Europeans in the Majors & Minors: Final 2024 Update

By DZ. Filed Sept. 23, 2024.

The final month of the minor league season can be summed up in one word for Europeans playing in affiliated baseball in the U.S.: PROMOTIONS! In our last update of the campaign, Italy’s Samuel Aldegheri makes his MLB debut, while the Netherlands’ Arij Fransen jumps to Triple-A, as does Slovakia- and Ireland-raised RHP Adam Macko. Elsewhere, France’s Ernesto Martínez concludes a Double-A season full of career-best offensive numbers and several players in the low minors put up notable figures. With the minor league regular season now finished, read on to find out how it went for European baseball players in MLB and the minor leagues.

Key
Name (age*), organization, country, team.
*Age is as of Sept 1, 2024 (playing age this season).
Team Prospect Rankings: BA (Baseball America): #; FG (Fangraphs): #; MLB (MLB.com): #.

MLB (2)
Samuel Aldegheri (22), Los Angeles Angels. Italy. BA: 6; FG: 5; MLB: 8.Wow! One month ago, we were highlighting the strides the Italian lefty had made this season, from consistently throwing strikes and maintaining his velocity as a starter, to a move from High-A to Double-A, then to be a key part of a trade deadline deal. Shortly after that update, Aldegheri was promoted to the big leagues! On Aug. 30, he took the hill in a start against Seattle, throwing five serviceable innings to make history.

The Veronese moundsman became the first Italian-born-and-developed pitcher to debut in the Big Show and only the second player from Italy, after Alex Liddi, to climb to MLB’s highest level (with respect to Alex Maestri, who pitched in the top leagues in Japan, Korea, Mexico, and others, but never received a call to the majors while a prospect in the Cubs’ system).

Aldegheri has made three starts with the Angels, getting his first major league win in the process. He struck out 10, walked 10, and allowed seven runs in his 13 innings. The left-hander went on the injured list on Sept. 15 with a blister on his pitching middle finger, but there is a chance he comes back for one more appearance before the end of the season. Regardless, the

Max Kepler (31), Minnesota Twins. Germany.
After missing 15 days near the start of the season due to a right knee contusion, the Berlin native returned to the injured list on Sept. 2 with a sore left knee as his team fights for the last wild card in the American League playoffs. The pending free agent is hitting .253 with a .302 on base percentage, homering eight times and hitting 21 doubles in 105 games.

Should his time with the Twins be at a close, Kepler will have played in 1,072 games over nine seasons and a cup of coffee, slashing .237/.318/.429, good for an OPS (and wRC+) two percent above average. His totals include 893 hits, 205 doubles, 161 home runs, 35 stolen bases, and 554 runs. Thanks to his solid defense in right field as well, Kepler has been worth 20.7 WAR according to Baseball Reference and 18.6 WAR according to Fangraphs.

Triple-A (3)
Arij Fransen (23), Cincinnati Reds. Netherlands. Louisville Bats.
Fransen pitched the entire season in relief at High-A Dayton before receiving a promotion to Triple-A Louisville on Sept. 20 (where he relived Ian Gibaut, who closed out Great Britain’s first win in a World Baseball Classic in 2023). He faced four batters at the new level, recording an out via the K and allowing a pair of earned runs on a walk, a hit, and an error. He finished the High-A season with a 3-3 record, four holds, and three saves. The right-hander had a 3.86 ERA in 67.2 innings, striking out 55 and walking 37.

Adam Macko (23), Toronto Blue Jays. Slovakia/Ireland. Buffalo Bisons. BA: 16; FG: 6; MLB: 9.
After posting intriguing numbers in Double-A, Macko received a promotion to Triple A, making his first start at the new level on Sept. 17. He had made three rehab appearances in Florida and returned to Double-A from the injured list for a single outing before making the move to Buffalo. Across all levels, Macko finished with a 5-5 record and 4.63 ERA. He pitched 93.1 frames, striking out 105 and walking or hitting 44. He matched his 2023 high of 20 games started, while his innings total marks a new career high and his punch-outs were one short of last year’s.

Sem Robberse (22), St Louis Cardinals. Netherlands. Memphis Redbirds. BA: 11; FG: 8; MLB: 12.Aside from six innings in rehab outings, Robberse was the only European to spend the entirety of the 2024 season in Triple-A. He pitched to a 5-4 record and 4.59 ERA in 84.1 innings, including 76 strikeouts and 27 walks.

Double-A (1)
Ernesto Wilson Martínez (25), Milwaukee Brewers. France. Biloxi Shuckers.
Barring a surprise emergency call to the MLB playoff roster, Martínez finished his seventh season—eighth, counting 2020, when there were no minor league games—in the Brewers system, playing a career-high 110 games and hitting .284 with 45 extra base hits and 20 steals in 25 attempts. He added 40 walks for a .365 OBP. The lefty swinger was among the Double-A leaders across all leagues in doubles (third, tied), slugging percentage (ninth), OPS (No. 11), average (No. 14), and on-base percentage (No. 21). He struck out only 77 times (16.8 percent of plate appearances). For those who enjoy advanced statistics, his weighted runs created (wRC+) of 146 was third in all of Double-A, while his wOBA of .384 was seventh.

Martínez will again be a minor league free agent at the conclusion of the season, and he’s produced at a clip that likely gives him more opportunities to knock on MLB’s door in the high minors. Born in Cuba, the first baseman naturalized as a French citizen while at the Toulouse Academy as a teenager, and has played for France in Under-18 and men’s national team competition. Martinez is listed on the 60-man roster of Cuba, however, for the upcoming WBSC Premier 12 tournament in November.

High-A (3)
Alessandro Ercolani (20), Pittsburgh Pirates. San Marino/Italy. Greensboro Grasshoppers.
Ercolani concluded a strong season, particularly the second half, despite the team suffering defeat in the semifinals of the High-A playoffs. He finished with a 6-2 record and 3.29 ERA, striking out 93 and walking 25 in 76.2 innings, starting nine of his 24 games. Ten of his 31 runs allowed on the season happened in one May outing; after two weeks on the IL around the All-Star Break, Ercolani walked more than one batter or allowed more than one run in only one outing the remainder of the year. In total, since July 1, over 10 relief appearances and one start, the right-hander accumulated 44 strikeouts and only eight walks in 36 innings, permitting just 23 hits and five runs (1.25 ERA).

Omar Hernández (22), Kansas City Royals. Spain. Quad Cities River Bandits.
Hernández finished his first season catching at High-A with his Quad Cities squad qualifying for the playoffs. He hit .227 with 12 extra base hits in 70 games, adding 14 stolen bases in 17 attempts. The backstop nabbed a strong 28 percent of attempted base-stealers. He’s steadily progressed through the Royals system since his 2019 debut.

Shervyen Newton (25), Kansas City Royals. Netherlands. Quad Cities River Bandits.
Newton played 53 games across three levels after starting the year on the injured list. Despite a second-straight strong finish (.252/.330/.414 from July 31 onward), he was released at the end of the season after hitting .196 with seven homers, 18 walks, and 77 strikeouts. Should Newton’s time in the minor leagues indeed be concluded, the Tilburger saw action in 565 games over eight seasons, primarily as a shortstop, though he started at least 65 games at each of the other three infield positions. Newton collected 98 doubles, 20 triples, and 51 home runs as part of a .228/.331/.375 batting line.

Single-A (1)
Kay-Lan Nicasia (24), Milwaukee Brewers. Netherlands. Carolina Mudcats.
The outfielder—who was born in Oss and attended high school in Florida—finished the year on the injured list, last appearing in a game in late May. He hit four home runs and stole 10 bases in his 29 games of action this year, hitting .227 with a .313 OBP.

Rookie League, U.S. Complex Leagues (7)
Ettore Giulianelli (21), St Louis Cardinals. Italy. FCL Cardinals.
Giulianelli pitched most of the season in A-ball before he was reassigned to the FCL team once instructional league began. In 20 Single-A games, he had a 3.96 ERA, 39 strikeouts, and 31 walks in 25 innings. He was released in early September. His four-year totals include an eye-popping 104 strikeouts in only 68.2 frames, counter-balanced by 76 free passes and 14 wild pitches. The net result was a 4.46 ERA and 1.70 WHIP.

Brandon Herbold (20), Kansas City Royals. Netherlands. ACL Royals.
In Herbold’s second season in the Arizona Complex League, he pitched 38 innings with a 1-2 record, 5.68 ERA, and 1.53 WHIP. He struck out 43 and walked 24.  

Connor Prins (20), Seattle Mariners. Netherlands. ACL Mariners.
Prins missed a little over one month of game action but returned for a pair of one-inning scoreless appearances in the second half of July. He finished his second ACL season with a 1-1 record and 3.07 ERA, with 12 free passes and 10 strikeouts in 14.2 innings.  

Stijn van der Schaaf (20), Boston Red Sox. Netherlands. FCL Red Sox.
The Dutch righty finished his second season in the Florida Complex League with a 3-0 record and 3.76 ERA. He pitched 26.1 innings with 21 hits, 21 free passes, and 23 strikeouts.

Dominic Scheffler (20), Cincinnati Reds. Switzerland. ACL Reds.
Scheffler pitched 28.1 official innings across 12 games, striking out 42 and walking 33, with 25 hits allowed. He also had 10 wild pitches. He finished his debut season with a 7.62 ERA and 2.05 WHIP.

Gijs van den Brink (19), Kansas City Royals. Netherlands. ACL Royals.
The UVV lefty completed his debut season with a 1-1 record, 4.03 ERA, and 1.79 WHIP. He struck out 20 and walked 18 in 22.1 innings.    

Yannic Walther (20), Milwaukee Brewers. Germany. ACL Brewers.
Walther’s U.S. debut—he played 2023 in the Dominican—ended with 44 at bats across 16 games. He was injured to start the season and received sporadic playing time on his return. The Heidelberg native hit .182 with six walks and 12 strikeouts.

Rookie League, Dominican Complex Leagues (4)
Peter Bonilla (19), Los Angeles Dodgers. Spain. DSL LAD Bautista.
Bonilla pitched his third consecutive season in the DSL with the Dodgers, appearing only once before July 2. He went 1-0 with a 4.34 ERA in 11 games and 18.2 innings, striking out 23 and walking 11, recording a strong 1.18 WHIP. For more on Bonilla, see Jason Daniels’ series, “A German, A Spaniard, and A Hot Dominican Summer: European Baseball and the DSL” [link].

Tim Fischer (19), Los Angeles Dodgers. Germany. DSL LAD Mega.
Fischer pitched 4.2 innings across three starts in mid-June before going on the 60-day injured list. He finished his second pro season with five hits and five runs allowed, with eight strikeouts and seven walks. Including 2023, he has now thrown 31 career innings. For more on Fischer, see Jason Daniels’ series, “A German, A Spaniard, and A Hot Dominican Summer: European Baseball and the DSL” [link].

Paul Hoff (17), Milwaukee Brewers. Germany. DSL Brewers 2.
In Hoff’s debut season, he pitched 29.2 innings, with a 2-2 record and 3.64 ERA. He had 21 strikeouts and 18 walks. The right-hander ended the campaign well: in his seven August innings, he did not allow a run.  

Williams Wong (18), Texas Rangers. Italy. DSL Rangers Red.
Wong finished the year with a .356 OBP in 45 games, walking more (35) than he struck out (27). He had 10 extra base hits and two stolen bases. He hit .179 with a .279 slugging percentage.

Did Not Appear in 2024 (4)
Jurrangelo Cijntje (21), Seattle Mariners. Netherlands. ACL Mariners. BA: 10; FG: 9; MLB: 7.
The switch-pitcher from The Hague immediately jumped into the Mariners’ Top 10 Prospects in all three major rankings after being taken at No. 15 in this year’s MLB Draft. Since Aug. 5, Cijntje has been working with Seattle’s staff in Arizona as the organization evaluated his unique talent.

Darnel Collins (20), Kansas City Royals. Netherlands. ACL Royals Gold.
Collins is on the Restricted List and did not play in the Royals’ organisation in 2024.

Mathias LaCombe (22), Chicago White Sox. France. ACL White Sox.
LaCombe has yet to take the mound in an official minor league. He was placed on the injured list in July with a shoulder injury.  

Boris Vecerka (21), Arizona Diamondbacks. Czechia. Visalia Rawhide.
Vecerka has not yet made his official pro debut. The right-hander has been on the injured list all season with an elbow injury.

Read previous posts in this year’s series:
April [link].
Mid-May [link].
June [link].
Mid-July [link].
August [link].

Additional statistical research by Gabriel Fidler.