Thursday, on the eve of the West Coast League’s 2024 season, WCL Commissioner Rob Neyer released the first WCL Spotlight of the year, featuring a representative collection of the league’s most exciting and notable players.
This preseason 2024 WCL Spotlight includes one player from each of the 16 teams, showcasing a mix of compelling talents and personalities to track throughout the summer.
Topping this first Spotlight are impact returners such as 2023 WCL Pitcher of the Year Halen Knoll (Edmonton) and standout sluggers Robert Nunez (Port Angeles), Kennedy Hara (Walla Walla), and Tom Poole (Bellingham).
Highlighting the list of newcomers is Manny Ramirez Jr. (Victoria). The son of 12-time MLB All-Star and 2004 World Series MVP Manny Ramirez, Manny Jr. will be joining his brother Lucas with the HarbourCats this summer.
| Team | Player | Position | School | Notes |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Bellingham | Tom Poole | 1B | Dallas Baptist | Slugger set for his summer with the Bells after earning Conference USA 2nd Team honors. |
| Bend | Wyatt Navara | LHP | Michigan | Joining Elks after pitching 13 games as a true freshman for Big Ten's Wolverines. |
| Corvallis | Jackson Flora | RHP | UCSB | Follows in footsteps of UCSB alums Matt Ager ('22) and Tyler Bremner ('23) to pitch for Knights. |
| Cowlitz | Jonathan Mendez | SS | UCSB | Talented infielder made 45 starts with .269 batting average as freshman with Gauchos this spring. |
| Edmonton | Halen Knoll | RHP | Edmonton Collegiate Hawks | 2023 WCL Pitcher of the Year eager to stand out once again for hometown Riverhawks. |
| Kamloops | Madden Ocko | 2B | Fordham | After strong freshman campaign with Rams, Ocko shifts from the Bronx to Kamloops. |
| Kelowna | Trey Duffield | OF | Rice | Owls outfielder returning to Okanagan to follow-up his standout 2023 summer. |
| Nanaimo | Aaron Marsh | 2B | UBC | Nanaimo's Player of the Year in 2023, the local product thrived with UBC this spring. |
| Port Angeles | Roberto Nunez | 2B/3B | Embry-Riddle | Finished 8th in 2023's WCL batting race last summer, leading Lefties with .330 average in 50 games. |
| Portland | Elie Kligman | C | Sac St | Second Orthodox Jewish player ever chosen in the MLB Draft when Nationals tabbed him in 2021. |
| Ridgefield | Erik Hoffberg | RHP | Gonzaga | Named to WCC All-Freshman team this spring after outstanding first season with Bulldogs. |
| Springfield | Kaden Alberghini | RHP | Seattle U | Springfield veteran appeared in 13 games with 2.07 ERA for the Drifters last summer. |
| Victoria | Manny Ramirez Jr. | OF | East LA College | Son of THE Manny Ramirez, joining brother Lucas to play with HarbourCats this summer. |
| Walla Walla | Kennedy Hara | 2B | Colorado Mesa | All-WCL honorable mention selection in '23 returns for second summer with the Sweets. |
| Wenatchee | Max Hartman | OF | Washington St | Alberta native heading to the Apple Capital after batting .286 with Cougs in the spring. |
| Yakima Valley | Blake Peterson | OF | Texas | Yakima Valley's first-ever Texas Longhorn ready to experience the Pacific Northwest. |
About the West Coast League: The West Coast League is the West’s premier summer collegiate baseball league. Encompassing Oregon, Washington, British Columbia, and now Alberta, the WCL showcases pro prospects from major collegiate conferences around the nation. Every summer, the League features unparalleled fan and player experiences, with North America’s best baseball weather and a mix of classic and modern ballparks, all backdropped by the sport’s most stunning scenery. The 2019 MLB amateur draft began with former Corvallis Knight Adley Rutschman selected with the overall No. 1 pick by the Baltimore Orioles, and the 2022 draft featured two West Coast League alumni, Brooks Lee and Gabriel Hughes, among the first 10 picks.
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