Since Major League Baseball held its initial First-Year Player Draft in 1965, the Lehigh baseball program has had success with its players being selected. The frequency in which players from Lehigh are chosen by MLB clubs, however, has greatly increased the past two decades. This past summer, two more Lehigh players were selected, making Adam Retzbach (14th round, Baltimore Orioles) and Carlos Torres (20th round, Colorado Rockies) the 17th and 18th draft selections in Lehigh history. It’s the third time in the last four years that Lehigh has had multiple players selected in the same draft.
By the Numbers
2nd — Round in which Matt McBride, Lehigh’s highest drafted played, was selected
4 — Number of times Lehigh had multiple players selected in the same draft
6 — Former Lehigh players drafted who are currently in a MLB franchise’s minor league system
13 — Number of franchises that have drafted a player out of Lehigh
16* — Former Lehigh players who have reached the majors
18 — Number of total MLB Draft selections from Lehigh in school history
* Of the 16 Lehigh baseball players to play in the majors, only two were drafted—Matt McBride and Paul Hartzell. The other 14 made their major league debut prior to the establishment of the MLB Draft.
Lehigh in the MLB Draft
Year Name Round Team
2022 Adam Retzbach 14th Round Baltimore Orioles
2022 Carlos Torres 20th Round Colorado Rockies
2021 Mason Black 3rd Round San Francisco Giants
2021 Matt Svanson 13th Round Toronto Blue Jays
2019 Levi Stoudt 3rd Round Seattle Mariners
2019 Jason Reynolds 32nd Round San Diego Padres
2017 Mark Washington 25th Round Los Angeles Dodgers
2016 Mike Garzillo 25th Round Miami Marlins
2015 Mike Garzillo 38th Round New York Yankees
2015 Justin Pacchioli 10th Round San Diego Padres
2006 Matt McBride 2nd Round Cleveland Indians
2002 Jack Lyons* 34th Round Montreal Expos (now Washington Nationals)
1997 Ben Talbott 32nd Round Anaheim Angels
1989 Dave Norwood 40th Round Cleveland Indians
1977 Joe Carroll 20th Round Texas Rangers
1975 Paul Hartzell 10th Round California Angels
1973 Frank Zawatski 19th Round San Francisco Giants
1971 Rich Revta 26th Round Washington Senators (now Texas Rangers)
*Drafted in high school prior to attending Lehigh
