2025 MLB Draft – Funny Names

Well, another draft. And another set of funny names.

Do note, though, that MLB can’t hold a candle to the NFL and NBA. For MLB, it’s typically just some lame first name like Cade, or Cole, or Chase, or whatever. Surnames are often boring things like Brown, and Miller, and Williams, and stuff like that.

The draft does involve 600 picks however. So, quantity, if nothing else, should give us a shot here. So, let’s see what we got.

Here are the 25 oddest names from the 2025 MLB draft. I’m ranking them in increasing order of oddness. I’m also adding position, school, MLT team & a fun fact or two.

25.  Nolan Sailors

• Pos:  of
• School:  Creighton
• Team:  KC
• Draft pick:  128
• Note:  Was once a Norman CornBelter

24.  Core Jackson

• Pos:  ss
• School:  Utah
• Team:  NYY
• Draft pick:  164
• Note:  Canadian

Not to be confused with Jackson Core, runner with UNC-Asheville

23.  Murf Gray

• Pos:  3b
• School:  Fresno St  
• Team:  PGH
• Draft pick:  73
• Note:  Real name is Triston Allen

22.  Cam Cannarella

• Pos:  of
• School:  Clemson
• Team:  MIA
• Draft pick:  43
• Note:  I wonder how often he gets called Can Cammarella

21.  James Quinn-Irons

• Pos:  of
• School:  George Mason  
• Team:  TB
• Draft pick:  147  
• Note:  Comp sci major

20.  Pico Kohn

• Pos:  p
• School:  Mississippi State
• Team:  NYY
• Draft pick:  134
• Note:  Real name is William Stephen

19.  Tate Southisene

• Pos:  ss
• School:  HS
• Team:  ATL
• Draft pick:  22
• Note:  Grad of Basic High School (NV)

18.  Sean Episcope

• Pos:  p
• School:  Princeton
• Team:  MIL
• Draft pick:  156
• Note:  All depends on how many syllables you give it, I guess

17.  Brayden Corn

• Pos:  of
• School:  Western Carolina
• Team:  SEA
• Draft pick:  452
• Note:  Has been a Catamount, Owl & Flamingo

16.  Kyson Witherspoon

• Pos:  p
• School:  Oklahoma
• Team:  BOS
• Draft pick:  15
• Note:  Twin Kyle pitched for Oklahoma as well; drafted by DET

15.  Ike Irish

• Pos:  c
• School:  Auburn  
• Team:  BAL
• Draft pick:  19
• Note:  Alliteration for the win!

14.  Kruz Schoolcraft

• Pos:  p
• School:  HS (OR)
• Team:  SD
• Draft pick:  25
• Note:  6’8”

13.  Wehiwa Aloy

• Pos:  ss
• School:  Arkansas  
• Team:  BAL
• Draft pick:  31
• Note:  Hawaiian

12.  Slater de Brun

• Pos:  of
• School:  HS (OR)
• Team:  BAL
• Draft pick:  37
• Note:  Makes music under the name Lil Slayyy

11.  Kane Kepley

• Pos:  of
• School:  UNC
• Team:  CUB
• Draft pick:  56
• Note:  5’8”

10.  Bruin Agbayani

• Pos:  ss
• School:  HS (HI)
• Team:  MIN
• Draft pick:  179
• Note:  Full name is Bruin Kazuya Paliku Agbayani

9.  Gabel Pentecost

• Pos:  p
• School:  Taylor (Div III)
• Team:  HOU
• Draf pick:  186
• Note:  Homeschooled

8.  McLane Moody

• Pos:  p
• School:  HS (AR)
• Team:  PGH
• Draft pick:  443
• Note:  Played varsity in HS at 14

7.  Truitt Madonna

• Pos:  c
• School:  HS (WA)
• Team:  SD
• Draft pick:  340 
• Note:  No relation to the Material Girl

6.  Luke Lacourse

• Pos:  p
• School:  HS (MI)
• Team:  LAA
• Draft pick: 169 
• Note:  Love that 'lliteration

5.  Randy Ramnarace

• Pos:  p
• School:  Univ of New Haven (Div II)
• Team:  KC
• Draft pick:  488
• Note:  Honestly, can’t get enough of the stuff

4.  Grayson Grinsell

• Pos:  p
• School:  Oregon
• Team:  DET
• Draft pick:  189
• Note:  2-way player in college

3.  Joey Wimpelberg

• Pos:  p
• School:  Univ of Central Florida  
• Team:  DET
• Draft pick:  519
• Note:  Assuming his nickname is “Wimpy”

2.  Cannon Pickell

• Pos:  of
• School:  Western Carolina
• Team:  MIA
• Draft pick:  588
• Note:  Special callout to Cannon Peeples, catcher for Tennessee drafted by CLE

1.  Maximus Martin

• Pos:  ss
• School:  KSU
• Team:  BOS
• Draft pick:  298
• Note:  Not to be confused with Max Martin, pitcher with Cal-Irvine drafted by KC

Geographically-Inclined TV & Radio Call Signals

Huh? Whuh?

You know, when the call signal for a TV or radio station reflects the city it’s in. WNYC is one example. There’s probably something similar in your area as well.

For me, that might be WUML, the radio station for U-Mass Lowell. Or, further south, WCNC, for the TV station in Charlotte, NC.

Let’s see what else is out there. Below are the 50-or-so major markets in the US. Now, do they or don’t they?

 

Hits

• Boston – WBOS (Bloomberg radio)
• Hartford – WHCT (TV)
• New York – WNYC (public radio)
• Buffalo – WBUF (radio)
• Philadelphia – WPHI (news radio)
• Baltimore – WBAL (news/talk radio & TV)

• Washington DC – WASH (radio)
• Pittsburgh – WPIT (Christian radio) & WPGH (TV)
• Cleveland – WCLV (classical radio)
• Columbus – WCOL (country radio)
• Detroit – WDET (public radio)

• Milwaukee – WMIL (country radio)
• Raleigh – WRAL (radio & TV)
• Charlotte – WCNC (TV)
• Atlanta – WATL (TV)

Close but no cigar

• Jacksonville – WJAX (TV)
• Orlando – WORL (talk radio)
• Tampa – WTMP (sports radio)
• Miami – WMIA (Spanish radio)

• New Orleans – WNOL (TV)

 

• St Louis – KSTL (Christian radio)
• St Paul – KSTP (radio & TV)
• Oklahoma City – KOKC (talk radio)
• DFW – KDFW (TV)

• San Antonio – KSAT (TV)
• Phoenix – KPHX (sports radio) & KPHO (TV)
• Denver – KDEN (Spanish TV)
• SLC – KSL (news/talk radio & TV)

• Las Vegas – KVEG (radio)
• Portland – KPOR (Christian Spanish radio)
• Sacramento – KSAC (Spanish radio)
• LA – KLAC (sports radio), KLAX (Spanish radio)

Misses

• Indianapolis – WIND (Chicago talk radio)

• Nashville – WNSH (defunct NYC country radio)
• St Pete – WSTP (Salisbury NC country radio)
• Memphis – WMPH (Wilmington DE high school radio), WMEM (Presque Isle ME public radio)

• Minneapolis – KMIN (Grants NM country radio)
• Dallas – KDAL (Duluth MN radio)
• Austin – KAUS (Austin MN news/talk radio)

• Seattle – KSEA (Salinas CA Spanish radio)
• Oakland – KOAK (Red Oak IA country radio)
• San Francisco – KSFC (Spokane public radio)
• San Jose – KSJC (Silverton CO radio), KSJ (Mobile AL country radio)

• San Diego – KSDC (Centralia MO Christian radio), KSD (St Louis country radio)

State Origins of American Artists

Just the other day, I was reading about Andy Warhol. It always strikes me that he’s from Pittsburgh. I mean, it’s a great city (I spent my teen years there), but it’s very blue collar, and not exactly known as an artistic mecca.

And isn’t Jackson Pollock from Montana or Wyoming or someplace out there? And isn’t Jasper Johns from South Carolina? I do know Robert Indiana is from – surprise! – Indiana.

Though they all seem to end up in New York City, I do wonder where they all got their start.

Methodology

1. Identify the top 50 American artists using Google 
2. Figure out what state they were born in 
3. Add ‘em all up

NOTE: This includes artists and sculptors, but not photographers.

Results

There are more than a few from New York, as well as from another northeast state, Massachusetts. But would you believe that the #1 state is Pennsylvania?

But look at all those one-offs – Rhode Island, Iowa, Nebraska, North Dakota, Wyoming … Here’s how they all shake out pie-chart-wise.

Interestingly, the one-offs make up almost half. Note, though, that the top 3 do make up more than half. Not sure what that all means. Maybe talent can start anywhere. As for those northeastern states, they may simply have more history (and people).

Details

So, here they are, state by state:

Pennsylvania (mostly from Philly) – Andy Warhol, Keith Haring, Jeff Koons (York), Maxfield Parrish (Quaker), Alexander Calder (grandfather did statue of William Penn on Philly’s city hall), Andrew Wyeth, Mary Cassat (another Pittsburgher), Man Ray (born Emmanuel Radnitzky), Thomas Eakins, Stuart Davis, John Sloan (Lock Haven), Benjamin West

New York – Edward Hopper, Jean-Michel Basquiat (father was Haitian), Roy Lichtenstein (tho Ohio State grad), Joseph Cornell, Milton Avery (Altmar, in upstate NY, but which no longer exists), Alex Katz, Ellsworth Kelly (Newburgh), Barnett Newman

Guess the artist

Massachusetts – James McNeill Whistler (Lowell), Winslow Homer, Childe Hassam (family name originally Horsham), Frank Stella (parents born in Italy), Carl Andre (Quincy), Will Barnet (passed away at age 101), John Singleton Copley (ditched Mass for the UK at age 24, never to return)

Boston Common at Twighlight

North Carolina – Romare Bearden (moved to the northeast as a toddler), Kenneth Noland (Asheville)

Indiana – Robert Indiana (nee Clark)

Iowa – Grant Wood (Anamosa)

Wisconsin - Georgia O’Keefe (Sun Prairie)

Wyoming - Jackson Pollock (left at 10 months)

Georgia - Jasper Johns (grew up in SC)

Texas - Robert Rauschenberg (parents were fundamentalist Christians)

Missouri - Thomas Hart Benton (Neosho)

Rhode Island - Gilbert Stuart (Saunderstown)

New Jersey - Cindy Sherman (Glen Ridge)

Maryland - Charles Wilson Peale (Chester)

Virginia - Cy Twombly (father was a major league baseball player)

Have no idea who P Daura is

North Dakota - James Rosenquist (parents were itinerant pilots)

California - Richard Serra (father born in Spain, mother in Russia)

Nebraska - Edward Ruscha

Arizona - Wayne Thiebaud (Mormon)

Minnesota - Duane Hanson (Alexander)

Ohio - George Bellows (played baseball & basketball at Ohio State)

Maine - Marsden Hartley (Lewiston)

Oregon - Richard Diebenkorn (moved to SF at age 2)

New Hampshire - Daniel Chester French (Exeter)

2025 MLB All-Schlub Team

Ah, All-Star week is upon us. Ohtani, Judge, Skubal,  Jacob Wilson, Ryan O’Hearn, Jacob Misiorowski … Wait, who were those last three again?

3 points if you know who this is

Yeah, the All-Star game ain’t what it used to be. The rosters are huge, lotsa stars opt out (Crochet, Jose Ramirez, Zach Wheeler this year), some of the worst teams in baseball history (Rockies, Chisox, Athletics) have to send somebody … 

All that got me wondering … What would the opposite of the All Stars look like?

Methodology

• For each league and position, find the players with the worst WAR 
• Show some of their worst stats
• Share a few tidbits about them
• Find the most unflattering photo of them I could find

Catcher

AL – Jacob Stallings (COL)

• WAR: -1.0, avg: 146
• Split season between COL & BAL
• 10-year vet, has played with 4 teams
• Former Gold Glove winner
• Has pitched in 9 games

I understand he dropped it

NL – Elias Diaz (SD)

• WAR: -0.6, avg: 194, 54 Ks in 186 ABs
• From Venezuela
• 11-year vet, with 3 teams
• 1-time All Star, MVP
• Led league in catcher assists, DPs & caught stealing (but also errors, twice)
• Struck out in his 1 post-season AB
• Nickname El Maracucho (the one from Maracaibo)

1st Base

AL – Triston Casas (BOS)

• WAR: -1.0, avg: 182, on the DL for rest of season
• Graduated high school early to enter the draft, 1st rounder 
• Ex-Olympian
• Came in 3rd in 2023 ROY voting
• Wears fingernail polish on the field 
• Nickname is “Houses” (?!?!)
• Plays the piano

NL – Andrew Vaughn (MIL)

• WAR: -1.4, avg: 200
• Traded from CWS midseason, used mostly as a DH by MIL
• Berkeley alum, Golden Spikes winner
• Drafted 3rd in 2020
• Olympian
• Has been a HarborCat, Gateman & Intimidator in minors
• 5-year MLB vet
• Once died his hair pink

2nd Base

AL – Kristian Campbell (BOS)

• WAR: -1.0
• Signed an 8-year, $60M contract at beginning of year, now batting 206 in Worcester
• Georgia Tech alum
• Father played football at Tennessee
• Only MLBer in history with the 1st name Kristian (middle name is Eron)
• Nickname "Barry Bonds" (?!?!)

NL – Adael Amador (COL)

• WAR: -1.1, avg: 146, 25 Ks in 89 ABs
• Dominican Republic native
• Has been an Isotope & Yard Goat in minors
• Only MLBer in history with the 1st name Adael

Shortstop

AL – Jacob Amaya (CWS)

• WAR: -1.0, avg: 097, 6 hits in 62 at bats
• Committed to Cal State-Fullerton but signed with Dodgers
• 2,515 minor league ABs
• Has been a Quake, Desert Dog & Jumbo Shrimp
• 3 years in bigs, with 3 different teams
• Grandfather played in Dodgers organization

 

NL – Joey Ortiz (MIL)

• WAR: -0.7, avg 207
• New Mexico State alum, drafted by BAL
• Has been an Aggie, Stinger & IronBird prior to bigs
• Traded to MIL for Corbin Burns
• 3 years in bigs
• Had 2.7 WAR in 2024, went 0-11 in postseason
• Nickname "Tito"

3rd Base

AL – Josh Rojas (CWS)

• WAR: -1.3, avg 176
• Univ. of Hawaii alum, drafted in 26th round (receiving a $1,000 signing bonus)
• Has been a Kettleer, Rainbow Warrior, River Bandit & Hook prior to bigs
• 7-year MLB vet, with 3 teams
• 3 years in top 10 for errors committed as a 3B
• Has pitched in 4 games (with 13.50 ERA & 8.21 WHIP)

NL – Santiago Espinal (CIN)

• WAR: -0.7, 0 HRs in 252 ABs
• Has played 5 different positions this season
• 6-year vet, 1-time All Star, career 4.3 WAR
• Pitched in 2 games (9.00 ERA)
• Has been a RiverRat, Saguaro & Orientale
• From the Dominican

That’s him on the right

OF

AL

DaShawn Keirsey Jr (MIN)

• WAR: -1.1, avg: 101, 24 Ks in 72 ABs
• Utah alum, rookie
• Has been a Ute, Kernel & Glacier Pilot in minors
• Only MLBer in history with the 1st name DaShawn
• Born-again Christian

Heston Kjerstad (BAL)

• WAR: -1.4, avg: 192 
• Arkansas alum, drafted 2nd in 2020
• 1010 college OPS, 294 avg in minors
• Developed myocarditis & missed the 2021 season
• Has been a Scorpion, Shorebird & IronBird in minors
• 3 years in bigs
• Only MLBer in history with the 1st name Heston
• Nickname is “Silent J,” for the pronunciation of his last name

Yes, Heston is old enough to drive

Hunter Renfroe (KC)

• WAR: -1.5, avg: 182
• Mississippi State alum, 1st rounder in draft
• 10-year vet, playing with 7 teams
• In 3,422 ABs, has 192 HRS & 510 RBIs
• Led league in assists 2 times & errors 3 times
• In 25 postseason games, batted 172
• Was once traded for Janson Junk & Elvis Peguero
• Was diagnosed with ulcerative colitis this season
• Other Renfroe major leaguers include Marshall, Laddie & Chico

NL

Jordan Walker (STL)

• WAR: -0.9, avg: 210, 63 Ks in 191 ABs
• Currently on rehab recovering from appendicitis
• 6'5", 250 lbs
• 1st rounder out of high school, $2.9M signing bonus
• Homered on 1st AB (with the Low-A Palm Beach Cardinals)
• 3 years in MLB, had 16 HRs in 2023
• Other Jordan Walkers play mens basketball & womens basketball, and include an actor & a singer

Sean Bouchard (COL)

• WAR: -1.0, avg: 167
• UCLA alum
• Has been a JetHawk, Gull, Angler, Sweet, Tourist, Yard Goat, Isotope & Orange Picker (Naranjero) in minors
• 4 years in bigs
• Has 4 names – Sean Walter Bernard Bouchard

Brenton Doyle (COL)

• WAR: -1.9, avg: 202
• Still managed 9 HRs & 7 SBs
• Div 2 Shepherd Univ (WV) grad 
• Has been a Yard Goat & Isotope in MiLB
• 3 years in bigs
• Has led league in 18 defensive categories (range factor / game as CF, range factor . 9 innings as CF, etc.)
• 2 Gold Gloves
• Only MLBer in history with the 1st name Brenton
• Is the voice greeting travelers on the train to Denver Intl. Airport

SP

AL

Tyler Alexander (CWS)

• WAR: -1.3, ERA: 6.19
• TCU alum
• Has been a SeaWolf, Flying Tiger & Mud Hen in minors
• 7-year MLB vet, with 4 teams
• Nickname “Todd the Painter” (?!?!)

David Wells, is that you?

Kumar Rocker (TEX)

• WAR: -1.2, ERA: 6.39
• Dad played in NFL, won Lombardi Award & Outland Trophy in college
• Mom is from India
• Another Vanderbilt alum, CWS MVP, threw no-hitter
• Drafted #3, $5.2M signing bonus, rookie
• Has been a Commodore, Saguaro, ValleyCat, RoughRider & Crawdad prior to MLB
• Nickname “Thunder”

Walker Buehler (BOS)

• WAR: -1.4, ERA: 6.12
• Winner of "Cy Yuk" award this year by Athletic writer Jayson Stark
• Another Vanderbilt alum, 1st round draft pick
• Has been a Commodore, Driller, Quake & Loon prior to biogs
• 8-year MLB vet, 2-time All Star
• 10-3 in offseason, with 3.04 ERA & 1.15 WHIP
• Nicknames are “Ferris” (of course) & “Buehtane”

My thoughts too, Walker

Tanner Houck (BOS)

• 1-2, WAR: -1.5, ERA: 8.04
• Mizzou grad, 1st round draft pick
• Played for US National Team
• Has been a Spinner, Sea Dog & Javelina in MiLB
• 6-year MLB vet, 7.7 career WAR, All Star 
• Has an adopted sister, started a charity in support of adoption

NL

Bryce Elder (ATL)

• 3-6, WAR: -1.0, ERA: 5.65, 47 hits in 29 IPs
• Parents both played sports at Sam Houston State
• Lettered in golf in high school
• Texas alum
• Was a Gateman & Striper in the minors, threw combined no hitter
• 4th year in MLB
• Was 12-4 & an All Star in 2024
• 20.25 ERA & 2.25 WHIP in postseason

Not to be confused with Zach Galifianakis

Didier Fuentes (ATL)

• WAR: -1.0, ERA: 13.85, WHIP: 2.83
• From Colombia
• Has been a GreenJacket, Striper, Emperor & Clingstone in minors
• Rookie, youngest player in NL
• Only MLBer in history with the 1st name Didier

No, no, Didier – you need to pitch the ball overhand in the bigs

Ben Brown (CUB)

• WAR: -1.2, 6.13 ERA
• Siena alum
• Has been a BlueClaw, Crosscutter & Smokie in the minors
• 2nd year in MLB
• Once traded for David Roberston
• Other Ben Browns include a football player, basketball player, musician, journalist, politician, author & cricketeer

Sandy Alcantara (MIA)

• 4-9, WAR: -1.6, ERA 7.72
• From the Dominican
• 1 of 11 children
• Was a Hammerhead, Saguaro, Jumbo Shrimp & Baby Cake in minors
• 8-year MLB vet, 2-time All Star, Cy Young winner
• Missed all of 2024 with Tommy John surgery
• Nickname “Sandman”

“Closer” 

AL – Noah Murdock (KC)

• WAR: -1.5, ERA: 13.24, WHIP: 2.71, 25 ERs in 17 IPs
• 6'8"
• 3-sport athlete in high school: baseball, basketball & volleyball
• UVA alum
• Has been a River Bandit, Storm Chaser & Natural in MiLB
• Lost in Rule 5 draft to ATH, but was returned to KC
• Rookie

Nickname “Gumby”?

NL – Ryan Fernandez (STL)

• WAR: -1.1, ERA: 11.42, WHIP: 2.31
• Parents are from Cuba, grew up speaking Spanish
• Hillsborough Comm College alum
• In the minors, has been a Spinner & Sea Dog
• Rule 5 draftee from BOS
• 2nd year in the bigs
• 1st year had a 3.51 ERA & a 1.35 WHIP, but was 1-6
• Other Ryan Fernandezes include a cook, runner, golfer & actor

Is he trying to throw the ball out of the park?