WEYMOUTH, Mass. (July 18, 2024) 一 The Futures League counts a total of 21 former and current players selected throughout the three-day 2024 Major League Baseball (MLB) Draft, which spanned from this past Sunday through Tuesday.
Click here for a full list of 2024 draftees.
The Futures League’s record run of first-rounders continued for a fifth consecutive year when the Minnesota Twins selected Kansas State shortstop Kaelen Culpepper (Norwich ‘21) with the No. 21 overall pick. Culpepper was the first of three Sunday picks (Rounds 1-2) for the league 一 all of whom were drafted from different franchises, while eight were made on Monday (Rounds 3-10) and 10 more on Tuesday (Rounds 11-20).
The Futures League had players taken in each of the first 10 rounds for the first time, helping the league reach its highest single-draft total since 27 players were selected in a 2021 class that was led by current Milwaukee Brewers outfielder Sal Frelick (North Shore ‘18,‘20).
Multiple alumni went off the board across the first two rounds for the second straight year and third time in league history. Duke pitcher Jonathan Santucci (Worcester ‘21) and Virginia catcher Ethan Anderson (Vermont ‘21) were second-rounders, going to the New York Mets at No. 46 and Baltimore Orioles at No. 61, respectively. Both were All-ACC performers this spring. Among a class of 2021 standouts, Anderson was the one selected as the Futures League’s Top Pro Prospect among position players, hitting .427 for the championship-winning Lake Monsters.
When Rounds 3-10 began on Monday, Northeastern star outfielder Mike Sirota (Pittsfield ‘21-rostered) was the first name called with a Futures League tie as the third-round pick of the Cincinnati Reds. Sirota was due to play in the league before his freshman year with the Huskies, but never appeared in a game due to injury.
A round after Sirota was picked, West Virginia pitcher David Hagaman (Pittsfield ‘21) earned a call from the reigning World Series champion Texas Rangers. Monday continued with Notre Dame shortstop Jack Penney (Nashua ‘21) as the choice of the Detroit Tigers in the fifth round. Penney was the first New England native of the Futures League products selected on Tuesday, hailing from Wakefield, Mass.
Just a month after appearing in the College World Series as Texas A&M’s All-American catcher, 2021 Futures League Defensive Player of the Year Jackson Appel (Pittsfield ‘21) was chosen in the sixth round by the Chicago White Sox. The next pick was another former league honoree in Northeastern’s Dennis Colleran (Worcester ‘22-‘23), as the league’s 2022 Top Pro Pitching Prospect went in the seventh round to the Kansas City Royals.
Shortstop Randy Flores (Worcester ‘21), whose college career started at Division 2 Franklin Pierce before moving to Division 1 Alabama State, was drafted in the eighth round by the Los Angeles Angels. The 2022 Futures League Pitcher of the Year, Sean Matson (Vermont ‘22), was the next to go as the ninth-round choice of the Cleveland Guardians. Kansas State shortstop and repeat draftee Brady Day (Nashua ‘20) turned in a memorable senior campaign that earned him a call from the Philadelphia Phillies in the 10th round.
The first two Futures Leaguers drafted on Tuesday were both 12th-rounders in Kansas State outfielder Brendan Jones (Pittsfield ‘21) and Boston College right-hander John West (Worcester ‘20), who went to the New York Yankees and Arizona Diamondbacks, respectively. The 13th round saw a pair of outfielders taken, as former Futures League champion and Virginia’s Anthony Stephan (Vermont ‘21) was chosen by Cincinnati Reds just seven picks before the Tampa Bay Rays grabbed Mississippi State’s Connor Hujsak (Nashua ‘21).
Southpaws and the Starfires were the story of the 14th round, when Rutgers’ Justin Sinibaldi (Westfield ‘22) was drafted by the Chicago White Sox and UConn’s Braden Quinn (Westfield ‘21) by the Arizona Diamondbacks, respectively. Sinibaldi helped Westfield make its first-ever playoff appearance and earned all-star status during his summer in New England. Quinn was the second Futures Leaguer to join the Diamondbacks’ draft class in the span of three rounds.
The lone current Futures Leaguer to be drafted was outfielder Owen Carey (Nashua ‘24), who was selected as a Futures League All-Star the day after the Atlanta Braves chose him in the 15th round out of Londonderry (N.H.) High School. The last active player to be drafted prior to Carey was Northeastern infielder Jack Goodman (Worcester ‘22) out of Medfield, Mass., in 2022. Earlier in the 15th round, Harvard pitcher Tanner Smith (Worcester ‘21) was scooped by the San Diego Padres.
Another 2024 College World Series participant drafted was former Futures League All-Star Dominic Niman (Bristol ‘19), an 18th-round pick of Tampa Bay out of Kentucky and formerly of Central Connecticut State. Rounding out the class was third baseman D’Angelo Ortiz (Brockton ‘22,‘24), the son of Boston Red Sox legend David Ortiz who was picked by New England’s hometown team in the 19th round. The Red Sox have now selected a former Futures Leaguer in three of the past four years.
Seventeen MLB organizations opted to take former Futures Leaguers in 2024. A league-leading five alumni drafted were formerly of Worcester, while four played for Nashua, three for Vermont and two for Westfield. Brockton and Norwich also had players go over the 20-round proceedings.
For the latest news and information on the Futures League throughout the year, visit thefuturesleague.com and follow the league’s Facebook, X (formerly Twitter) and Instagram pages.
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