Two Paints Alumni Selected in 2023 MLB Draft

Article presented by Tomlinson Insurance Agency …

What’s great about the Prospect League is getting to see players who might one day reach “The Bigs”.

The Chillicothe Paints transitioned from their association with the Frontier League to Prospect League in 2009. That meant moving from a league of professional players hoping for their final shot of making it into Major League Baseball to a league of college eligibility players with their futures ahead of them.

A handful of Prospect League players caught the eyes of pro scouts and were drafted in this week MLB Draft.

Two of them were Chillicothe Paints. First Baseman Jackson Faltner (Paints 2021/Morehead State) and Short Stop Jeron Williams (Paints 2022/Toledo).

Williams batted .393 in 31 games with the Paints last season. He had a fielding percentage of .948 and recorded 29 stolen bases for the 2022 PL Champions. He was selected by the Houston Astros in the 9th Round of the Draft.

Feltner played in 48 games for the Chillicothe in 2021, batting .289 with 6 home runs and 30 RBI. Chillicothe fell to Champion City 10-9 in a one game playoff that season. Feltner was selected in the 8th Round by the Arizona Diamondbacks.

Overall, eight PL Alumni were taken by big league clubs.

The Washington Nationals took two, Gavin Dugas (Danville 2018 & 2019) in the 6th Round and current Clinton Lumber Kings RHP Jared Simpson in the 8th Round. Others include Burlington’s Spencer Nivens (5th Rd – Kansas City Royals), Clinton’s Jay Beschears (6th Rd – San Diego Padres), Normal’s Chase Gockel (9th Rd – Los Angeles Angels) and O’Fallon’s Jared Wegner (9th Rd – New York Yankees).