Bees Players Drafted/Signed by MLB
(History)
Over the years, many Baldwinsville baseball players have graduated and moved on to play at the collegiate level, proving that Baldwinsville can produce many productive players who have fed the legacy of the program. A select few graduates have seen their aspirations recognized by being selected by Major League Baseball organizations. Here is a list of former Bees who have made their way to the MLB, in some capacity:
|
Jim Burton |
Class of 1954 (Baldwinsville Baseball HOF 2014) |
Burton was drafted in 1955 by the Baltimore Orioles. A second baseman who hit and fielded from the right side, Burton played the better part of seven minor league seasons with Baltimore-affiliated teams from 1955 to 1961. He played at the A, B, C, and D levels (this was how the minor leagues were organized at that time) and hit a combined .266 over those years. Burton was inducted into Baldwinsville Baseball's Hall of Fame in 2014. |
|
Arthur (Artie) Emm
|
Class of 1985 (Baldwinsville Baseball HOF 2016) |
After graduating Baldwinsville in 1985, Emm went to Onondaga Community College as a pitcher. Emm was signed out of OCC by the Astros in 1988. A relief pitcher, he threw for the Astros single A team in the Gulf Coast League from 1988-1989. Emm spent 1990 at single A Columbus, a Mets affiliate. In his career, Emm went 7-13 in the minor leagues with a 4:30 ERA. Emm was inducted into Baldwinsville Baseball's Hall of Fame in 2016. |
|
Jason Grilli
|
Class of 1994 (Baldwinsville Baseball HOF 2022) |
Easily the most decorated professional ballplayer coming out of Baldwinsville, Grilli, a right-handed pitcher, helped the Bees win its first sectional title in 1994, en route to a 19-6 record. After graduating in 1994, Grilli was drafted in the 24th round of the MLB draft by the New York Yankees but chose to attend Seton Hall University on scholarship. After a stellar career at Seton Hall, Grilli was drafted again after his junior year, being picked by the San Francisco Giants in the 1st round, 4th overall, in the 1997 MLB draft. Grilli debuted as the first Bees player to ever play in the Major Leagues in May 2000. He went on to have a fantastic career as a relief pitcher for 15 years with multiple teams: Pittsburgh, Detroit, Colorado, Atlanta, Texas, Florida, Toronto, and Chicago (White Sox). Grilli was an All-Star in 2013. He finished his career with a 34-47 record with a 4.22 ERA with 79 saves. Grilli was inducted into the Greater Syracuse Sports Hall of Fame in 2020 and into the Baldwinsville Baseball Hall of Fame in 2022. |
|
Andy Mead
|
Class of 2002 |
A three-year starter on varsity, the righthanded-hitting and righthanded-fielding outfielder, led the Bees to a 49-12 record over his career, culminating in a program-best 18-2 record in 2002. After graduating in 2002, Mead starred at Cortland State and graduated from college in 2006, being drafted in the 40th round of the MLB draft by the White Sox, along with his former Bees teammate Jeff Vincent. Mead played three minor league seasons (2006-2008) at Rookie and A levels with the White Sox and batted .229 in his career. After baseball, Mead went back to Cortland and coached baseball as an assistant for a short time. |
|
Jeff Vincent
|
Class of 2002 |
In two years on varsity, Vincent led the Bees to a 35-7 record, culminating with a program-best 18-2 record in 2002. Vincent graduated in 2002 and went on to star as a lefthanded hitting/righthand fielding outfielder at Niagara University. After a successful career at Niagara, Vincent was drafted in the 43rd round of the 2006 MLB draft, following his former Bees teammate Andy Mead, who was drafted in the same draft. Vincent played one year in minor leagues in 2006 with Lowell in the New York-Penn League (NYPL) and hit .254 with 1 HR in 131 plate appearances. He went to play five more seasons of independent ball. |
|
Scott Blewett
|
Class of 2014 |
Blewett led and pitched the Bees to the program's first-ever state semifinal appearance in 2012 and its first state championship in 2013, capturing sectional and regional titles along the way. The Bees' record during Blewett's tenure (2012-2014) was 57-14, while his personal pitching record was 21-0. A righthanded pitcher, Blewett graduated in 2014, being named New York State Gatorade Player of the Year and being drafted in the 2nd round of the 2014 MLB draft, number 56 overall, by the Kansas City Royals. Over a couple of years, Blewett pitched at multiple levels of minor league ball before making his MLB debut on September 18, 2020, becoming the second Bees player to play in the Major Leagues. He pitched two games in 2020 and three games in 2021 for the Royals, with 8 innings pitched and a 3.38 ERA. In the fall of 2021, Blewett elected free agency and signed with the White Sox in 2022. He is currently in the minor league system of the Atlanta Braves. |
|
Jason Savacool
|
Class of 2020 | Savacool led and pitched the Bees to the sectional and regional titles in 2018, with a second-place finish in the state championshp. The Bees' record during Savacool's tenure (2017-2020) was 47-21, while his personal pitching record was 17-3 with 2 saves. Unfortunately, the Bees did not play a season in 2020, Savacool's senior year, as COVID prevented the season from being played. A righthanded pitcher, Savacool graduated in 2020, being named New York State Gatorade Player of the Year. Savacool was named to many high school All-American teams and was selected to participate in the MLB PDP League after his junior year, making the USA 18U National Team, which won a silver medal at the World Cup in South Korea. Savacool went to Maryland and starred for three years there, earning Big Ten 1st and 2nd Team honors, as well as All-American honors. Savacool was drafted in the 6th round of the 2023 MLB draft, number 185 overall, by the St. Louis Cardinals. |
