MacKenzie to Red Sox, Stankiewicz to Twins as Undrafted Free Agents

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Jake MacKenzie (above) is off to the Boston Red Sox organization. (Courtesy of Fordham Athletics)

Jimmy Sullivan, Sports Editor

Despite the team’s season being canceled, Fordham Baseball saw two of its own make the leap to the professional ranks this weekend.

Senior infielder Jake MacKenzie, who hit .306 in over two seasons at Rose Hill, has signed with the Boston Red Sox as an undrafted free agent. MacKenzie was on his way to a career season before the coronavirus pandemic cut it short on March 12. Last season, he ranked fourth in the NCAA with 43 stolen bases over 62 games.

Later on Sunday, the Rams saw another one of their star players join a big-league organization. Senior John Stankiewicz, the defending Atlantic 10 Pitcher of the Year, was signed by the Minnesota Twins as an undrafted free agent. Stankiewicz gave up just four runs in four starts in the first month of the 2020 season, and his 1.47 Earned Run Average from a season ago helped propel Fordham to the NCAA Tournament for the first time since 1998.

Both men will report to their respective teams in an uncertain time in baseball, as the league has planned to cut over 40 teams from minor-league systems across the country. In addition, the sport faces the looming prospect of a season a third as long as originally scheduled. Both had a chance to be drafted in this past week’s MLB Draft, but that was shortened from last year’s 40 rounds to just five this year, forcing them to take the route of an undrafted free agent. Their contract details are unclear, but due to recent events, undrafted free agents can only sign for a maximum of $20,000.