Two From America East Hear Their Names Called in MLB Draft

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Over the three days that Major League Baseball conducted their entry-level draft. 615 players from across the country and some from outside the U.S. borders, heard their names called by an MLB organization. Two of those players came from the America East Baseball Conference. For the second year in a row, a member of the Maine Black Bears was chosen as well as an effective pitcher from the University of Maryland Baltimore County.

With the 418th pick in the 14th round, the San Francisco Giants selected first baseman Jeremiah Jenkins from the University of Maine. The Upper Marlboro, Maryland native had a very good career playing first base for the Black Bears. He was one of the most feared hitters in America East. Over his three years at Maine, Jenkins hit 50 home runs which placed him second in program history. In 2024, Jenkins posted the second-best season in Black Bears history by hitting .341 (63-for-185) with 22 HR and 50 RBI. He had an OPS of 1.213 and slugged .762 in 49 games for a team that was riddled with injuries. He also put up 12 doubles. In the field, Jenkins had a .980 fielding percentage in 348 chances with 317 putouts. He had 24 assists, committed 7 errors, and was a part of 31 double plays turned by the team.

In his career at Maine, Jeremiah Jenkins played in 148 games. His slash line is as follows: .332/.454/.675. His .675 slugging percentage is the highest in school history with a min. of 50 at-bats. He drove in 153 runs in his career and hit 31 doubles and seven triples. His strikeout-to-walk ratio is strong with 97 K’s to 109 BB. He was a two-time All-America (2022 & 2023) and was a three-time All-Conference selection. He may get a chance to see an old friend once he gets to the Bay Area. Last season the Giants took Black Bears second baseman Quinn McDaniels in the fifth round.

With the #290 pick in the 10th round, the Washington Nationals took 6-1 RHP Luke Johnson from UMBC. Johnson was a two-time America East Conference Pitcher of the Year. He is the first Retriever taken in the draft since Kevin Lachance was taken in 2016 by the LA Dodgers. Johnson’s numbers in 2024 are not outstanding with a record of 5-4 in 15 starts, one complete game, and one shutout. His ERA stood at 5.64. in 89.1 IP, 97 hits, 59 runs, 56 earned runs. He struck out 89 and walked 25. Teams hit .276 against him. Johnson’s best year at UMBC was in 2023 when he went 7-1 with a 2.96 ERA, 2 complete games, and one shutout. In 79 IP he gave up 63 hits, 35 runs of which 26 were earned, and had 84 strikeouts to 38 walks. Teams hit just .217 against him.

For his career at UMBC, Johnson was 17-10 with a 4.61 ERA in 56 appearances with 54 being starts. He had 4 complete games and 3 shutouts. In 288.2 IP, he allowed 276 hits, 165 runs, and 148 earned. Johnson struck out 275 and walked 112. Teams hit .250 against him. Luke was also pretty good at fielding his position with a career .985 fielding percentage (144 PO, 55 assists, 3 errors). He had perfect fielding numbers twice at UMBC.

Congrats to both and we look forward to watching them climb the ladder toward the big leagues.