On July 14, Landon Manzi became just the second baseball player in Killingly High School history to be drafted from high school to the major leagues.
“It’s an amazing accomplishment,” Manzi said. “This year kind of sprung up on me and I had thoughts of being drafted going into the year.”
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The Texas Rangers selected Manzi in the 14th round with the 415th pick.
Killingly senior Landon Manzi was selected by the Texas Rangers in the MLB Draft on Monday. The Rangers picked Manzi in the 14th round at number 415.
“I’m elated for him,” Killingly head baseball coach Ben Desaulnier said. “He’s a great kid and a great representative of the program.”
Manzi, a senior righthander, led Killingly to its first state semifinal appearance since 1973 this past spring. He went 5-3 with a 1.60 ERA. He had 89 strikeouts in 58.1 innings.
This spring the Rangers had seen Manzi pitch on six or seven occasions, including his shutout performance against Waterford in the Class M state quarterfinals.
“If I had to put any money on it, that was the game that locked it up for him,” Desaulnier said. “That game was the best I’ve ever seen him pitch.”
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Manzi has appeared in four games in the Futures League for the Norwich Sea Unicorns this summer. He has seven strikeouts in eight innings.
More: Zanor column: Killingly baseball raises the bar again
“He’s just a hard working kid,” Desaulnier said. “It’s so cliché to say he’s everything a coach would want but he’s a high academic kid, he’s an honor roll kid and a great leader. He accepts challenges and wants to be coached. He’s always great with the younger guys. He’s just a great representative of the program.”
Manzi has a commitment to attend and play for Northeastern University.
“I’m not sure what I’m going to do yet, if I’m going to go to school or go there,” Manzi said.
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“It’s a great opportunity whatever he decides,” Desaulnier said.
Bruce Boisclair was the first Killingly player to be drafted from high school. Boisclair was selected by the New York Mets in the 20th round of the 1970 MLB Draft.
This article originally appeared on The Bulletin: Killingly’s Landon Manzi selected by Texas Rangers in 2025 MLB Draft