Heading into the 2023 season, chances were good that pitcher Mike Burrows was going to get his first shot at the major league level. Selected in the 11th round of the 2018 MLB Draft right out of Waterford High School in Connecticut, Burrows has always been considered a high-level prospect. This is … [Read more...]
NEBJ MLB awards: Impactful seasons from New England pros
Despite the challenges of weather-shortened seasons and limited scouting attention, a fair number of New England natives find a way to achieve their dream of playing major league baseball. Collectively, those New Englanders leave a distinctive mark on the game every season and thus deserve their own … [Read more...]
UMass Lowell instrumental in Danny Mendick’s rise to big leagues
In 2013, Danny Mendick – 19 years old at the time – was playing shortstop for Monroe Community College in upstate New York when fortuitous destiny altered his baseball trajectory. Coming out of high school in nearby Pittsford, Mendick had no scholarship offers to play ball. So off he headed to … [Read more...]
Former UConn pitcher Scott Oberg contemplates uncertain future
With five major league seasons under his belt, Colorado Rockies pitcher Scott Oberg has demonstrated a rare resilience that was built through sustained physical hardship. Oberg’s first taste of that was in 2010 when the Tewksbury, Mass., native was playing for UConn. At age 20, as a sophomore, Oberg … [Read more...]
Sacred Heart alum Jason Foley broke into big leagues with Detroit Tigers
Jason Foley was truly the longest of longshots to make it to the majors. And yet make it he did in 2021 with the Detroit Tigers, and with impressive results to boot. A talented pitcher from Long Island, Foley was nevertheless overlooked by most Division 1 programs before landing at Sacred Heart. “I … [Read more...]
Lynn English, Vandy alum Ben Bowden thriving with Colorado Rockies
For Ben Bowden, the summer of 2015 set everything in motion. Up until that point, the former Lynn English (Mass.) star pitcher was a low-profile reliever for Vanderbilt coming off an unremarkable sophomore season. Then he arrived at the Cape League and announced his presence to the baseball scouting … [Read more...]