Rookie Arms Look to Land Roster Spot in Washington
WASHINGTON, Pa. (Feb. 6)- The Wild Things continue with their roster building as they announced the signing of two California Winter League participants, RHP Malcolm Grady and RHP Tyler Vogel.
Chicago, Illinois native Malcolm Grady got on the professional radar after a superb senior season at Campbellsville University. The 6'5 reliever posted a 1.60 ERA, striking out 44 batters in 45 innings. His .195 batting average against ranked second best on the staff and his 20 appearances were third most for the Tigers. Grady went on to throw 10 innings in 9 appearances for the Evansville Otters in 2019, retiring 13 hitters via strikes. Currently in the California Winter League, Grady is posting a 3.81 ERA with 19 strikeouts in 11 innings.
Righty Tyler Vogel played his college baseball at the University of Wisconsin-Platteville and saw great development as a senior. Standing 6'8, the Mount Horeb, Wisconsin native made 9 starts in 2019 with a team leading 3.16 ERA. In his 51 innings for the Pioneers he only allowed 36 hits while striking out 58 opponents. For the Manitoba North Stars of the California Winter League, Vogel has a 3.23 ERA with 7 strikeouts in just over 4 innings of work.
"Both rookies are power arms by nature. They both have professional frames and carry the fastballs to back it up," said General Manager Tony Buccilli. "Malcolm appeared at an affiliated workout at our venue pre-draft. He carried great confidence on the mound and willingness to challenge. We had extensive talks with Tyler and his college coaching staff about his development. We see great upside in Tyler's makeup and look forward to seeing him compete at this level," Buccilli stated.
The Wild Things take to the field as they open the season Friday, May 15 vs. the New York Boulders, with the home opener slated for Tuesday, May 19 to take on the Quebec Capitales at Wild Things Park.
