the 2020 U.S. Census, down from 7,590 at the 2010 U.S. Census. Jasper is situated in the Deep East Texas subregion, about west of the Te ...

, where he earned All-District honors as a senior in 2015. After high school, he played two seasons of

Panola College Panola College is a public community college in Carthage, Texas, the county seat of Panola County. As defined by the Texas Legislature, the official service area of Panola College includes: *all of Marion, Panola, and Shelby Counties, and *al ...

. After his sophomore year in 2017, he played

with the

Anchorage Bucs The Anchorage Bucs Baseball Club is a college summer baseball team in Anchorage, Alaska. The team has been a member of the Alaska Baseball League since 1981. They were originally formed in 1980 as an Anchorage Adult League team. Team colors are ...

of the

Alaska Baseball League The Alaska Baseball League (ABL) is an amateur collegiate summer baseball league. Players in the league must have attended one year of college and must have one year of NCAA eligibility remaining. The Midnight Sun Game, held at Growden Memoria ...

. He then transferred to

McNeese State University McNeese State University is a public university in Lake Charles, Louisiana. Founded in 1939 as Lake Charles Junior College, it was renamed McNeese Junior College after John McNeese, an early local educator. The present name was adopted in 1970. M ...

where he went 3–3 with a 6.17 ERA, 51 strikeouts, and 33 walks over 54 innings as a senior in 2019. After the season, he was selected by the Chicago Cubs in the 27th round of the

. Ueckert signed with the Cubs and made his professional debut with the Rookie-level

, going 0–1 with a 1.90 ERA and 26 strikeouts over innings. He did not play a game in 2020 due to the cancellation of the minor league season. He began the 2021 season with the

of the

, and was promoted to the

of the

after two appearances. Over 26 relief appearances between the two teams, he went 1–1 with a 1.45 ERA, 37 strikeouts, and 12 walks over 31 innings. He was a non-roster invitee for spring training in 2022. He was assigned to the

of the Triple-A

to begin the year. Over 39 games (one start), he went 3–1 with a 7.74 ERA, 63 strikeouts, and 52 walks over fifty innings. He was assigned to Tennessee for the 2023 season. Over 36 relief appearances, Ueckert went 4-3 with a 4.58 ERA and fifty strikeouts over innings.
McNeese State bio

Players

Kevin Alcántara

Michael Arias

Moisés Ballesteros

Brandon Birdsell

Burl Carraway

Chris Clarke

Luis Devers

Christian Franklin

Kohl Franklin

Darius Hill

Ben Leeper

Haydn McGeary

BJ Murray

Connor Noland

Reginald Preciado

Josh Rivera

Cole Roederer

Cam Sanders

Matthew Thompson

James Triantos

Cayne Ueckert

Full Triple-A to Rookie League rosters

Triple-A

Double-A

High-A

Single-A

Rookie

Foreign Rookie

References