The MLB season is officially underway, while over 100 minor league teams are set to get their respective seasons going as well. The Iowa Baseball program currently has 18 former players competing at various levels of the MLB system. Since Rick Heller took over as head coach in 2013, Iowa has seen 40 former players sign professional contracts, including 35 players going in the MLB Draft. Last season, left-handed pitcher Jack Dreyer became the first Rick Heller coached Hawkeye to make an Opening Day roster, and he went on to win a World Series ring with the Los Angeles Dodgers. Over the last five years, Nick Allgeyer, Mason McCoy, Tyler Cropley, Jack Dreyer and Adam Mazur have each appeared in an at least two MLB games.

MLB (1)

LHP Jack Dreyer – Los Angeles Dodgers

An undrafted free agent in 2021, Jack Dreyer is in his fifth year with the Los Angeles Dodgers organization, turning a $5,000 signing into a World Series ring. After a couple of seasons in the minors, Dreyer made the Dodgers 26-man roster out of Spring Training and spent the entire season with the club. In 67 appearances, with five starts, Dreyer posted an impressive 2.95 ERA over 76.1 innings, including 74 strikeouts to just 24 walks and 56 hits allowed. During the Dodgers World Series run, Jack appeared in four games, tossing 4.0 scoreless innings, including four strikeouts. He pitched in two World Series games.

It’s been quite the pro career for Dreyer, and it might still just be starting. After signing as an undrafted free agent coming off a season-ending injury at Iowa, Jack climbed the ladder, going from ACL Dodgers (12 gms) to High-A Great Lakes (42 gms) to Double-A Tulsa (9 gms) to Triple-A Oklahoma City (37 gms) to the Los Angeles Dodgers (67 gms) over four seasons.

Triple-A (5)

RHP Duncan Davitt – Charlotte Knights (Chicago White Sox)

Selected in the 18th Round of the 2022 MLB Draft, Duncan Davitt is in his fifth season of pro baseball, including his first full year with the White Sox organization. Davitt has quietly put together a solid minor league career to this point and might just be the next Hawkeye to make his MLB debut.

Included in a trade that sent Adrian Houser to Tampa Bay, Davitt made 15 starts for Double-A Montgomery and four starts with Triple-A Durham before moving over to the Sox farm system. He then made nine starts with Triple-A Charlotte to finish out his ’25 campaign. In total, Davitt made 28 starts, posting a 4.38 ERA over 152.0 innings, including 150 strikeouts to 45 walks and 139 hits allowed. With a couple of injuries to other guys at the Triple-A level, if anyone is going to make his MLB debut this season, it’s going to be Davitt.

INF Mason McCoy – El Paso Chihuahuas (San Diego Padres)

Selected in the 6th Round of the 2017 MLB Draft by Baltimore, Mason McCoy is in his ninth year of pro ball and is the oldest former Hawkeye to still be playing. McCoy has spent time with Baltimore, Seattle, Toronto and San Diego organizations, making his MLB debut in 2023 with the Blue Jays.

Last season, in 90 games with Triple-A El Paso, McCoy slashed .272/.354/.450, with 90 hits, 22 doubles, 11 home runs and 59 RBI’s. He was pulled to the major league squad, appearing in 22 games for the Padres last season. McCoy batted just .136 in 22 at-bats but has now appeared in 43 career MLB games.

RHP Adam Mazur – Jacksonville Jumbo Shrimp (Miami Marlins)

Selected in the 2nd Round of the 2022 MLB Draft, Adam Mazur is in his fourth year of professional ball and his second with the Marlins organization after getting traded from San Diego. Unfortunately, Mazur is on the 60-day injured list and will miss all of this season with an elbow injury.

He has seen some decent time in the MLB, with both San Diego (8 starts) and Miami (6 starts), which makes the injury all the more difficult to handle. Last season in six starts with the Marlins, Mazur posted a 4.80 ERA over 30.0 innings, including 19 strikeouts to 12 walks and 33 hits allowed. He also had a 4.36 ERA in 19 starts with Triple-A Jacksonville.

LHP Trenton Wallace – Buffalo Bisons (Toronto Blue Jays)

Selected in the 11th Round of the 2021 MLB Draft, Trenton Wallace is in his sixth season with the Toronto Blue Jays organization, but has suffered the same fate as Mazur. He is on the 60-day injured list and is expected to miss the entire season with an injury. Last season, with Triple-A Buffalo, Wallace posted a 4.18 ERA over 25 appearances, including eight starts, tallying 65 strikeouts to 36 walks and 44 hits allowed over 51.2 innings. The injury is a brutal one at this point in his minor league career, especially given the fact that he performed well enough last season to be in the conversation for a call up if the Blue Jays needed an extra arm on the staff.

1B Keaton Anthony – Lehigh Valley Iron Pigs (Philadelphia Phillies)

An undrafted free agent signing by the Philadelphia Phillies in 2023, Keaton Anthony is in his fourth year with the organization. An easy guy to root for after all the went on at the tail end of his Iowa career, including missing the Hawkeyes NCAA Regional, Keaton has been successful so far in his pro career.

Anthony was making a run at a spot on the Phillies Opening Day roster during Spring Training but fouled a ball off of his foot on March 9th against Boston. He broke his foot, which required surgery to fix, and he will miss an extended period of time. Last season, Anthony spent time with Double-A Reading (49 gms) and Triple-A Lehigh Valley (33 gms), slashing .323/.378/.484, with 102 hits, 31 doubles, six home runs and 39 RBI’s over 316 at-bats.

Double-A (1)

RHP Ty Langenberg – Wichita Wind Surge (Minnesota Twins)

Selected in the 11th Round of the 2023 MLB Draft, Ty Langenberg is in his fourth season with the Minnesota Twins organization. He continues to be a name to keep an eye on, as a guy that could move up in the Twins system as the season goes on. Last season, in 21 starts with High-A Cedar Rapids, Langenberg posted a 4.87 ERA over 105.1 innings, including 98 strikeouts to 47 walks and 107 hits allowed. He’s slowly climbed the ladder, moving from the FCL Twins to Single-A Fort Myers to High-A Cedar Rapids last season. Ty will begin the year with Double-A Wichita, his highest stop in the Twins farm system.

High-A (5)

RHP Brody Brecht – Spokane Indians (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. In his first pro season a year ago, Brecht started the year with the ACL Rockies but ended up making 16 starts for Single-A Fresno. He posted a 2.60 ERA over 55.1 innings, tallying 87 strikeouts to 32 walks and 42 hits allowed. A very solid year from a free base and ERA standpoint, Brody has earned a promotion to High-A Spokane to start this season.

OF Sam Petersen – Wilmington Blue Rocks (Washington Nationals)

Selected in the 8th Round of the 2024 MLB Draft, Sam Petersen is in his third year with the Washington Nationals organization. He was well traveled last season, spending time with the FCL Nationals (11 gms), Single-A Fredericksburg (2 gms) and High-A Wilmington (44 gms). In his time with Wilmington, Petersen slashed .297/.398/.490, with 43 hits, six doubles, two triples, six home runs and 21 RBI’s over 145 at-bats. He also stole 18 bases. Petersen was invited to play with the Nationals Prospects during the Spring Breakout but went 0-for-2 against the Cardinals Prospects.

LHP Jared Simpson – Wilmington Blue Rocks (Washington Nationals)

Selected in the 8th Round of the 2023 MLB Draft, Jared Simpson is in his fourth year with the Washington Nationals organization. Simpson missed almost the entirety of the 2024 season with an injury, but returned last season, spending the entire year with High-A Wilmington. In 41 appearances, Simpson posted a 6.23 ERA over 52.0 innings, including 64 strikeouts just 35 hits allowed, but struggled with his command, giving up 61 free bases. This will be a crucial year for him, in his second year post-injury to show that he can cut down on the free bases.

INF Raider Tello – Jersey Shore Blue Claws (Philadelphia Phillies)

An undrafted free agent signing by the Philadelphia Phillies organization in 2024, infielder Raider Tello is set to start his third year and his second full pro season. Tello spent all of last season with Single-A Clearwater, appearing in 101 games, slashing .277/.347/.398, with 98 hits, 19 doubles, eight home runs and 55 RBI’s over 354 at-bats. His performance last season has earned him a promotion, as he will start this season with High-A Jersey Shore. Over two seasons at Iowa, Tello appeared in 113 games, totaling 155 hits, 33 doubles, 11 home runs and 110 RBI’s.

Raider Tello gives Clearwater an insurance run in the eighth inning with his first pro home run, an opposite field shot at 105 mph that goes 378 feet pic.twitter.com/icawi48Q3A

— Mitch Rupert (@Mitch_Rupert) April 10, 2025

RHP Jack Young – Winston-Salem Dash (Chicago White Sox)

Selected in the 9th Round of the 2024 MLB Draft, right-handed pitcher Jack Young is in his second season with the White Sox organization. It was a successful year for Young last season, finishing with a 2.72 ERA over 53.0 innings and 36 appearances with two minor league clubs. He started the year with Single-A Kannapolis, posting a 0.35 ERA in 19 appearances. That earned him a promotion to High-A Winston-Salem where he appeared in 17 games and finished with a 5.00 ERA over 27.0 innings. Young appeared in 36 games during his Iowa career, including 24 relief appearances during the 2024 season with a 2.76 ERA over 3.2 innings.

Single-A (4)

RHP Anthony Watts – Palm Beach Cardinals (St Louis Cardinals)

Selected in the 14th Round of the 2025 MLB Draft, right-handed pitcher Anthony Watts made a brief debut with Single-A Palm Beach after the draft. He appeared in three games for the Cardinals allowing four runs over 2.2 innings of work, while tallying three strikeouts. That’s where he will start his first full season of pro baseball. Last season at Iowa, Watts posted a 4.72 ERA over 40.0 innings in 24 appearances out of the bullpen.

C Daniel Rogers – San Jose Giants (San Francisco Giants)

An undrafted free agent signing by the San Francisco Giants last season, Loras College transfer and one-year Hawkeye catcher Daniel Rogers was able to make his first pro ball appearance after the draft. He appeared in 16 games for Single-A San Jose, slashing .278/.391/.333 over 54 at-bats, including 15 hits, three doubles and nine RBI’s. In his one season at Iowa, Rogers made 49 starts, tallying 43 hits, 11 doubles, seven home runs and 42 RBI’s.

RHP Daniel Wright – Kannapolis Cannon Ballers (Chicago White Sox)

Selected in the 10th Round of the 2025 MLB Draft, right-handed pitcher Daniel Wright spent some time with the ACL White Sox, but did not appear in a game after a breakout year with the Hawkeyes. He will start this season at the Single-A level, as he has been assigned to the Kannapolis Cannon Ballers roster. Last season at Iowa, Wright posted a 3.41 ERA over 29.0 innings and 18 appearances.

RHP Joey Oakie – Hill City Howlers (Cleveland Guardians)

Although he never made it to campus, right-handed pitcher Joey Oakie was once an Iowa Baseball commit. Selected in the 3rd Round of the 2024 MLB Draft, Oakie opted to sign with the Guardians for $2.00 million dollars. He split time last season with the ACL Guardians and the Single-A Lynchburg Hillcats, who have since changed their name. In six starts with Lynchburg after moving up from the ACL Guardians, Oakie posted a 2.22 ERA over 24.1 innings, including 31 strikeouts to 15 walks and 17 hits allowed. Pitching for the Guardians Prospects in the Spring Breakout, Oakie’s fastball topped out at 99.1 mph during his 2.0 scoreless inning outing that included three strikeouts.

Rookie (2)

LHP Cade Obermueller – FCL Phillies (Philadelphia Phillies)

Selected in the 2nd Round of the 2025 MLB Draft, left-handed pitcher Cade Obermueller signed with the Phillies for $1.197 million dollars. He spent some time with the FCL Phillies but did not appear in a game after the draft, which is not uncommon for collegiate starting pitchers. Obermueller pitched for the Phillies Prospects during their Spring Breakout, tossing 2.0 scoreless innings, including two strikeouts against the Blue Jays Prospects. As of this writing, Cade has not yet been assigned to a Phillies minor league team. Last season at Iowa, Obermueller posted a 3.02 ERA over 83.1 innings, earning First Team All-Big Ten honors.

RHP Aaron Savary – ACL Guardians (Cleveland Guardians)

Selected in the 13th Round of the 2025 MLB Draft, right-handed pitcher Aaron Savary spent some time with the ACL Guardians after the draft but did not appear in a game. As of this writing, Aaron has not yet been assigned to a Guardians minor league team. Last season at Iowa, Savary posted a 4.37 ERA over 80.1 innings, earning First Team All-Big Ten honors.