There are dozens of minor league baseball players from New England who would love to become the next Packy Naughton.
Naughton, a West Roxbury, Mass., native and Boston Latin School alumnus, is not only currently getting his "cup of coffee" on a big league roster, he looks to be cementing his case as a long-term big-leaguer. Since his call-up to the Los Angeles Angels big-league roster on Aug. 4, Naughton has worked his way into the starting rotation. Through five appearances -- including three starts -- he has posted a 4.32 ERA with 11 strikeouts in 16.2 innings.
Naughton joins players like Patrick Mazeika (Springfield, Mass.) and Ryan McKenna (Berwick, Maine) among New Englanders who have made their major league debuts in 2021. McKenna has logged 127 at-bats (.197 BA) with the Baltimore Orioles since making his debut in April. Mazeika earned 76 at-bats (.197 BA) with the New York Mets in 2021 while splitting time between the big league club and Triple-A Syracuse.
Here's a look at 15 other New Englanders who are looking to take the final steps to the big leagues.
