Alex Madera’s unlikely baseball story just added another uplifting chapter.
The former Delran High School star, who completed his college career last year at North Carolina, said he got a call Tuesday to sign a minor-league contract with the Chicago Cubs.
“I was sitting at home and I got a call from Matthew Dorey telling me they were going to sign me,” Madera said via text message Thursday night. “I just landed (in Arizona) and I have to get my physical and paperwork done tomorrow. I honestly have no idea what’s going to happen after that.”
Dorey is the Cubs’ vice president of player personnel. The team typically has held a minor-league minicamp ahead of the full camp for their prospects, which opens in March.
Lightly recruited out of Delran, the same high school that produced U.S. women’s soccer legend Carli Lloyd, Madera started his college career at Division III Arcadia in Glenside, Pa.
Arcadia only played 12 games during Madera’s freshman season because of the COVID-19 shut down, but he eventually developed into a D3 superstar. Arcadia went 98-42 during his four seasons and won two Middle Atlantic Conference Championships. Madera left with school records in career batting average (.432), walks (99) and stolen bases (86).
His college career was elevated to a much high level in 2024 when he signed to play with North Carolina, one of the best Division I teams in the country. During two seasons with the Tar Heels, Madera played in 124 games, including three games in the 2024 College World Series. He batted .317 with a .419 on-base percentage, scored 97 runs, drove in 72 and stole 22 bases.
Madera, 25, had signed to play with the Milwaukee Milkmen, an independent league team in the American Association, but that season was not scheduled to begin until early May. Now, he has a chance to play for one of the Cubs’ minor-league affiliates in April.