Three Idaho-developed players are in MLB. Ten more are chasing the dream
Although the lockout pushed the start of Major League Baseball’s regular season back a couple of weeks, that hasn’t deterred prospects born or developed in Idaho.
Thirteen players with Idaho ties are fighting for roster spots this spring, including three who made an MLB roster and three more who are just one phone call away in Triple-A.
The lockout did put baseball’s offseason at a standstill, though, which has proved problematic for some free agents. There are five Idaho prospects who played professionally last season who are still looking for a place to land.
Catch up on the Idaho connections below.
Connor Brogdon
Club: Philadelphia Phillies
Position: Relief pitcher
Level: MLB (40-man roster)
Age: 27
Idaho tie: Lewis-Clark State College
With a fastball clocked at 96.1 mph, the right-handed relief pitcher went 5-4 last season with a 3.43 ERA in 57.2 innings of work for the Phillies. He totaled 11 holds and one save while allowing 47 hits and 27 runs, with 50 strikeouts.
Brogdon made his season debut April 10 in a 4-1 loss to Oakland. He entered with one out in the seventh inning, allowing one hit and striking out one to escape the inning without allowing a run.
Seth Brown
Club: Oakland A’s
Position: Outfielder
Level: MLB (40-man roster)
Age: 29
Idaho tie: Lewis-Clark State College
The lefty batted .214 in 2021 in 281 at-bats, hitting 20 home runs with 48 RBIs. He appeared in 111 games for the A’s, which was a career high.
Brown started the first three games of the season at first base for the A’s. He is 2-for-10 at the plate with one run scored, one home run and four RBIs.
Damon Jones
Club: Philadelphia Phillies
Position: Relief pitcher
Level: MLB (40-man roster)
Age: 27
Idaho tie: Twin Falls High (2013), College of Southern Idaho
The 6-foot-5 left-hander made the Phillies’ opening day roster after a strong spring training in which he finished with a 1.42 ERA in 6.1 innings pitched.
Jones spent most of the 2021 season with the Triple-A Lehigh Valley IronPigs, going 1-5 with a 5.44 ERA in 41.1 innings over 34 games.
Jones made his first appearance of the 2022 season on April 10 in a 4-1 loss to Oakland. He pitched the final two innings, giving up two hits and two earned runs while striking out two and walking one.
Riley O’Brien
Club: Cincinnati Reds
Position: Starting pitcher
Level: Triple-A (40-man roster)
Age: 27
Idaho tie: College of Idaho
The highest draft pick in College of Idaho history (eighth round) will start the season with the Reds’ Triple-A affiliate in Louisville, Kentucky, after making one start for Cincinnati in 2021.
Last season with the Bats, O’Brien recorded a 4.55 ERA and a 7-7 record.
He opened the 2022 season April 6, pitching three innings in relief and taking a 7-4 loss.
James Hoyt
Club: Los Angeles Angels
Position: Relief pitcher
Level: TBD (free agent)
Age: 34
Idaho tie: Boise High (2005)
The 6-6 right-hander spent most of last season with Triple-A Salt Lake, but he did play in nine games with the Angels.
He pitched a total of eight innings for the Angels with a 6.75 ERA, giving up 12 hits and 10 runs while striking out 11.
With the Bees, Hoyt finished with a 9.42 ERA in 35.1 innings pitched. He had a 1-2 record, 36 strikeouts and a 2.01 WHIP.
Josh Osich
Club: Cincinnati Reds
Position: Relief pitcher
Level: TBD (free agent)
Age: 33
Idaho tie: Bishop Kelly High (2007)
After four seasons in the Giants’ bullpen, Osich has since played for four different MLB teams.
Osich appeared in 21 games for the Reds in 2021, going 2-0 with a 5.02 ERA. He pitched 14.1 total innings with nine strikeouts and a 1.40 WHIP.
Michael Stefanic
Club: Los Angeles Angels
Position: Second base/shortstop
Level: Triple-A
Age: 26
Idaho tie: Timberline High (2014)
Still itching to make his MLB debut after going undrafted out of Westmont College, the 5-10 Timberline graduate will start the 2022 season on Triple-A Salt Lake’s roster.
Last season, Stefanic played 21 games for the Double-A Rocket City Trash Pandas before being called up to Salt Lake. With the Bees, he batted .334 in 404 plate appearances, racking up 21 doubles, 16 home runs and 54 RBIs.
Blaine Hardy
Club: Milwaukee Brewers
Position: Relief pitcher
Level: TBD (free agent)
Age: 35
Idaho tie: Lewis-Clark State College
Although he spent the majority of the 2021 season with the Brewers’ Triple-A affiliate in Nashville, Hardy pitched one inning for Milwaukee, taking a loss while allowing three runs.
With Nashville, Hardy finished with a 2.63 ERA and a record of 6-6. He struck out 62 while allowing 57 hits and 25 runs.
Zach Draper
Club: Cleveland Guardians
Position: Relief pitcher
Level: Triple-A
Age: 27
Idaho tie: College of Idaho, College of Southern Idaho
A 30th-round pick in 2017, the left-hander starts the 2022 season with the Triple-A Columbus Clippers.
Draper tumbled down the ladder last season, starting the year with the Clippers before playing for the Double-A Akron RubberDucks and finishing the season with the High-A Lake County Captains.
In 12 games with the Captains, he compiled a 4.47 ERA and a 2-2 record.
Jackson Cluff
Club: Washington Nationals
Position: Shortstop
Level: Double-A
Age: 25
Idaho tie: Rocky Mountain High graduate
He climbed from rookie-level ball to Double-A last season, ultimately playing in 35 games for the Harrisburg Senators. In 126 at-bats, he totaled 24 hits — including five doubles and two home runs — while scoring 14 runs with nine RBIs. He finished batting .190.
Through two games with the Senators this season, Cluff is hitless in nine at-bats, striking out seven times.
Seaver Whalen
Club: Tampa Bay Rays
Position: Third base
Level: TBD (free agent)
Age: 26
Idaho tie: Lewis-Clark State College
In 60 games with the Double-A Montgomery Biscuits last season, Whalen batted .214 with 40 hits, 20 runs scored, 12 doubles, six home runs and 30 RBIs.
Alex Guerrero
Club: New York Yankees
Position: Catcher
Level: TBD
Age: 22
Idaho tie: Eagle High (2018)
The last Treasure Valley native drafted out of high school, Guerrero appeared in two games for the Yankees during spring training, including a 1-for-2 performance in a 5-3 loss to Detroit.
It was quite the jump for Guerrero, who finished last season with the High-A Hudson Valley Renegades.
Kyle Manzardo
Club: Tampa Bay Rays
Position: First base
Level: High-A
Age: 21
Idaho tie: Lake City High graduate
Drafted by the Rays in the second round of the 2021 draft, the Coeur d’Alene native makes the jump to the High-A Bowling Green Hot Rods from the rookie-level Florida Complex League.
In FCL action, Manzardo batted .349 in 43 at-bats, collecting 15 hits and eight RBIs.
This story was originally published April 12, 2022 at 1:55 PM.
