The 19th and final round of this year’s MLB draft is experiencing a premiere: In 56th place, the Miami Marlins, together with Noah Williamson, are the first team in league history to choose a player from Switzerland.
Williamson grew up in the USA, played in Switzerland for the Zurich Barracudas and Zurich Challengers and was part of our national team.
Whether the 20-year-old outfielder will ever play in the best baseball league in the world remains to be seen, however. Williamson must first recommend himself for a place on the university team of the Oregon Ducks.
The only Swiss in the MLB was Otto Hess, who was used as a pitcher for Cleveland and Boston for ten years at the beginning of the 20th century. (cm)
