Worcester Bravehearts Alum Cody Laweryson Makes 30th MLB Debut in Futures League History

ROCKLAND, Mass. 一 The Futures League has hit the The Big 3-0 in Major League Baseball (MLB) debuts.

Former Worcester Bravehearts and University of Maine pitcher Cody Laweryson became the 30th all-time league alum and the sixth this season to reach The Show, making his debut for the Minnesota Twins last Saturday night. Just a day after earning his promotion from the Triple-A St. Paul Saints, Laweryson allowed just one hit and struck out two in two scoreless innings.

A two-year Braveheart who was the 2017 Futures League Relief Pitcher of the Year, Laweryson has climbed up Minnesota's organizational ladder since being drafted in the 14th round in 2019. He earned 2019 Appalachian League Rookie All-Star and 2021 Arizona Fall League Rising Star honors before the COVID-19 pandemic. By 2022, he reached the high minors for the first time and took on a primary relief role for the first time as a professional.

The 6-foot-4 right-hander from Bingham, Maine began this season with a return to the Double-A Witchita Wind Surge before getting the call to St. Paul in early June. He had a 2-1 record and 2.84 ERA in 17 appearances for the Saints prior to getting his major league call and had also been perfect in six Double-A save opportunities.

Laweryson had a 6-3 record, 1.66 ERA and 82 strikeouts in 48.2 innings (21 appearances, two starts) during his Futures League career, spanning the 2017 and 2018 seasons. 

Opponents hit just .217 against him during an award-winning 2017 campaign, as he went 5-3 with two saves and a 2.27 ERA across 35.2 innings. His 62 strikeouts were one off the league lead of Worcester teammate Sean Mellen (Northeastern), who reached Triple-A during his own pro career in the Los Angeles Dodgers and Toronto Blue Jays systems.

In 2018, Laweryson returned to Worcester and pitched in three early-season games for a team that went on to win its third of four all-time Futures League championships. He pitched 13 innings without allowing an earned run and struck out 20. 

Come the following spring, he was a regular in Maine's starting rotation and landed on the All-America East squad after posting five of his 12 career collegiate wins, a 2.85 ERA and 79 strikeouts in 72.2 innings. Then, the Twins came calling.

With Laweryson's debut, the 2025 season is now the fourth straight in which six Futures League alums finished the climb to MLB. Chicago Cubs infielder Matt Shaw (Worcester '20-'21) and four fellow pitchers 一 the St. Louis Cardinals' Matt Svanson (Brockton '19), New York Yankees' Cam Schlittler (Nashua '19), Arizona Diamondbacks' Brandyn Garcia (Westfield '20) and Tampa Bay Rays' Brian Van Belle (North Shore '17) have also debuted in 2025.

The Twins' active roster now includes two former Futures League award winners. Laweryson joined catcher Mickey Gasper, the Bryant University product who won 2016 Most Valauble Player honors for the Nashua Silver Knights and held the league's single-season record for batting average until 2023.

After making his MLB debut last weekend, Laweryson's second career appearance came on Tuesday against Schlittler, a fellow Braveheart alum in 2020 Futures League Most Valuable Player Ben Rice and the New York Yankees. With Gasper catching, Laweryson struck out Rice to finish his two innings of one-run ball.

For the latest news and information on the Futures League all year long, visit thefuturesleague.com and follow the league's Facebook, X (formerly Twitter) and Instagram pages.