Wyatt Henseler was content with his decision to forego the MLB Draft each of the past two years. He expressed confidence last week that one of MLB’s 30 teams would see his production over five college seasons and take a chance on him.

Henseler’s confidence was rewarded Monday. The Emmaus High graduate, primarily a third baseman, was taken by the Washington Nationals in the ninth round (pick No. 261 overall) of the 2025 MLB Draft.

Earlier Monday, Tamaqua’s Mason Ligenza was picked in the sixth round (No. 195 overall) by the Los Angeles Dodgers. The 6-foot-5 lefty outfielder was ranked the No. 217 overall prospect by MLB.com. He’s committed to Pittsburgh.

Henseler played at Texas A&M as a graduate student this spring after four seasons starring at the University of Pennsylvania. He was tempted by the draft the past two years but had other priorities to pursue first.

“The only reason I wanted to go to college was to get the best degree possible, and that’s what led me to Penn,” Henseler said by phone last week. “I wasn’t willing to leave till that degree was finished. I’m kind of big on when I start something, I’m going to finish it.

“Then the opportunity at A&M came around, and I felt it was the best chance to achieve my ultimate goal, which was to win a national championship. That was always higher on my priority list than moving on to pro ball. Obviously [winning a national championship at Texas A&M] didn’t happen, but I had a great experience there.

“Once my time was up, I knew it was time to try to give this a go.”

Henseler’s hit tool allowed him to earn looks from MLB scouts and ultimately his selection by the Nationals. He excelled in his one season at Texas A&M by posting a .319/.423/.562 slash line and starting all 56 games. He led the Aggies with 15 doubles while adding 12 homers, 48 runs and 33 RBIs. That production earned him a spot on the ABCA/Rawlings Central All-Region first team.

Henseler’s strong showing in the SEC, the best conference in NCAA Division I baseball, came after he left Penn as one of the top offensive players in Ivy League history. He set the Ivy League’s single-season home run record (22) as a Penn senior in 2024. He also established Ivy League career records for homers (54), RBIs (189) and total bases (560) despite playing only 14 games as a freshman because of the COVID-19 shortened 2021 season.

Henseler was named to the all-Ivy League first team three times. He was the unanimous Ivy League player of the year in 2024.

Stephen Miller is a freelance writer.

Originally Published: July 14, 2025 at 3:21 PM EDT