Little League® Graduates Earn the Call at 2020 MLB Draft

While the format of the 2020 MLB First-Year Player Draft, presented by T-Mobile, may have looked different, the one thing that remained consistent was the amount of former Little Leaguers^® who had their childhood dreams come true when they heard Commissioner Robert D. Manfred call their names to continue their baseball journey. Among the first-round selections in the 2020 draft, more than half of those draft picks got their start on a Little League field and a total of 72 of the 160 selections played as a child.

At the top of the draft was Spencer Torkelson, a graduate of Petaluma Valley (Calif.) Little League, who was selected number one overall by the Detroit Tigers. During his 12-year-old Little League season, as a member of Petaluma Valley LL, Spencer set a league record with an impressive 36 home runs despite having to eventually watch his cross-league rival team from Petaluma National LL earn a trip to Williamsport to compete in the 2012 Little League Baseball^® World Series.

“Spencer always was one of the best kids, and certainly one of the best players, I have ever coached in Little League, and we couldn’t be more proud of him for being drafted number one overall,” said Rick Duarte, Little League California District 35 Administrator and Spencer’s former Little League coach. “The biggest thing that always stood out to me about Spencer has been his humility. Even as a Little Leaguer, he always maintained a level head and wanted to be a good teammate. I even heard a younger player in the league tell his mom ‘Spenny knew my name! He told me great job on that hit!’ Even at a young age, Spencer had a positive effect on those around him and we’re excited to see him continue to serve as a role model at the next level of the game.”

Below is the complete list of the 2020 MLB First-Year Player Draft selections who got their start playing in Little League:

Among the 72 former Little Leaguers who were selected in the 2020 MLB draft, three of them participated in the Little League Baseball World Series – Robert Hassell III (2013, ’14), Ed Howard (2014), and Dylan MacLean (2015). Coby Mayo, selected 103^rd overall by the Baltimore Orioles, also participated in the 2017 Senior League Baseball World Series and was a member of the Parkland, Florida, community that helped rebuild the city after devastation in 2018. Historically, numerous Little League graduates have achieved success at the Major-League level, with more than 100 alumni currently playing on the biggest stage. In total, there are also more than 50 confirmed graduates who have played in the Little League Baseball World Series have gone on to play Major League Baseball and there are more than 25 confirmed members of the National Baseball Hall of Fame who started their baseball careers playing Little League.

NOTE: If you know of a player that we have missed, please e-mail the information, including name, draft information, and the name of the city, town, and league where they played Little League, to [email protected].

Feel free to share your Little League alumni story on social media by tagging @LittleLeague and by using #LLAlumni in your posts.