The 2025 Major League Baseball draft has concluded with 615 players receiving that memorable phone call, a voice on the other end offering them the opportunity to pursue professional baseball.
The vast majority of names are unfamiliar to casual fans, but there were a handful of young men who will try to follow in the spike-prints of MLB alumni.
One of those players is Brady Counsell, son of current Chicago Cubs manager Craig Counsell. The Arizona Diamondbacks tabbed Counsell nearly right at the central point of the draft in the tenth round with pick No. 303.
The younger Counsell completed his collegiate career at Kansas after competing for three seasons at Minnesota. He played both third base and left field for the Jayhawks and flashed his glove in both positions, posting a .992 field percentage and earning Rawlings Gold Glove honors, the first in school history.
Counsell, who played just one season in Lawrence after transferring from Minnesota, had an outstanding year for the Jayhawks and helped the team set single season records in conference wins (20), conference series wins (seven) and road wins (20) as the team finished 43-17 and second in the Big 12 conference.
The righty displayed power at the plate, hitting 12 home runs and driving in 57 runs for Kansas. He was tabbed Honorable Mention All-Big 12 in his lone season in Lawrence.
It is a nice moment for the Counsells and long-time Diamonbacks fans as Craig was a member of the 2001 World Series team. He played in the desert for six seasons (2000-2003, 2005-2006), hitting .266 with 24 home runs and 193 RBI. It was his longest tenure for any of the six franchises he played for.
After finishing his career with the Milwaukee Brewers in 2011, Craig Counsell managed that franchise from 2015-23, before taking over as the Cubs’ manager in 2024.
Another notable son-father draft story is that of Kaeden Kent, son of 2000 NL Most Valuable Player Jeff Kent. Kaeden was tabbed by the New York Yankees late in the third round (Pick No. 103). In three years at Texas A&M, the infielder hit .290 with 18 home runs and 100 RBI. He earned a spot on the 2024 College World Series All-Tournament team.
The final player to receive a phone call was Shane Brinham, a pitcher from Handsworth Secondary School in Vancouver, British Columbia. That call came from the Los Angeles Dodgers.
–Field Level Media
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