MLB Draft IBL Names to Know

Photos by Crystal Young, CAPS Sports Photography, and RJ Rose

With MLB’s annual Rule 4 amateur draft set for this Wednesday and Thursday, Intercounty Baseball League’s Evan Kiser, David Mendham, and Mateo Kekatos all have their sights set on being tabbed in the draft’s five rounds.

Kiser, a University of Guelph pitcher, played for the Intercounty Baseball League’s Guelph Royals last season. In his second IBL season and first, with the Royals, Kisser recorded a 2.11 ERA over 10 games played. Evan recorded twenty strikeouts and eight walks over seventeen innings pitched.

Kiser's OUA counterpart, Mateo Kekatos has his sights set on being picked up after a great OUA and IBL season in 2019. In nine games played with the Toronto Maple Leafs, Kekatos recorded twenty strikeouts and thirteen walks in his rookie IBL season. The Toronto Varsity Blues pitcher currently has a fastball of 93.4 since returning to pens after COVID-19 restrictions and is looking game ready for when the MLB comes calling.

Guelph’s David Mendham entered his second IBL season in 2019 after playing a full 2018 campaign with the Brantford Red Sox. In four games with the Royals, the Connors State College sophomore recorded a .333 average with two doubles and two RBI. Following his time with the Royals in 2019, he joined the Bismark Larks of the Northwoods League where he hit .313 over 26 games played. While at Connors State, Mendham led the team in many major categories including, games played (60), batting average (.420), hits (92), RBI (85), and walks (56) not to mention he was second on the team in home runs (14) and had an on-base percentage of .532.

Please visit the IBL’s website later this week for more draft news.

About the IBL

The Intercounty Baseball League (IBL) is the top-level baseball league in Canada, boasting ex-major league professional and elite NCAA college baseball players. The 2020 season will mark the IBL’s 102nd in operation. The IBL is the fifth-longest continually operated baseball league in the world and serves as a valuable training ground for coaches, umpires, and front office staff. More than 40 IBL players have advanced to Major League Baseball or returned to the IBL following their MLB careers. The league is comprised of teams from Barrie, Brantford, Kitchener, London, Toronto, Guelph, Welland, and Hamilton. For more information, visit www.theibl.ca.