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Farm Report: Hawkeyes in the Minor Leagues

On3 imageby: Kyle Huesmann06/16/25HuesmannKyle
How are former Hawkeyes faring in the minor leagues?
How are former Hawkeyes faring in the minor leagues?

Although the season is over for the Iowa Baseball team, the major league season is in full swing, which means there are plenty of former Hawkeyes still playing ball. Since Rick Heller took over as head coach in 2013, Iowa has seen 35 former players sign professional contracts, including 31 players going in the MLB Draft. As it currently stands, four former Hawkeyes are just one call away from making their MLB debut, while Jack Dreyer has been on the Dodgers roster all season. Over the last three years, Nick Allgeyer, Mason McCoy, Jack Dreyer and Tyler Cropley have appeared in an MLB game.

Major League Baseball (1)

LHP Jack Dreyer – Los Angeles Dodgers

An undrafted free agent signed by Los Angeles back in 2021, left-hander Jack Dreyer made the steady climb from the ACL Dodgers, through to their farm system and all the way to the pro ball Dodgers. Dreyer made the 27-man roster out of spring training this season and has spent the entirety of the year in Los Angeles. He has appeared in 27 games, with three starts, posting a 2.78 ERA over 35.2 innings, including 35 strikeouts to 15 walks. Jack is fourth on the team in appearances and second in innings pitched amongst the bullpen arms.

It’s been pretty impressive seeing Dreyer go from the ACL Dodgers to Great Lakes to Tulsa to Oklahoma City to the reigning World Series champion Los Angeles Dodgers.

Triple-A (4)

RHP Adam Mazur – Jacksonville Jumbo Shrimp (Miami Marlins)

After making his MLB Debut and starting eight games for the San Diego Padres last season, Adam Mazur was traded to the Miami Marlins late in the year. He has spent all of this season in Triple-A with Jacksonville awaiting a potential return the major leagues, this time in the NL East.

Mazur has appeared in 12 games, with 11 starts for Jacksonville this season, posting a 3.62 ERA over 59.2 innings, including 55 strikeouts to 16 walks allowed. Last time out against Rochester, Adam tallied a career-high nine strikeouts.

2B Mason McCoy – El Paso Chihuahuas (San Diego Padres)

A pro ball veteran, second baseman Mason McCoy has spent time with Baltimore, Seattle, Toronto and San Diego organizations, making his MLB debut in 2023 with the Blue Jays. McCoy is a Triple-A veteran, as 381 of his 800 career minor league games have come at the highest level.

This season, with Triple-A El Paso, McCoy is slashing .316/.391/.521 over 33 games, with 37 hits, 11 doubles, three home runs and 26 RBI’s. He was called up to San Diego back in April, but appeared in just four games before going on the injured list with a left finger sprain. Mason missed a month and has since returned to playing with Triple-A El Paso.

LHP Trenton Wallace – Buffalo Bisons (Toronto Blue Jays)

Trenton Wallace is in his fifth season with the Toronto Blue Jays organization and has slowly made the climb towards a potential major league debut. He had an impressive season with Double-A New Hampshire last season, which earned him a spot with Triple-A Buffalo this year.

Wallace has appeared in 13 games, with eight starts, posting a 3.76 ERA over 38.1 innings, including 47 strikeouts to 25 walks. He has come out of the bullpen in his last five outings for Buffalo, with impressive results, allowing just one run over 10.0 innings, including 11 strikeouts to six walks and six hits allowed.

1B Keaton Anthony – Lehigh Valley IronPigs (Philadelphia Phillies)

The latest Hawkeye to climb within one call of the major leagues, first baseman Keaton Anthony was called up to Triple-A Lehigh Valley back on June 11th after Bryce Harper went on the injured list for the Phillies. The injury sent Otto Kempt to Philly and gives Anthony a chance to showcase himself at the highest level of the minor leagues.

Keaton has hit and hit well at every stop in the minors, including earning Hitter of the Month for the Phillies organization in May. In 54 games this season, including five games with Triple-A Lehigh Valley, Anthony is slashing .330/.380/.522, with 67 hits, 23 doubles, four home runs and 30 RBI’s. While I don’t think a call up to the majors is imminent given the fact that he just made it to Triple-A, his results over 171 career games point to a potential MLB debut in the next couple of years, whether that is with Philadelphia or another organization.

Double-A (2)

RHP Duncan Davitt – Montgomery Biscuits (Tampa Bay Rays)

There a plenty of great stories of how former Hawkeyes have gotten to where they are in pro baseball, but Duncan Davitt is definitely on the top half of the list. A breakout year in his final season at Iowa got him drafted in the 18th Round of the 2022 draft and he has continued to get better and better since that day.

In his first full season of pro ball in 2023, Davitt posted a 4.95 ERA in 28 games, but showed improvement last season, finishing with a 3.62 ERA over 26 starts. This season, Duncan has kept his upward trajectory going with Double-A Montgomery. In 12 starts, he has posted a 2.96 ERA over 67.0 innings, including 61 strikeouts to just nine walks. On June 12th, Davitt put together a career-best outing against Birmingham, tossing 8.0 scoreless innings on 87 pitches and allowed just three hits.

1B Peyton Williams – New Hampshire Fisher Cats (Toronto Blue Jays)

Playing at the highest level of his pro career, first baseman Peyton Williams is with Double-A New Hampshire after finishing last season as an Arizona Fall League All-Star.

In 58 games with season, Williams is slashing .228/.291/.356, with 46 hits, six doubles, six home runs and 23 RBI’s. He has had a good June to this point, batting .319, with 15 hits in 12 games, including a pair of home runs.

Single-A (8)

RHP Grant Judkins – High-A Lansing Lugnuts (A’s)

An undrafted free agent signing for the formerly known Oakland Athletics back in 2020, Grant Judkins is in his fifth year with the organization. For many undrafted signings, the leash can be pretty short, but Judkins has found a way to stick around with the A’s organization, despite missing the ’23 season with an injury and has now appeared in 66 career games.

This season, Judkins has made 12 starts for High-A Lansing, posting a 4.57 ERA over 61.0 innings, including 50 strikeouts to 21 walks. He had one of the best outings of his career back on June 7th, allowing one run on four hits over 7.0 innings, including six strikeouts to just one walk against Dayton.

RHP Ty Langenberg – High-A Cedar Rapids Kernels (Minnesota Twins)

A former Hawkeye that has found his way back to one of the two minor league teams in the state of Iowa, Ty Langenberg is in his first full season with High-A Cedar Rapids after spending the second half of last year with the Kernels.

He was solid in 12 appearances last season, finishing with a 3.90 ERA, but has seen that dip to a 6.57 ERA over ten starts this season. Langenberg has tallied 41 strikeouts to 23 walks but has allowed 47 hits over 38.1 innings. That being said, Ty was good last time out, tossing 6.0 scoreless innings against Peoria, including allowing just two hits.

LHP Jared Simpson – High-A Wilmington Blue Rocks (Washington Nationals)

Jared Simpson is in his third season with the Washington Nationals organization but is getting his first full year of experience. He appeared in nine games after getting drafted in 2023, but missed almost the entirety of last season with an injury, pitching in just two games.

This year, with High-A Wilmington, Simpson has appeared in 19 games out of the bullpen, posting a 4.45 ERA over 28.1 innings, including 34 strikeouts to 25 walks. Opponents have really struggled to hit him, batting just .181, but 0.95 free bases per inning have gotten him in trouble. Over his last four outings, Jared has not allowed an earned run, tossing 7.1 scoreless, including eight strikeouts to six walks and just two hits allowed.

OF Sam Petersen – High-A Wilmington Blue Rocks (Washington Nationals)

Selected in the 8th Round of the 2024 MLB Draft, Sam Petersen is in his second year with the Washington Nationals organization. He saw limited action after the draft last season, appearing in seven games, but has moved around this season quite a bit after a minor injury in the spring.

He has seen time with the FCL Nationals, Single-A Fredericksburg and now is with High-A Wilmington. Despite all the movement, Petersen has been successful, slashing .368/.479/.513 over 23 games, including 28 hits, five doubles, two home runs, 13 RBI’s and 11 stolen bases.

RHP Brody Brecht – Fresno Grizzlies (Colorado Rockies)

Selected with the 38th pick in 2024 MLB Draft, Brody Brecht became the highest-drafted Hawkeye since the selection of Tim Costo (8th) in 1990. Unfortunately, Brecht went on the injured list back on May 13th and has not pitched since May 4th.

Prior to his injury, Brecht started six games for Single-A Fresno, posting a 3.26 ERA over 19.1 innings, including 34 strikeouts to 15 walks. On April 29th, Brody had a season-best outing, tossing 4.0 scoreless innings against Visalia, including nine strikeouts to one walk and three hits allowed.

RHP Marcus Morgan – Clearwater Threshers (Philadelphia Phillies)

Selected in the 9th Round of the 2024 MLB Draft, Marcus Morgan spent some time with the FCL Phillies on the backend of last season, but did not appear in a game. Morgan started this season with Single-A Clearwater but suffered an injury and has since been put on the 60-day injured list, which likely means his season is over. Prior to his injury, Marcus appeared in eight games with four starts, posting a 10.13 ERA over 13.1 innings, including 12 strikeouts to 24 walks.

RHP Jack Young – Kannapolis Cannon Ballers (Chicago White Sox)

Selected in the 9th Round of the 2024 MLB Draft, Jack Young spent some time with the ACL White Sox on the backend of last season, but did not appear in a game. He was recently put on the 7-day injured list with Single-A Kannapolis, but has had a really impressive season to this point.

In 17 appearances out of the bullpen, Young has posted a dominant 0.38 ERA, allowing one earned run over 24.0 innings, including 25 strikeouts to 15 walks. Opponents have struggled mightily to hit him, batting just .131 and averaging 0.46 hits per inning.

SS Raider Tello – Clearwater Threshers (Philadelphia Phillies)

An undrafted free agent signing by the Philadelphia Phillies organization, Raider Tello appeared in 14 games with Single-A Clearwater at the tail end of last season after signing. Now, in his first full season with Clearwater, Tello is slashing .261/.323/.389, with 47 hits, eight doubles, five home runs and 25 RBI’s.

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