Eight MLB teams purchase the contracts of 13 players across the league in the first half of the season

*All statistics are up-to-date as of July 11, 2024*

Thomas Bruss

Missoula PaddleHeads to Detroit Tigers

Hailing from Rochester, Minn., Thomas Bruss is a right-handed pitcher who stands 6 feet 8 inches tall.

Bruss played college baseball at Augustana University in Sioux Falls, S.D., then spent two seasons in the Frontier League with the New Jersey Jackals and Ottawa Titans.  The Missoula PaddleHeads signed him for the 2024 season.

His contract was purchased by the Detroit Tigers in February 2024 where he's pitched well for the Lakeland Flying Tigers​, with 44 strikeouts and a save in 31.1 innings pitched.

Jack White

Glacier Range Riders to Seattle Mariners

Jack White is a 6-foot 3-inch left-handed pitcher from Bethesda, Md.

White began his professional career after playing college baseball for the Michigan Wolverines and San Jose State Spartans. Upon graduation, he signed with the Glacier Range Riders in 2023 and started 13 games, striking out 69 in 61.1 innings.  

White was signed to return in 2024 until the Seattle Mariners purchased his contract prior to the season. Pitching out of the bullpen for the Modesto Nuts, he has compiled a 5-3 record with two saves and 49 strikeouts through 43.2 innings.

Danny Kirwin

Oakland Ballers to Boston Red Sox

Born in Lansdale, Pa., Danny Kirwin is a 6-foot 2-inch right-handed pitcher.

After four seasons in the bullpen of Rider University, Kirwin pitched in the MLB Draft League for Mahoning Valley, striking out 21 over 14.2 innings.

Liking what they saw, the Oakland Ballers signed Kirwin to a contract for the 2024 season. The Boston Red Sox agreed with Oakland's initial assessment and purchased Kirwin's contract prior to the start of the Pioneer League season. Through 11 games with the Class A Salem Red Sox, Kirwin is 2-0 with a 1.10 WHIP in 34.2 innings.

Michael Sansone

Yolo High Wheelers to Boston Red Sox

The left-handed Connecticut native spent four successful years at Fairfield University, primarily as a starter, before he signed a contract with the Rays in summer 2022 to get his start in affiliated ball. After breaking camp with Tampa's Single-A Charleston River Dogs in 2023, Sansone was released despite his quality performances across 15 relief appearances.

He then signed with Yolo in early March of this year but drew attention from Red Sox scouts after attending an unsigned free-agent workout for Boston over the winter and never made an appearance in the Pioneer League. Sansone became the first High Wheeler in the team's short history to sign with an MLB team after his contract was purchased by the Red Sox in late April.

In 11 games with the Class A Salem Red Sox, Sansone holds a 2.18 ERA with 39 strikeouts compared to only six walks and a 0.82 WHIP with a 4-2 record as a reliever.

Will Sandy

Missoula PaddleHeads to Washington Nationals

Hailing from Raleigh, N.C., the 6-foot-4-inch left-hander spent five years as a combination starter and reliever for the University of North Carolina Tar Heels. After graduating, he signed with the Angels and made three appearances for the Atlantic Coast League Angels and two appearances for their High-A affiliate before being released.

Sandy signed with the PaddleHeads for the 2024 season but then had his contract purchased by the Nationals just a week before league action began and never appeared in a game for Missoula.

In ten relief appearances with Washington's Rookie Affiliate Florida Coast League Nationals, he has one win and one save in 11 relief appearances to go along with 15 strikeouts in 13 IP. 

Noah Owen

Glacier Range Riders to Los Angeles Angels

A San Diego native, Owen began at the University of San Diego, where he served as a combination starter and reliever, then moved to UC Santa Barbara as a reliever and finished his college career at Golden West College as a starter. Owen's professional journey started with the White Sox organization, as Chicago drafted him out of college in the 14th round of the 2021 draft. 

He made his way up to Chicago's High-A Winston-Salem club before being released in March 2024. Owen then signed with the Glacier Range Riders before the offseason wrapped up but then had his contract purchased by the Angels before he could make an appearance in the Pioneer League. 

In Owen's second time around in the Arizona Complex League, he accumulated three wins in 10 appearances out of the bullpen, amassing a 2.95 ERA across 18.1 IP, and was recently called up to the Double-A Rocket City Trash Pandas on July 12.

Jonathan Pintaro

Glacier Range Riders to New York Mets

The Pelham, Ala. native spent five years at the NCAA Division II level at Shorter University, where he demonstrated his versatility as both a starter and reliever. He ended his collegiate career with a standout senior year, posting a 10-3 record and a 3.47 ERA over 96 innings. 

After graduating, Pintaro spent the summer in the MLB Draft League with the Frederick Keys, where he posted a 3.80 ERA in 64 IP, striking out 74 with a 1.28 WHIP. In 2023, he joined the Glacier Ridge Riders, posting a 5-6 record with a 6.95 ERA over 90.2 innings. 

Pintaro returned to Glacier in 2024, starting two games before having his contract purchased by the Mets in the second inning of his third start of the year. 

Since then, he has made five appearances, including four straight starts, for the Mets' High AAffiliate Brooklyn Cyclones of the South Atlantic League. He's posted a 3.12 ERA in 26 IP and six appearances (four starts) and has struck out 25 batters while allowing nine earned runs.

Tyler Davis

Oakland Ballers to Chicago White Sox

The Spring, Texas native started his college career at Wichita State, where he balanced roles as a starter and reliever, posting a 3.66 ERA over 51.2 innings in 21 games as a freshman. He then transferred to NJCCA-level Panola College, serving as a reliever and recording a 3.21 ERA over 67.1 innings. He then spent four years at Sam Houston State, including the shortened 2020 season, primarily serving as a starter. 

In his senior year, he began playing as a two-way player, and shifted his focus to the offensive end, before his season ended prematurely due to injury. He came back for another year utilizing his redshirt status, where he played 62 games in 2023, and slashed .423/.493/.625.

Davis then joined the Ballers in 2024 as a two-way player, making five pitching appearances and taking three at-bats over seven games before his contract was purchased by the White Sox.

Davis made only one short and scoreless appearance for Chicago's Rookie Affiliate, the ACL White Sox, before being brought up to the Class A Kannapolis Cannon Ballers. Since his promotion, Davis has pitched 11.1 innings across seven appearances, posting a 3.18 ERA, while allowing 13 hits and striking out 12.

Connor Housley

Glacier Range Riders to Chicago White Sox

Hailing from Tyrone, Ga., Housley got a big start to his collegiate career, committing to the University of Tennessee, but he did not see game action as a freshman. He posted a 3.48 ERA over 10.1 innings as a sophomore reliever, then transferred to Kennesaw State, where he served in both starting and relieving roles for the last two years of remaining eligibility

In 2023, Housley joined the Glacier Ridge Riders, recording a 3.96 ERA over 36.1 innings before returning in 2024 where he posted a 1.22 WHIP over 10.2 IP in relief.

Joining the ACL White Sox less than a week after Davis, Housley made two appearances, giving up one run over 2.2 IP and earning a save in his first appearance. He also earned a promotion after this short stint in Rookie ball, advancing to the Cannon Ballers where he's since posted a 0.82 ERA in six appearances over 11 innings while striking out 13.

Connor Schultz

Missoula PaddleHeads to Chicago Cubs

From Cedar Falls, Iowa, Schultz started his collegiate career at Butler University, where he served as both a starter and reliever in his freshman year before transitioning to a full-time starting role his sophomore year and posted a standout 2.29 ERA over 78.2 innings. After four years with Butler, three of which he served as a starter, he transferred to the University of Iowa for his final year of eligibility, where he once again took on starting and relief roles.

After graduating, Schultz signed with the PaddleHeads, and appearing in only eight games in 2022, rejoined the club for the entirety of the 2023 season as a full-time starter, pitching a career-high 96.2 IP and performing to the tune of a 3.82 ERA and 1.17 WHIP. 

Four starts into his third season with Missoula, the Cubs purchased Schultz's contract in mid-June. Schultz's start with the Cubs has gone well, as he's posted a 1.46 ERA and 16 strikeouts over 12.1 innings pitched in four appearances out of the bullpen with the ACL Cubs of the Rookie League. 

Elijah Pleasants

Oakland Ballers to San Francisco Giants

Pleasants, a Tacoma, Wash. native, was drafted by the Kansas City Royals in the 36th round out of high school, though he didn't sign. He began his collegiate career for three years as a starter and reliever at the University of Tennessee. He then transferred to Dallas Baptist and later DII Trevecca Nazarene, where he found success as a starter, posting a 4.36 ERA over 76.1 innings in 2023.

After college, Pleasants spent the summer playing for the Mahoning Valley Scrappers of the MLB Draft League before signing with the Ballers in February. He made five appearances for Oakland in the first two weeks of the season, striking out 23 batters in 16.2 IP before getting his contract purchased by the San Francisco Giants on June 14.

Pleasants hasn't gotten much time to prove himself yet, pitching only 11 innings over three appearances since being assigned to the Giants' Arizona Complex League affiliate. Over these four relief appearances, he's earned two wins.

Mason Dinesen

Glacier Range Riders to Chicago White Sox

The Naples, Fla. local started in 2017 in NAIA with Ave Maria University, where he posted a .299 batting average with 2 home runs and 32 RBIs over 51 games before he moved to DII West Florida playing in only 39 games. By 2020, Dinesen returned to the NAIA with Keiser University, boasting a .364 average and .443 OBP over 26 games in the shortened season. 

Transitioning to professional baseball, Dinesen joined the Glacier Ridge Riders in 2022 before being traded to the Mustangs mid-season. He re-joined the Range Riders in 2023 and slashed .313/.348/.471 while driving in 55 runs on 97 hits across 86 games. After a hot start with Glacier in 2024, when Dinesen beat his home run total from 2023 in only 28 games, the White Sox purchased his contract.

Dinesen was assigned to the ACL White Sox on July 4, where he spent four games before being assigned to the Kannapolis Cannon Ballers on July 9th and only appearing in one game so far.

Patrick Maybach

Billings Mustangs to Chicago White Sox 

Maybach was picked up by the White Sox just a day after his Glacier counterpart, getting assigned to Kannapolis on July 5.

The Newport, R.I. native began his collegiate career at DIII Salve Regina University in 2017, where he posted a remarkable 1.36 ERA with three complete games over 59.2 innings, striking out 67 batters with a 0.97 WHIP. Over the following years, he maintained a sub-3.00 ERA each of his remaining seasons with Salve Regina until graduating with multiple school records in 2022.

Transitioning to professional baseball, Maybach signed with the Mustangs in July of 2022 and returned for his first full season in the Pioneer League the following year.

After a career start to the 2024 season, including becoming the first Mustangs pitcher to throw a complete game shutout in nearly ten years, the White Sox purchased Maybach's contract. He has made one appearance for the Cannon Ballers since then, pitching two shutout innings of relief while allowing no hits and striking out one.