Before Seattle Mariners catcher Cal Raleigh made history Monday night by winning the Home Run Derby in Atlanta as part of All-Star week, more than 500 players were selected in rounds four through 20 of the 2025 MLB Draft. Among those, one player each from Gonzaga and Washington State heard their names called.

Gonzaga Pitcher Payton Graham

Midway through the seventh round, Gonzaga right-handed pitcher Payton Graham was selected by the St. Louis Cardinals with the 210th overall pick.

Graham, a Kennewick, Wash., native and Kamiakin High School graduate, had his 2025 season cut short during Gonzaga’s first game after sustaining an arm injury. Despite the setback, his impressive velocity caught the Cardinals’ attention. In that lone appearance — the Zags’ season opener — the 6-foot-2, 220-pound righty struck out seven and allowed just two hits over five innings, earning the win against UC Davis.

Over three seasons at GU, Graham made 30 appearances, logging 65.1 innings with 74 strikeouts, averaging over nine strikeouts per nine innings. He was named West Coast Conference Pitcher of the Week in 2024.

Ranked as the No. 211 prospect available, Graham was drafted one spot higher than projected. MLB estimates his draft slot value at $280,800.

Graham is the highest-drafted Gonzaga player since 2022, when Trystan Vrieling and William Kempner were selected 100th and 106th, respectively. He also becomes the 55th player drafted under head coach Mark Machtolf, marking the fifth consecutive year a Bulldog has been selected.

Washington State Catcher Will Cresswell

In the third-to-last round of Monday’s draft, Washington State catcher Will Cresswell was taken by the Toronto Blue Jays with the 532nd overall pick in the 18th round.

After a standout 2025 campaign, the Auburn, Wash., native earned All-Mountain West Conference Second Team honors. The 6-foot, 205-pound catcher hit .329 with 13 doubles, five home runs and a team-best 43 RBIs. His 10 multiple-RBI games led the Cougars, while his 19 runners thrown out stealing led the league.

During conference play, Cresswell batted .369 with eight doubles, five home runs and a team-best 37 RBIs — the fifth-most in the Mountain West. He closed his Cougar career with personal bests in batting average, hits, runs, doubles, stolen bases, RBIs, and matched his career high with five home runs.

In four seasons at WSU, Cresswell appeared in 132 games, posting a .249 average with 10 doubles, 11 home runs and 66 RBIs.

Cresswell is the first Cougar catcher drafted since P.J. Jones in 2015 and the first Washington State player drafted by Toronto since shortstop Cody Bartlett in 2011.