MLB Draft League Alumni Reports: June 5 | June 13 | June 19 | June 26 | July 3 | July 10 | July 31 | Aug. 7 | Aug. 15
Nathan Church is the headliner this week among Draft League alumni as the former State College Spike became the eighth alum to make his MLB debut.
While Church was making his way to St. Louis, Jonah Tong and Matthew Etzel were both promoted to Triple-A, now one level away from their own MLB debuts. This week’s Alumni Report takes a look at these three, as well as 19 others who put together a strong week within their respective organizations.
Position Players
2022 Williamsport Crosscutters
Past 7 Days: 3 G, .545/.538/.909 (1.448 OPS), 3B, 2 2B, 2 RBI, 4 R, BB, SF, 2 SB
Past 28 Days: 7 G, .391/.444/.652 (1.097 OPS), 2 3B, 2 2B, 3 RBI, 6 R, 3 BB, SF, 3 SB
Christian Olivo (CHC, Single-A)
* Carolina League Player of the Week
2021 Williamsport Crosscutters
Past 7 Days: 5 G, .529/.579/.824 (1.402 OPS), HR, 2 2B, 4 RBI, 5 R, BB, HBP, SB
Past 28 Days: 18 G, .356/.472/.542 (1.015 OPS), 2 HR, 5 2B, 10 RBI, 17 R, 9 BB, 4 HBP, 5 SB
2023 Williamsport Crosscutters
Past 7 Days: 4 G, .400/.400/.933 (1.333 OPS), 2 HR, 2 2B, 5 RBI, 3 R, SB
Past 28 Days: 8 G, .367/.367/.667 (1.033 OPS), 2 HR, 3 2B, 6 RBI, 6 R, 3 SB
2022 Williamsport Crosscutters
Past 7 Days: 4 G, .417/.500/.833 (1.333 OPS), HR, 2 2B, 5 RBI, 4 R, 2 BB, SB
Past 28 Days: 15 G, .271/.364/.396 (.759 OPS), HR, 3 2B, 7 RBI, 6 R, 6 BB, HBP, SB
2024 Williamsport Crosscutters
Past 7 Days: 5 G, .429/.435/.762 (1.197 OPS), 2 3B, 3 2B, 4 RBI, 3 R, BB, SF, SB
Past 28 Days: 19 G, .299/.317/.429 (.746 OPS), 2 3B, 6 2B, 10 RBI, 6 R, 3 BB, 2 SF, 3 SB
2022 Mahoning Valley Scrappers
Past 7 Days: 5 G, .429/.455/.714 (1.169 OPS), HR, 3B, 2B, 2 RBI, 4 R, BB
Past 28 Days: 17 G, .284/.333/.537 (.871 OPS), 3 HR, 2 3B, 4 2B, 10 RBI, 10 R, 5 BB, SB
Eddie Micheletti (TOR, High-A)
2022 Williamsport Crosscutters
Past 7 Days: 4 G, .385/.550/.615 (1.165 OPS), 3B, 2B, 4 RBI, 5 R, 3 BB, 3 HBP, SF
Past 28 Days: 19 G, .246/.391/.348 (.739 OPS), 3B, 5 2B, 8 RBI, 10 R, 13 BB, 4 HBP, SF
2022 State College Spikes
Past 7 Days: 4 G, .333/.357/.750 (1.107 OPS), HR, 2 2B, 2 RBI, 3 R, BB, SF, SB
2022 West Virginia Black Bears
Past 7 Days: 4 G, .545/.545/.545 (1.091 OPS), 4 RBI, SB
Past 28 Days: 19 G, .304/.381/.411 (.792 OPS), HR, 3B, 2B, 7 RBI, 7 R, 6 BB, HBP, 4 SB
2022 West Virginia Black Bears | White Sox No. 11 Prospect (MLB Pipeline)
Past 7 Days: 4 G, .385/.579/.462 (1.040 OPS), 2B, 2 RBI, 3 R, 4 BB, 2 HBP, 3 SB
Season: 93 G, .301/.443/.423 (.866 OPS), 4 HR, 5 3B, 18 2B, 44 RBI, 69 R, 59 BB, 37 SB
Pitchers
2022 Frederick Keys | Mets No. 2 Prospect (MLB Pipeline)
Past 7 Days: GS, W, 5.2 IP, 0.00 ERA, 3 H, 2 BB, 9 K, .150 BAA, 0.882 WHIP (Triple-A debut)
Season: 21 GS, 9-5, 107.2 IP, 1.50 ERA, 171 K, 46 BB, .143 BAA, 0.920 WHIP
2023 State College Spikes
Past 7 Days: GS, 5 IP, 1.80 ERA, 2 H, 0 BB, 8 K, .118 BAA, 0.400 WHIP
Past 28 Days: 4 GS, 15 IP, 3.60 ERA, 19 K, 7 BB, .226 BAA, 1.267 WHIP
2022/23 Williamsport Crosscutters
Past 7 Days: GS, 5 IP, 0.00 ERA, 1 H, 1 BB, 5 K, HB, .067 BAA, 0.400 WHIP
Past 28 Days: 4 GS, 1-1, 18.2 IP, 2.41 ERA, 20 K, 8 BB, .161 BAA, 0.964 WHIP
2022 Mahoning Valley Scrappers
Past 7 Days: G, W, 3 IP, 0.00 ERA, 1 H, 0 BB, 4 K, .091 BAA, 0.333 WHIPPast 28 Days: 7 G, 4-0, 12 IP, 0.75 ERA, 14 K, 2 BB, .100 BAA, 0.500 WHIP
Grant Umberger (CHW, Single-A)
2024 Mahoning Valley Scrappers
Past 7 Days: GS, 5.1 IP, 0.00 ERA, 7 H, 1 BB, 8 K, .318 BAA, 1.500 WHIP
Season: 22/15 G/S, 8-2, 92 IP, 2.64 ERA, 100 K, 32 BB, .232 BAA, 1.185 WHIP
Jack Wenninger (NYM, Double-A)
2023 Williamsport Crosscutters | Mets No. 13 Prospect (MLB Pipeline)
Past 7 Days: GS, W, 6 IP, 1.50 ERA, 2 H, 1 BB, 8 K, .100 BAA, 0.500 WHIP
Season: 22 GS, 10-6, 112.1 IP, 2.72 ERA, 126 K, 35 BB, .216 BAA, 1.104 WHIP
2021 Frederick Keys
Past 7 Days: 2 G, W, 5 IP, 0.00 ERA, 2 H, 1 BB, 7 K, .111 BAA, 0.600 WHIP
Past 90 Days: 18 G, 3-2, 33.1 IP, 2.70 ERA, 34 K, 15 BB, .205 BAA, 1.200 WHIP
2024 Frederick Keys
Past 7 Days: 2 G, W, SV, 3 IP, 0.00 ERA, 1 H, 1 BB, 5 K, .100 BAA, 0.667 WHIP
Past 90 Days: 22 G, 2 SV, 31.2 IP, 2.56 ERA, 40 K, 18 BB, .168 BAA, 1.137 WHIP
2023 Williamsport Crosscutters
Past 7 Days: G, 5 IP, 0.00 ERA, 3 H, 0 BB, 7 K, .176 BAA, 0.600 WHIP
August: 3/1 G/S, 12.2 IP, 2.13 ERA, 12 K, 5 BB, .171 BAA, 0.950 WHIP
2023 Mahoning Valley Scrappers
Past 7 Days: 2 G, 2 SV, 3 IP, 0.00 ERA, 0 H, 2 BB, 5 K, HB, .000 BAA, 0.67 WHIP
Past 28 Days: 8 G, 4 SV, 9.1 IP, 2.89 ERA, 13 K, 7 BB, 2 HB, .147 BAA, 1.290 WHIP
Promotions
2021 State College Spikes | Cardinals No. 14 Prospect (MLB Pipeline)
Nathan Church got the call to the big leagues on Aug. 17 and made his debut the same day, becoming the eighth MLB Draft League alum to do so. Church has played three games with the Cardinals and patrolled centerfield in two of those.
2022 Frederick Keys | Mets No. 2 Prospect (MLB Pipeline)
Jonah Tong has emerged as one of the top right-handed pitching prospects in baseball and earned a highly anticipated promotion to Triple-A on Aug. 11. Tong made his debut with the Syracuse Mets on August 16 and didn’t surrender a run over 5.2 innings while striking out nine.
2022 Williamsport Crosscutters
Matthew Etzel was promoted to Triple-A on Aug. 15 and made an immediate impact with the Jacksonville Jumbo Shrimp. In his first three games, Etzel racked up six hits, two doubles, two RBI, three runs scored and a walk.
2024 Trenton Thunder
Luke Gabrysh was promoted to High-A on Aug. 16 and made his debut with the Jersey Shore BlueClaws the same day, allowing one run over two innings of work.
Draft History
The MLB Draft League has found success in the MLB Draft through its first five seasons with 233 players drafted and another 180 signing as free agents for a total of 413 players placed in affiliated baseball. A complete list of MLB Draft League graduates who have moved on to the next level can be found here.
For more information about the MLB Draft League, visit mlbdraftleague.com or follow @mlbdraftleague and @draftleaguedata on X, and @mlbdraftleague on Instagram.
