Mainers celebrate a home run.
Photo: Abby Harris
By Jackson Walsh, Sanford Mainers Media Director
The Sanford Mainers are a staple to the Southern Maine community, especially the city of Sanford, for about two months every summer. But even though these athletes are playing their hardest to represent the city, for many this is just one small step on a baseball journey.
The organization gets players from some of the most prestigious athletic collegiate institutions across the nation, but all these young men have something else on their mind: becoming a pro.
The Mainers compete in the New England Collegiate Baseball League (NECBL), which is regarded as one of the best of hundreds across the country. A good summer in the league could catch the eye of Major League scouts.
Since the team was founded in 2002, the Mainers have had more than 80 alumni drafted or playing professional baseball. Some of the most successful have included Joey Wendle, Jake Alu, and veteran Adam Duvall, who had a recent stint with the Red Sox.
The road to playing professional baseball became much harder during the pandemic. All short season A-ball teams (lowest minor league level) were cut. With short-season teams no longer in the picture, the MLB draft went from 40 rounds to 20.
Some of the former half-season teams were turned into summer-ball teams just like the
Mainers, while others formed the MLB draft league. The league features teams from the Northeast, stretching from New Jersey to Ohio. Many recent Mainers have blossomed in this league, especially in the summer of 2025. Three-year Mainer Devan Bade, as well as 2024 Mainers Jackson Tucker and C.J. Willis, have made a name for themselves.
Even with the long odds of hearing your name called in the draft, some Mainers have been fortunate to get to that point. Two Mainers from the 2024 team were drafted. Right-handed pitcher Ryan Minckler, a Portsmouth, NH native who pitched at Niagara, had his summer cut short when he was selected in the 2024 draft by the Washington Nationals. Jared Davis, an infielder from Virginia Tech, was selected by the Oakland A’s in this year’s draft after a standout year with the Hokies. Both Minckler and Davis are in their organizations’ minor league system.
Sanford has been fortunate to have great talent come through the city; some teams around the league haven’t had a current or former player drafted in years. The talent the Mainers get each summer, and the winning history of the organization, make Goodall Park one of the top places to spend a summer.
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