Summer Collegiate
Victoria HarbourCats | Seven Former HarbourCats to Participate in 2021 MLB Spring Training Camps
Current Boston Red Sox pitcher Nick Pivetta, here pitching for the HarbourCats in 2013 above, headlines a list of seven former HarbourCats with a legitimate crack at 2021 MLB rosters (Photo: David Nicholls).
by Christian J. Stewart
February 22, 2021 – VICTORIA, BC – Those who may be unfamiliar with the summer collegiate baseball format that is the West Coast League, will often ask staff of the HarbourCats, “What Major League team are the HarbourCats affiliated with?” The answer usually is, “All of them.”
That is because HarbourCats players, once they have completed their third year of college, are eligible to be drafted by ANY of the 30 Major League teams and begin their pro careers.
The HarbourCats have had a number of players over the years meet such good fortune, with just under 20 former players now playing professional baseball at the affiliated MiLB level, and this season, seven of those players will make the trip to the spring training camps of their parent MLB clubs, AKA “Big-League Camp.”
That marks the highest number of former HarbourCat players to attend spring training in any one season and highlights the increasing level of talent that both the HarbourCats and the West Coast League have been able to attract over recent years.
For MLB veterans like Victoria’s own Nick Pivetta, the HarbourCats first and still only MLB player, now with the Boston Red Sox, the routine of spring training is very familiar, with Pivetta entering his fifth MLB season. However, after a troublesome 2019 with the Phillies and a late season trade in 2020 to the Red Sox, the mood will be anything but relaxed, as Pivetta finds himself needing to use spring training to prove that he can be part of the regular starting rotation at Fenway Park.
For others like Chicago White Sox prospect Andrew Vaughn and Houston Astros Prospect Alex DeGoti , both heading to their second big-league camps, there is a familiarity, but also the urgency to show their clubs that they are ready to take the next big step. Vaughn is touted as the next big coming for Chicago White Sox baseball and after a stunning collegiate career, has advanced rapidly in the White Sox system. He should get the call to the bigs sometime this season, but could break with the parent club out of camp if he puts up solid spring numbers.
2017 HarbourCat Andrew Vaughn will participate in his second big league camp with the White Sox this spring (Photo: Christian J. Stewart)
DeGoti has been grinding his way up the ladder in the Astros organization since 2016 and has been on the cusp of a call-up for two years now. He was on the 2020 alternate training site roster and with his work ethic alone, should get a good look in 2021 camp and have a solid chance to get a call-up at some point in the season.
For Nathan Lukes, Quintin Torres-Costa, Davis Wendzel and Nick Meyer, this will be their first ever big-league camp and they will have to make sure that the wide-eyed excitement of being there does not overshadow what they need to do on the field to impress their parent clubs.
For Lukes, a fleet-footed outfield prospect in the Tampa Bay Rays system, that should be easy, as he has been putting up solid numbers in the minors since being drafted in 2015, playing the full 2019 season with the iconic AAA Durham Bulls, where he hit .219 with eight doubles, four home runs and 31 RBI in 91 games. A solid spring training might just propel Lukes into a shot with the parent club at some point this year.
2013-2015 HarbourCat Alex DeGoti will head to his second MLB camp this week with the Houston Astros (Photo: Christian J. Stewart)
For Torres-Costa, his climb up the Milwaukee Brewers pro-ladder took a bit of a hit with his second Tommy John surgery in 2019 and the global COVID pandemic in 2020, but he is once again healthy and if he can keep putting up the numbers he has been putting up in the minors, the Brewers may call upon his left-handed arm for pitching help in 2021.
Wendzel (Texas Rangers) and Meyer (New York Mets) are both coming off minor injuries that hampered their first pro-seasons in 2019 and will be eager to show what they can do during their first big-league spring training camp, although their chances of seeing playing time with their big league clubs in 2021 will be slim. Wendzel is one of seven non-roster infielders to be invited to the Ranger’s camp, while Meyer is one of four non-roster catchers in the Met’s camp. Neither player has yet to play a game above the Class A level, but clearly their parent clubs saw enough in them to invite them to camp and give them a shot at advancing a rung or two in 2021.
One former HarbourCat player of note that was surprisingly not invited to big-league camp is Minnesota Twins pitching prospect Josh Mitchell. Mitchell, who pitched two seasons for the HarbourCats, in 2015 and 2016, and was a West Coast League all-star in 2016, was selected by the Twins this past season in the annual Rule V draft for minor league players to be snapped up by other organizations. He is the first former HarbourCats player to be selected in the Rule V draft process and has now, as per Rule V minor league draft guidelines, been assigned to the Twins AAA affiliate St. Paul Saints for the 2021 season. Mitchell was previously with the Wilmington Blue Rocks, the High-Aaffiliate of Kansas City in 2019. Despite the non-invite, Mitchell, now at the AAA level, has a chance to impress and should the Twins need a left-handed arm in the bullpen later in the year, he could get the call.
Tampa Bay Rays prospect Nathan Lukes, here playing for the HarbourCats in 2014, heads to his very first MLB spring training camp, after playing a full season of AAA with the iconic Durham Bulls (Photo: Christian J. Stewart)
Further details on each of the seven players invited to 2021 MLB camps can be found below:
Nick Pivetta, 2013 HarbourCat, Boston Red Sox
Pivetta, a Victoria native, was the HarbourCats opening day pitcher in 2013 and was drafted by Washington Nationals shortly thereafter. After stints with the Nationals Rookie League and Class A affiliates in 2013-2015, he was traded to Phillies in July of 2015, working his way up via the AA Reading Phillies, and then the AAA Lehigh Valley Iron Pigs, before being called up and making his MLB debut in 2017 against the Dodgers. He pitched with the Phillies – with a brief stint back to AAA in 2019 – through 2020 before being traded to the Boston Red Sox near the end of the season.
In his MLB career, Pivetta is 21-30 with a 5.40 ERA and 434 strikeouts over 406 innings pitched. He won his one and only start with the Red Sox to close 2020 and now has an opportunity to join the regular rotation at Fenway for the 2021 season.
To date, Pivetta remains the lone HarbourCats player to reach the big leagues, however that could change rapidly this year.
Andrew Vaughn, 2017 HarbourCat, Chicago White Sox
Vaughn played briefly for the HarbourCats in 2017, seven games, amassing a .381 average, before being scooped up by the USA National Collegiate Program squad. He is now one of the highest rated prospects in the White Sox system in many years. The third overall pick in 2019, this is his second big-league camp.
In 2019 he spent only three games with the White Sox Rookie league team, going 9 for 15, before moving to Kannapolis in the Class-A South Atlantic League. In 23 games there he hit .253 in 103 plate appearances, with seven doubles, two homers and 11 RBI and he finished the year at High-A Winston-Salem, hitting .252 in 126 plate appearances over 29 games with eight doubles, three home runs and 21 RBI.
In 2020, Vaughn was invited to the White Sox alternate training site, where he impressed, but never saw a call-up. This year Vaughn is the top-ranked prospect in the White Sox organization according to both MLB.com and Baseball America and is listed at No. 13 by MLB.com and No. 21 by BA in their top 100 prospect lists. Speculation is that he will begin the season at AAA Charlotte, but that he could be seeing time with the big league club by early May.
Alex DeGoti, 2013-2015 HarbourCat, Houston Astros
“Mr. HarbourCat,” AlexDeGoti, like Vaughn, will also be attending his second big-league camp, after having an impressive spring outing in Florida in 2020 that caught the attention of Houston head coach Dusty Baker.
DeGoti played for the HarbourCats for three summers, 2013-2015 and was drafted by Houston in the 15th round of the 2016 draft. He has steadily worked his way up through the Houston system since then, and in 2019, played a full season at the AAA level with the Round Rock Express, hitting .262, with 15 home runs and 70 RBI over 125 games. He participated in the Astros 2020 alternate training site, but did not receive a call up to the big-league club.
At the break of 2020 spring camp, head coach Dusty Baker told DeGoti to “be ready” in the event he was needed for the strange COVID-impacted 2020 season.
A young Quintin Torres-Costa pitches for the HarbourCats in 2014. He heads to his first MLB camp with the Milwaukee Brewers this spring (Photo: Christian J. Stewart)
Nathan Lukes, 2014 HarbourCat, Tampa Bay Rays
From Sacramento State, Lukes played for the HarbourCats in the summer of 2014, where he appeared in 42 games, hitting .343, with two home runs and 24 RBI, walking 20 times and scoring 35 runs. He was drafted by the Cleveland Indians in the seventh round of the 2015 draft, beginning his pro career with the Mahoning Valley Scrappers (Short Season A) and advancing in the Indians organization to the Class A Advanced level before being traded in 2016 to the Tampa Bay Rays.
Lukes began his time with the Rays with the Port Charlotte Stone Crabs, then advanced to the AA Montgomery Biscuits in 2017 and 2018 and was eventually promoted to the AAA Durham Bulls for the full 2019 season, where he hit .219 with eight doubles, four home runs and 31 RBI in 91 games.
In his six-team minor league career to date, Lukes has appeared in 430 games, amassing a .269 average, with 19 home runs and 162 RBI, with 133 walks and 203 runs scored,
Quintin Torres-Costa, 2014, Milwaukee Brewers
A 2014 HarbourCat, Torres-Costa appeared in 10 games, building a 3.19 ERA, over 25.1 innings pitched while walking 10 and striking out 33. The University of Hawaii alum was then drafted in the 35th round of the MLB draft by the Brewers.
Since then, Torres-Costa has climbed the organizational ladder for Milwaukee, playing at nearly every level, including Triple-A where he’s currently listed with the newly minted AAA affiliate of the Brewers the Nashville Sounds. Over the course of six-team minor-league career, Torres-Costa has a record of 20-11 and an ERA of 3.25 over 148 games and 221.2 innings pitched. He has seven saves and has struck out 286 batters while walking 100.
His track to reach the major leagues for the Brewers, took a bit of a hit with his second Tommy John surgery in 2019 and the global pandemic in 2020, but he is grateful that the Brewers have retained their faith in him and have given him this chance, saying in a recent interview, “I mean, it’s just an incredible experience first off for the Brewers letting me just be invited. It’s just an honor to be invited to the big league camp and get the opportunity to show what I can do and how I can contribute to the team.”
2017 HarbourCat Davis Wendzel will have a chance to show off his fielding skills for the Texas Rangers when he heads to his first MLB camp this week (Photo: Christian J. Stewart)
Davis Wendzel, 2017 HarbourCat, Texas Rangers
Davis Wednzel flashed his infield brilliance briefly for the HarbourCats in 2017, playing in 10 games and hitting .316, with one home run and six RBI. He was a standout at Baylor University where, during his three year career, he hit .326 over 154 games. He added 48 doubles, 24 home runs and 121 RBIs to his resume, while also slugging .557.
The Rangers liked what they saw and took Wendzel 41st overall in the 2019 draft. Unfortunately for the Rangers, they did not get to see a full season of Wendzel after he suffered a thumb injury during the NCAA Tournament. He was activated on August 22 and ended up only getting 19 at-bats between the Arizona Rookie League, where he won the AZL League Championship, and Spokane. Even in limited action, Wendzel had six hits and five walks over that time.
Wendzel is currently listed with the Rangers High A affiliate the Hickory Crawdads in North Carolina and could start the 2020 season there or with the AA Frisco RoughRiders depending on his performance at camp.
Nick Meyer, 2015 HarbourCat, New York Mets
A product of Cal Poly, Meyer played 25 games for the HarbourCats in 2015, hitting .250, with six RBI, scoring 18 runs and getting on base at a .400 clip. He was selected by the Mets in Round 6 of the 2018 entry draft, and spent 2018 with Brooklyn Cyclones (Mets Short Season A Affiliate), where, in 43 games, he hit .226 with nine RBI.
Meyer started 2019 season with St. Lucie Mets (Mets Advance A affiliate) and then was injured. A brief rehab stint with the Gulf Coast Mets (Rookie League) followed, before he finished the season back up with St. Lucie.
In the 2020 COVID cancelled season, Meyer kept busy playing for the Tully Monsters, an independent pro team that played in a four-team league in Joliet, Illinois.
He is one of four non-roster catchers invited to the Mets 2021 spring camp.
Nick Meyer was solid behind the dish for the HarbourCats in 2015 and will now have a chance to hone his skills even more at his first ever MLB camp this spring with the New York Mets (Photo: Christian J. Stewart)
***
The HarbourCats are scheduled to begin their 2021 season on the road on June 1 against the expansion Edmonton Riverhawks in the first ever West Coast League game played in Alberta. They will return home for the home opener on Friday, June 4 against their rivals from across the Strait of Juan deFuca, the Port Angeles Lefties. The HarbourCats will also welcome two other expansion teams to Victoria this season, with both the Nanaimo Night Owls and Kamloops NorthPaws scheduled to make visits to Wilson’s Group Stadium.
For details and more information on the season, please visit the HarbourCats website at www.harbourcats.com and follow them on Facebook at https://www.facebook.com/groups/harbourcats
Summer Collegiate
Victoria HarbourCats – Victoria HarbourCats Collaborate with the Lək̓ʷəŋən Peoples on Special 2025 Season Logo
Victoria, BC – September 26, 2024 – The Victoria HarbourCats Baseball Club is proud to announce a unique collaboration with the Lək̓ʷəŋən Peoples for the 2025 season. Earlier this year, the HarbourCats worked with Songhees Nation’s Intergovernmental Liaison, Michelle Sam, to invite both nations to participate in a logo design contest to create a special logo that will be featured on the team’s uniforms throughout the upcoming season.
After careful consideration, the design submitted by John Warren was selected by representatives from both the Songhees and Esquimalt First Nations, along with members of the HarbourCats staff. John’s winning design will serve as a symbol of unity and respect, celebrating the rich cultural heritage of the Songhees and Esquimalt peoples.
HarbourCats Creative Director, Chris Beveridge, has been working closely with John to refine the design for print on the team’s uniforms. Chris is no stranger to such collaborations; he recently partnered with Noel Brown of the Snuneymuxw Nation in Nanaimo to create the Indigenous-themed uniforms and branding for the HarbourCats’ sister team, the NightOwls.
“We are honoured to showcase John Warren’s artwork on our uniforms next season,” said Beveridge. “This collaboration reflects our commitment to recognizing and celebrating the culture and traditions of the Songhees and Esquimalt First Nations. It has been a privilege to work alongside John and the members of both nations to bring this project to life.”
The new uniforms will be unveiled in early 2025, while the logo will be released today, September 26th, to mark our solidarity and respect for Truth and Reconciliation Day, with a special ceremony planned to celebrate the partnership between the HarbourCats and the Songhees and Esquimalt First Nations at a later date. The team looks forward to wearing the new uniforms with pride, and continuing to look for ways to collaborate in the future with the Lək̓ʷəŋən Peoples.
Led by Nick Pivetta (above), still going strong with the Boston Red Sox, there were 33 former HarbourCats active in affiliated professional baseball in 2024, including three new players who reached the MLB level. Here is a summary of all of them.
September 6, 2024
Victoria, BC – After a busy 2024 that saw three more former HarbourCats make their MLB debut and where seven former and current players were drafted or signed as part of the 2024 entry draft, we felt it would be a good time to update you on the status of all of our former players who were active in affiliated pro baseball in 2024.
In total, 33 former HarbourCats plied their trade at the professional level this summer, including our longest term MLB players Nick Pivetta (BOS) and Andrew Vaughn (CHW), while Nathan Lukes (TOR) made a long-awaited return to the Blue Jays big club late in 2024.
Three more players, Cade Smith (CLE), Jack Neely (CUBS) and Davis Wendzel (while with TEX), also made their MLB debuts in 2024.
In addition to those six players at the MLB level, five players were active on AAA rosters, including our only other MLB player to date Alex De Goti, nine at the AA level, five at the High A level, three at Low A, including 2024 draftees Sean Heppner and Hunter Omlid, and our other five 2024 draft picks still learning their way around development camps for their respective teams.
A full summary of all 33 players follows below (all stats and teams as of September 5, 2024)
Active Major Leaguers
Nick Pivetta – Boston Red Sox
Our very first pitcher (2013), our very first draft pick (Washington 2013) and our very first player to make his Major League debut (Philadelphia 2017), Pivetta is still going strong and completing his fifth year with the Boston Red Sox, where in 2024 to date, he has made 21 starts, has a record of 5-10 and an ERA of 4.53, striking out 141 batters and walking 28 in just over 117 innings of work.
Andrew Vaughn – Chicago White Sox
A 2017 HarbourCat, Vaughn is finishing his fourth season in the bigs, all with the Chicago White Sox, and while the 2024 version of the team has been woeful, Vaughn is holding his own with a .237 average, 16 home runs and 60 RBI.
Cade Smith – Cleveland Guardians
Smith, a 2019 HarbourCat, made his MLB debut with Cleveland this summer and has been nothing short of fantastic for the Guardians, appearing in 65 games, all out of the bullpen, amassing a 6-1 record and a 2.18 ERA. Over 66 innings of work, he has struck out 88 batters, while walking 17, holding opponents to a .196 average during that span. Potentially in the running for 2024 Rookie of the Year.
Nathan Lukes – Toronto Blue Jays
Our 2014 Player of the Year, Lukes has had an up and down go of it with the Blue Jays since cracking the opening day roster in 2023, but in 2024 was hitting .333 for AAA Buffalo before an thumb injury sidelined him for a bit. He was recalled to the Jays in September and has been on fire, hitting .455 with a double, triple and four walks in three games thus far in 2024.
Jack Neely – Chicago Cubs
2019 HarbourCat Jack Neely spent the better part of four seasons in the Yankees farm system after they drafted him in 2021, working his way up to AAA, but was traded to the Cubs AAA Iowa affiliate and then was called up to the big club and had his first MLB appearance on August 26th. He has now appeared in four games for the Cubs with mixed success in just four innings of work.
2019 HarbourCat Jack Neely made his MLB debut with the Cubs on August 26th, 2024.
Other Players who have played in MLB to date (and their current teams)
Davis Wendzel – Louisville Bats, AAA Affiliate, Cincinnati Reds
Drafted by the Texas Rangers in 2019, 2017 HarbourCat Wendzel worked his way up to AAA and then earned a call-up to the Rangers big club in 2024, where he appeared in 27 games and struggled at the plate hitting just .128 with a homer and two RBI. The Rangers traded him to the Cincinnati Reds at the 2024 trade deadline and Wendzel is now with the Reds AAA affiliate, the Louisville Bats. At the AAA level, Wendzel is hitting .260 for the season, with 6 home runs and 34 RBI.
Alex De Goti – Round Rock Express, AAA Affiliate, Texas Rangers
An original HarbourCat that played for us in 2013, 2014 and 2015, De Goti has had an interesting pro career since being drafted by Houston in 2016. After working his way up to AAA in the Astros system, De Goti was called up to the big club for a weekend in the 2021 Covid-19 season where in two games, he hit .333 with a pair of hits, a walk and an RBI. He then headed back to AAA and following the 2022 season opted for free agency and signed with Miami, who promptly traded him to the Minnesota Twins. He played in 2023 for the AAA St. Paul Saints, but was released in August of that year. In 2024 De Goti signed as a free agent with the Texas Rangers and has worked his way back to the AAA level with the Round Rock Express. Ironically, Round Rock was the Astros AAA affiliate when De Goti played for them while in the Astros system.
Others in Affiliated Pro Ball
AAA
Joe Record – Durham Bulls, AAA Affiliate, Tampa Bay Rays
Another original HarbourCat, along with Nick Pivetta and Alex De Goti, Record has been toiling in the minors since being drafted by Minnesota in 2017. He moved to the Astros in 2020 and worked through stints on the injury list to a spot in AAA, eventually signing a free agent contract with Tampa for the 2024 season. With the Bulls, he has appeared in 42 games, amassing a 4.31 ERA, striking out 62 batters in just over 53 innings of work.
Chase Meidroth – Worcester Red Sox, AAA Affiliate, Boston Red Sox
Drafted by the Red Sox in 2022, Meidroth, a 2019 HarbourCat, has worked his way up the minor ranks quickly to AAA Worcester, where he is having a solid year to date, hitting .300 with seven home runs and 49 RBI.
Wyatt Young – Syracuse Mets, AAA Affiliate, New York Mets
A flashy high-schooler when he played for the HarbourCats in 2016, Young went to Pepperdine and then was drafted by the Mets in 2021. He has spent most of his time at AA Binghamton (with former HarbourCat Rowdey Jordan, see below), but had call ups to AAA Syracuse in 2022, 2023 and once again at the end of the season here in 2024. Overall in his time in the minors, Young has appeared in 384 games and is hitting .262 with 16 home runs and 133 RBI.
Harrison Spohn – Jacksonville Jumbo Shrimp, AAA Affiliate, Miami Marlins
2018/2019 HarbourCat Spohn was signed as a free agent by Miami in 2022 and has moved quickly up the minor league ranks, spending most of 2024 with the AA Pensacola Blue Wahoos, where over 89 games he had seven home runs and 29 RBI. He also struggled at the plate, fanning 117 times. He was called up to AAA Jacksonville in September and has appeared in three games to date with two walks and six strikeouts in nine at bats.
Harrison Spohn while playing for the HarbourCats in 2019
AA
Travis Kuhn – Arkansas Travelers, AA Affiliate, Seattle Mariners
A 2017 HarbourCat, Kuhn was drafted by the Mariners in 2019 and quickly rose through the low minor ranks, where after a one game appearance at AAA Tacoma in 2021, earned a spot on the AA Travelers in 2022. He has been there since and in 2024, has appeared in 42 games with a 4-6 record and 3.4 ERA striking out 62 batters in 53 innings of work.
Kekai Rios – New Hampshire FisherCats, AA Affiliate, Toronto Blue Jays
Drafted by Milwaukee in 2018, Rios, who caught for the HarbourCats in 2017, has bounced around the minors since then, eventually landing in the Blue Jays system where he played in Vancouver and then found his way to the AA level with the FisherCats. He struggled with an injury and rehab assignment in 2024, only playing in 18 games and while he was technically promoted to AAA Buffalo in late July of 2024, he was then released on August 2nd.
AJ Block – Northwest Arkansas Naturals, AA Affiliate, Kansas City Royals
Signed as a free agent by the Royals in 2020, Block, who pitched for Victoria in 2017, worked in the low minors for two seasons and then missed most of 2023 on the injured list. He returned healthy for 2024, pitching for the high A Quad City River Bandits and earned a call-up to the AA Naturals in September of 2024.
Carter Loewen – San Antonio Missions, AA Affiliate, San Diego Padres
Originally drafted by the Blue Jays in 2016. Loewen, a 2018 HarbourCat, opted to go to school (Hawaii) and then signed a free agent contract with San Diego in 2020. Since then he has battled injury and has now worked his way up to the AA Missions, where in 2024, he has appeared in 36 games and amassing a 5.16 ERA.
AJ Lewis – Hartford Yard Goats, AA Affiliate Colorado Rockies
A 2018 HarbourCat, Lewis was signed as a free agent by the Rockies in 2020 and has steadily worked his way up to the AA level with the Yard Goats, where in 2024 to date, he has seen limited action, appearing in just 24 games and hitting .197 with 10 RBI, four of which came in one game against Portland on May 22nd.
Shane McGuire – Midland RockHounds, AA Affiliate, Oakland As
The HarbourCats Player of the Year in 2017, McGuire was drafted by Oakland in 2019 and quickly moved up the ranks, landing in AA Midland for the 2023 season where he has been since. Over his four-year minor league career to date, he has appeared in 270 games, hitting .246 with nine home runs and 112 RBI.
2017 Player of the Year Shane McGuire is quickly working his way up the ranks in the Oakland A’s system.
Rowdey Jordan – Binghamton Rumble Ponies, AA Affiliate New York Mets
The Mississippi State speedster played in Victoria in 2018 and was then drafted by the Mets in 2021, ascending quickly to Binghamton in 2022 where he has been since. In his minor league career to date, Jordan, through 352 games, is hitting .234 with 27 home runs and 160 RBI. He has 67 doubles and 70 stolen bases as well.
Adam MacKillican – Hartford Yard Goats, AA Affiliate Colorado Rockies
The HarbourCats Pitcher of the Year in 2017, MacKillican was signed as a free agent by the Texas Rangers in 2021 and then moved to the Rockies organization with Spokane in 2022 and Hartford in 2023. The injury bug then hit and MacKillikan missed most of the 2024 season, appearing in just four games, three on a rehab assignment in Rookie ball and one more in Hartford on August 15th before going back on the injured list yet again.
Caleb Ricketts – Reading Fightin’ Phils, AA Affiliate, Philadelphia Phillies
Drafted by the Phillies in 2022, 2018 HarbourCat Ricketts moved quickly through Rookie and A ball, earning a spot on AA Reading for 2024. He has battled through some injuries this season to appear in 75 games (71 at catcher), hitting .219 with seven home runs and 91 RBI.
High A
Indigo Diaz – Hudson Valley Renegades, High A Affiliate, New York Yankees
Diaz, a hard-throwing pitcher for the HarbourCats in 2017, was drafted by the Atlanta Braves in 2019 and later traded to the Yankees in 2022. He has battled injuries over his minor league career to date including a rehab assignment in 2024, but is now back with the Renegades and has appeared in 10 games since his return on July 25th.
Jack Owen -Lansing Lugnuts, High A Affiliate, Oakland A’s
The HarbourCats and West Coast League Pitcher of the Year in 2017, Owen was originally drafted by St. Louis in 2019, but opted to attend Auburn and later signed as a free agent with the A’s in 2021. He rose quickly to the AA level where he has been since the 2022 season. Overall in the minors, he has a 17-8 record and 4.52 ERA, having appeared in 106 games and a total of 221 innings pitched.
Joe Redfield – Tri-City Dust Devils, High A Affiliate, Los Angeles Angels
The 2022 HarbourCats Player of the Year was drafted by the Angels in the fourth round in 2022 and since then, has spent just over half his minor league time (64 of 124 games total) with Tri-City. In those 124 games, Redfield is hitting .264 with six home runs and 59 RBI. He has 51 walks, 30 stolen bases and 84 runs scored in that same time span.
2022 HarbourCat Joseph Redfield is doing well so far in the Angels minor league system.
Dakota Hawkins – Brooklyn Cyclones, High A Affiliate, New York Mets
Pitcher of the Year for the HarbourCats in 2019, Hawkins was signed as a free agent by the Mets in 2023 where he saw minimal time at the Rookie and A level. In 2024 he was assigned to AA Brooklyn, where he has appeared in 26 games, amassing a 4-4 record with nine saves and 4.30 ERA. He has struck out 72 batters while walking 23 in just over 81 innings of work. In late July Hawkins earned a call up to AA Binghamton, appearing in two games for the Rumble Ponies.
Matthew Clayton – Cedar Rapids Kernals, High A Affiliate, Minnesota Twins
A catcher for the HarbourCats in 2018 and 2019, Clayton was signed as a free agent by the Twins in 2023 and has performed well thus far in 2024 in the minors. With Ft. Myers (A, 35 games) and now Cedar Rapids (AA, 7 games) Clayton is hitting .269 with three home runs and 19 RBI.
Low A
Noah Takacs – Bradenton Marauders, Low A Affiliate, Pittsburgh Pirates
A 2022 HarbourCat and local Victoria native, Takacs was signed by the Pirates as a free agent in 2023. He promptly went on the injured list to have Tommy John surgery and is now working his way back from that having appeared in 27 games thus far in 2024, all in relief, 20 of which with the Rookie League Pirates and seven with Bradenton. In those 27 games Takacs is 5-7 with three saves over 39 innings of work.
Sean Heppner – Lynchburg Hillcats, Low A Affiliate, Cleveland Guardians
A 2023 HarbourCat, Heppner was one of seven former HarbourCats drafted or signed in the 2024 draft and was immediately moved to Lynchburg, the Low A affiliate of the Guardians. To date, he has appeared in five games, amassing a 5.06 ERA while striking out 13 and walking eight batters in a total of 10.2 innings of work.
Drafted by Cleveland this past summer, 2023 HarbourCat Sean Heppner has already seen minor pro action with Single A Lynchburg.
Hunter Omlid – Fresno Grizzlies, Low A Affiliate, Colorado Rockies
A 2019 HarbourCat and another of the seven HarbourCats drafted or signed in the 2024 draft, Omlid was immediately put to work at Low A Fresno, appearing in two games, where in four innings of work, he struck out six and walked two, giving up one run on just one hit.
MiLB Development Camps
Other than Sean Heppner and Hunter Omlid (noted above), the remainder of the HarbourCats 2024 draft picks and free agent signees, were not officially assigned a team to close out 2024 and remained in the development camps of their respective clubs. This includes:
Ryan Magdic, 2023 HarbourCat (Oakland A’s)
Lucas Ramirez, 2024 HarbourCat (Los Angeles Angels)
Connor Dykstra, 2024 HarbourCat (Seattle Mariners)
Jesse Brown, 2022-2023 HarbourCat (Miami Marlins)
Jagger Beck, 2024 HarbourCat (Houston Astros)
2025 SEASON TICKETS: 2025 Season Tickets and 10-Game Flex Packs are now on sale through the HarbourCats office at 101-1814 Vancouver Street. Drop in or call 778-265-0327 to renew your seat or to lock in news seats for 2025. Early-bird pricing on Season Tickets in effect until September 30, 2024!
For immediate release
August 16, 2024
VICTORIA, B.C. — The Victoria HarbourCats of the West Coast League are pleased to announce that Head Coach Todd Haney and the team have agreed to an extension that will keep the native Texan in the role through the 2030 season.
Haney, among the top head coaches in collegiate summer baseball, has been with the team since 2018 and in the Head Coach role since 2019. In his four seasons as head coach, he has compiled a 132-83 overall record and led the team to the playoffs every season, and to the WCL championship final twice (2019, 2023).
The former Major League player (Expos, Cubs, Mets) will also serve as a coaching and development advisor for the Victoria Golden Tide of the CCBC.
Haney was named the 2023 WCL coach of the year.
“Todd and his wife Kira are a true pleasure to work with, and they absolutely love Victoria,” said Jim Swanson, Managing Partner.
“The work they do in the community is a big part of what helps set our organization apart in this market. Todd is an outstanding baseball coach, person, and communicator, and his focus is on developing players in a winning environment — his work with local players and recruiting the best college players has been exceptional and we will continue to chase that WCL championship.
“Players routinely describe Todd as the best coach they will ever have. He teaches, he improves players, and our teams have played an exciting brand of baseball, as our fans know well.”
Under Haney, the HarbourCats have set numerous records, including the team stolen base mark — 169 swiped bases in 54 games, beating the Haney-led 150 bases stolen in 2023, which topped the 149 stolen in 2022. During his tenure as head coach, the Cats lead the WCL with 127 home runs, 2096 hits, 2895 total bases, and unsurprisingly 610 stolen bases.
Haney’s season-by-season win-loss record:
2019: 39-15
2022: 26-28
2023: 38-15
2024: 29-25
Victoria HarbourCats 2025 Season Tickets are now available! If you have been loving HarbourCats baseball, lock in your existing seats, or purchase new seats by our Early Bird Deadline of September 30th to secure seats at 2024 pricing. Stop in at the office or contact Christian by email at Chris@harbourcats.com for details.
Victoria HarbourCats – Victoria HarbourCats Collaborate with the Lək̓ʷəŋən Peoples on Special 2025 Season Logo
Victoria HarbourCats – HarbourCats in Pro Ball
Royals LEGEND Dave Wallace, first winner of CBN’s first Dave Wallace award
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