Undrafted Major Leaguers

by SethSpeaks on Nov 29, 2005 8:04 AM EST

Is there a place where I can find out how many Major Leaguers have made it without being drafted. Obviously foreign-born players are not drafted, but I mean draft-eligible players.

Today on my site (www.SethSpeaks.net), I have a Q&A with Chris Brown. He spent 2005 with the Twins Low-A affiliate in Beloit. He was signed out of a tryout camp following a very strong 4 year college career at a D2 school in Florida. I found a link to a 1987 article that listed a bunch from that time, but I could not find anything more recent. Can anyone help?

I think it is interesting to hear the stories of the guys that were unheralded as much as it is fun to read about the guys who are 1st round picks and get opportunities just because of that sometimes.

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Brady Clark

Brady Clark was an undrafted free agent from UC-San Deigo. Rod Barajas too i think.

by nms on Nov 29, 2005 11:39 AM EST reply actions

MLB would be the place

to get a comprehensive list. But I haven't had a chance to do a comprehensive search.

3Rivers, United League of Moderate Gamers | Writer, Minor Details | Writer, Independent Thinking

by rockies73 on Nov 29, 2005 11:42 AM EST reply actions

This is difficult

Other than going through, player by player, in baseballreference.com, I can't figure out how to get a list of undrafted free agents.

There was a story in Maine about Mike Bordick who graduated from Orono and begged to go on one of the A's minor league teams as a walk on, roster filler. He made out well.

Just randomly going through Baseball Reference I found several foreign players but not any other notable US players. Marcus Giles was drafted in the 53rd round (is this a typo? I didn't know it went on that long).

by LindInMoskva on Nov 29, 2005 11:56 AM EST reply actions

53rd rd

"Marcus Giles was drafted in the 53rd round (is this a typo? I didn't know it went on that long)."

It used too, now it caps at 50...Giles was a DFE and i dont know what kind of bonus he got so he could have been more well regarded than the round indicates

by nms on Nov 29, 2005 12:04 PM EST reply actions

Jeremy Accardo

was undrafted, signed out of the Alaskan Summer League and zipped up to the majors in 2 years.

by Roger on Nov 29, 2005 12:20 PM EST reply actions

Rob Mackowiak

He was also a 53rd round pick..
Luke Allen hit 23 homers at Salt Lake this
year. He wasn't drafted.Also Jon Knott was
undrafted. He has hit 90 homers in four years
in the minors and could help a lot of teams if
you ask me.Also, how can you miss Matt Desalvo?
He had a fine year for Trenton.Desalvo and
Knott can be worthwhile major leaguers.

by lethimroll @ Minor League Ball on Nov 29, 2005 1:27 PM EST reply actions

DeSalvo would have been drafted

I was at Heidelberg as SID when DeSalvo injured his arm. If he doesn't injure his arm he's drafted and starting this journey after his junior season.

Instead he comes back as a senior and is a better pitcher than the year before and signs with the Yankees as a fifth-year senior before the draft.

3Rivers, United League of Moderate Gamers | Writer, Minor Details | Writer, Independent Thinking

by rockies73 on Nov 29, 2005 1:58 PM EST up reply actions

Vinny Rottino

He will probably sniff the majors this year.
He was also undrafted.

by lethimroll @ Minor League Ball on Nov 29, 2005 1:36 PM EST reply actions

Another

Jeff Zimmerman also was undrafted and signed out of the independent leagues.

by rhd on Nov 29, 2005 1:43 PM EST reply actions

what happened to him?

He was lights out a few years back. How is he progressing back?

by akk99 on Nov 29, 2005 1:54 PM EST up reply actions

"Also, how can you miss Matt Desalvo?"

Because the author was asking for major leaguers?

by nms on Nov 29, 2005 2:39 PM EST reply actions

gagne

eric gagne wasnt drafted, i think

by sanchez101 on Nov 29, 2005 4:20 PM EST reply actions

Gagne

E. Gagne is an interesting case. He was drafted by the ChiSox in 1994 (in 30rd round), but evidently didnt sign. Then, the Dodgers signed him the next year as an undrafted free agent. Wow, teams select 50 rounds of players (1500 players, or so) and they miss a talent like Gagne!

by rhd on Nov 29, 2005 5:25 PM EST reply actions

Bobby Kielty...

...wasn't drafted. He transfered once and then broke his back skiing, so he missed his Junior year and nobody drafted him. But that summer, he tore up the Cape Cod League and signed with the Twins afterward.

cmathewson

by cmathewson on Nov 29, 2005 5:50 PM EST reply actions