NJCAA Alumni Selected in 2024 MLB Draft
Charlotte, NC - The 2024 MLB Draft occurred from July 14-16 at Cowtown Coliseum in Fort Worth, TX. With 104 NJCAA Alumni selected in this week's draft, the NJCAA wants to highlight some notable alumni chosen in this week's draft.
Over 100 alumni were selected throughout the 20 rounds of the MLB Draft, with 25 coming directly from a NJCAA college. The San Diego Padres, Los Angeles Dodgers, and Chicago Cubs each selected the most NJCAA alumni with six selections. College of Central Florida, Northwest Florida State, and State College of Florida-Manatee featured five former and current student-athletes selected, the most of any NJCAA institution this year.
The first former NJCAA student-athlete selected was former Pima (AZ) pitcher Aiden May, who was chosen in Competitive Balance Round B by the Miami Marlins. May pitched one season for the Aztecs and struck out 50 batters across 15 appearances. May initially transferred to Arizona and spent one season with the Wildcats before transferring again to Oregon State. The 6-2 righty was considered an anchor in the Beavers rotation, holding a mid-90s fastball and a power-breaking ball. In 2024, May was named a Third-Team All-America selection by the NCBWA, ABCA, and Perfect Game. In addition, May was a first-team All-Pac-12 after finishing the season with 84 strikeouts over 73 2/3 innings and a 1.14 WHIP.
Two former NJCAA Division III Pitchers of the Year were selected in this year's draft. Jayden Voelker of Northern Essex (MA) was selected in the eighth round by the Tampa Bay Rays. Voelker led the Knights to their third straight appearance at the NJCAA Division III World Series and led the nation in many categories, including strikeouts with 126 on the season. At the DIII World Series, Voelker took the mound against top-seeded and eventual champion RCSJ Gloucester (NJ), where he struck out nine batters across 6.1 innings and only allowed one run on two hits. Greg Farone made his mark for Herkimer (NY) two years ago, earning many NJCAA Division III Baseball honors. Farone was named the NJCAA Division III Baseball Pitcher of the Year in 2022 after leading the Generals to its first Baseball National Championship in program history. During that season, Farone led the nation with 139 strikeouts and 20.85 K/9. Following his season, the southpaw transferred to Louisville for one season before playing at Alabama in 2024. Farone appeared in 17 games for the Crimson Tide and owned the best ERA amongst the pitching staff. He opened the season as the midweek starter and a reliever before becoming the Friday-night starter by the season's end. The San Francisco Giants selected Fraone in the seventh round of the draft.
Southpaw Brandon Clarke of State College of Florida-Manatee was the first NJCAA Alumni selected directly from an NJCAA institution by the Boston Red Sox in the fifth round. Clarke led the Manatees rotation by boasting a 4.36 ERA and striking out 107 batters across 74.1 innings. His efforts in the 2024 season earned Clarke All-Citrus Conference First-Team honors.
One of the best hitters across all levels of the NJCAA was selected in the sixth round by the Houston Astros. A month after being named the 2024 NJCAA Division I Player of the Year, Caden Powell of Seminole State (OK). Powell finished the 2024 season as a first-team all-America selection. Powell led the nation with 32 home runs and 104 while being one of two players to average above .500 on the season. The sophomore was named NJCAA Division I Player of the Week during the regular season.
Pitcher Aaron Combs has had many different experiences throughout his college career. Before being a key arm for the National Champion Tennessee Volunteers, Combs helped lead the College of Central Florida to the NJCAA Division I World Series in Grand Junction in 2021. Across 15 appearances for the Patriots, Combs pitched 60.0 innings, earned a 3.45 ERA, and recorded 74 strikeouts. After a fantastic season, he would transfer to Tennessee, and this year, he would be a key player for the eventual champions. He struck out 66 batters across 45.2 innings, holding a 3.35 ERA.
