Sparked by 2017 Commodores catcher Adley Rutschman, 27 former ‘Dores were taken in the 2019 MLB First-Year Player Draft. The draft was held from June 3-5. The Falmouth Commodores had seven players picked on day one of the draft, the most amongst all 10 Cape League teams.
Falmouth had two former Commodores selected in the first round.
Adley Rutschman was the first overall pick of the draft following a stellar season at Oregon State. Rutschman batted .411 with 17 home runs and 58 RBIs in his junior season with the Beavers.
“It was a rush of emotions,” Rutschman said in an OSU press conference following his selection. “I think it’s a true honor to be selected number one overall and to have that honor is one of those things that you dream about.”
The final ‘Dore taken in the first round was 2018 Commodore Logan Davidson. Davidson went 29th to the Oakland Athletics. The Clemson shortstop batted .290 with 15 home runs and 55 RBIs in his junior season with the Tigers.
“It was very emotional sort of speak,” Davidson told CBS affiliate WLTX19. “It was a surreal moment. I’m really excited about it.”
Both first rounders struggled at the plate in Falmouth, batting below .200 with the Commodores. But through strong defensive skills and knowledge learned from the Cape League, Rutschman and Davidson were able to remain top picks.
Following the first round, five former ‘Dores were chosen to close out the first day of the draft, including 2018 Commodore T.J. Sikkema.
Sikkema was selected by the New York Yankees with the 38th pick. The Yankees acquired the Competitive Balance Round A pick from the Cincinnati Reds in a trade involving all-star pitcher Sonny Gray.
The southpaw from the University of Missouri posted a 1.32 ERA with 101 strikeouts for the Tigers. In Falmouth, Sikkema was dominate featuring a 1.72 ERA and 23 strikeouts in five starts last season. Additionally, the left-hander pitched one shutout inning in the 2018 Cape League All-Star Game.
“He’s a true warrior,” Mizzou pitching coach Fred Corral said recently to the St. Louis Post-Dispatch. “Some guys have to be archers. Some guys have to man the catapults. T.J. is one of those first-in guys.”
Out of the 27 players chosen, eight were drafted to an American League Central team and seven were drafted to an American League East team.
The Baltimore Orioles, Minnesota Twins, and Oakland Athletics drafted three former Commodores, the most out of any Major League Baseball franchise.
Other teams who took former ‘Dores included the Boston Red Sox, New York Mets, Minnesota Twins, Chicago White Sox, Washington Nationals, Philadelphia Phillies, Los Angeles Dodgers, St. Louis Cardinals, Los Angeles Angels, Seattle Mariners, Tampa Bay Rays and Cleveland Indians.
All Commodores selected in the 2019 MLB First-Year Player Draft:
Adley Rutschman – Round 1 – Pick 1 – Baltimore Orioles
Logan Davidson – Round 1- Pick 29 – Oakland Athletics
T.J. Sikkema – Round CBA – Pick 38 – New York Yankees
Matt Wallner – Round CBA – Pick 39 – Minnesota Twins
Cameron Cannon – Round 2 – Pick 43 – Boston Red Sox
Matt Canterino – Round 2 – Pick 54 – Minnesota Twins
Kyle Stowers – Round CBB – Pick 71 – Baltimore Orioles
Ryan Zeferjahn – Round 3 – Pick 107 – Boston Red Sox
Dan Metzdorf – Round 5 – Pick 140 – Chicago White Sox
Tyler Dyson – Round 5 – Pick 153 – Washington Nationals
Will Ethridge – Round 5 – Pick 159 – Colorado Rockies
Jack Little – Round 5 – Pick 161 – Los Angeles Dodgers
Maverick Handley – Round 6 – Pick 168 – Baltimore Orioles
Will Brennan – Round 8 – Pick 250 – Cleveland Indians
Brent Killam – Round 11 – Pick 331 – Los Angeles Angels
Nick Mikolajchak – Round 11 – Pick 340 – Cleveland Indians
Josh Watson – Round 15 – Pick 464 – Oakland Athletics
Nic Gaddis – Round 16 – Pick 478 – New York Mets
Logan Rinehart – Round 16 – Pick 486 – Seattle Mariners
A.J. Block – Round 17 – Pick 502 – Detroit Tigers
Edouard Julien – Round 18 – Pick 539 – Minnesota Twins
Adam Laskey – Round 19 – Pick 582 – Chicago Cubs
Herbert Iser – Round 23 – Pick 690 – Philadelphia Phillies
Robbie Peto – Round 26 – Pick 788 – Tampa Bay Rays
Scott Politz – Round 29 – Pick 875 – St. Louis Cardinals
Marty Bechina – Round 32 – Pick 974 – Oakland Athletics
Declan Cronin – Round 36 – Pick 1070 – Chicago White Sox
The Commodores Corner 