PHILADELPHIA – It was a great summer for University of Pennsylvania baseball team alumni in professional baseball with 10 former Quakers making their presence felt at the next level.
 
Of the 10, eight played college baseball at Penn over the last three seasons. Two players—Joe Miller and Matt O'Neill—reached as high as Triple-A during the course of the 2025 season with Jake Cousins on the New York Yankees' major league injured list after suffering a season-ending injury.
 
"We couldn't be prouder to see 10 of our alumni competing in professional baseball this season," said the W. Joseph Blood Head Coach John Yurkow. "It's a testament to the work they put in here at Penn and the culture we've built within our program. Watching them move on to the next level shows prospective student-athletes that you can come to Penn, get a world-class education, and still pursue your dream of playing professionally.
 
"It's an exciting time for our program, and we're looking forward to seeing even more Quakers follow in their footsteps in the years ahead."
 
C Jackson Appel W'23 – Chicago White Sox (AA)
A former Penn catcher, Appel put together a solid second professional season in 2025, spending most of the year with the High-A Winston-Salem Dash before earning a late promotion to Double-A Birmingham. In 258 at-bats, the switch-hitting backstop batted .248 with a strong .387 on-base percentage, showing patience at the plate and an ability to work counts.
 
While his power has yet to emerge at the pro level—he finished with just one home run and 25 RBIs—Appel contributed in other ways, swiping 11 bases, an impressive number for a catcher. His plate discipline and defensive skills continue to stand out, and the White Sox rewarded his progress with the move to Double-A, a sign of confidence in his long-term development.
 
RHP Jake Cousins C'17 – New York Yankees (MLB)
After a tremendous 2024 season in which he became the first Penn Quaker to appear in a World Series game in over 100 years, Cousins was ruled out for the 2025 season with Tommy John surgery.
 
Last year, he appeared in 37 games for the Yankees, posting a 2.37 ERA over 38 innings. He saw action in six postseason games, logging five innings. In 88 career relief appearances over four Major League seasons, Cousins has a 2.78 ERA. He was placed on the 60-day injured list on March 27 with a right elbow flexor strain. Cousins then appeared in two rehab games with High-A Hudson Valley before being shut down with a UCL injury.
 
RHP Ryan Dromboski C'25 – Philadelphia Phillies (High-A)
Dromboski signed with the Philadelphia Phillies, his favorite childhood team, as an undrafted free agent in 2024, splitting his 2025 season between Single-A Clearwater Threshers and High-A Jersey Shore Blue Claws.
 
Over 22 appearances, 13 of them starts, Dromboski logged 80.1 innings, posting a 9-6 record with a 2.69 ERA. He struck out 76 batters with a WHIP of 1.13, and demonstrated solid control and consistency. Following his promotion, he went 2-1 with a 2.81 ERA in four High-A starts. Dromboski proved he can handle a heavier workload, perform well upon promotion, and keep baserunners in check.
 
INF Wyatt Henseler C'24 – Washington Nationals (High-A)
Arguably one of the best players to come out of Penn and to play in the Ivy League, Henseler was selected in the ninth round of July's MLB Draft by the Washington Nationals.
 
After signing, he made his professional debut with Low-A Fredericksburg, slashing .351/.478/.486 with an OPS of .964 over just 11 games resulting in a much-deserved promotion to High-A Wilmington. Henseler's season started all the way back in February with Texas A&M, so it was no surprise that he showed fatigue with the Blue Rocks over the last month, batting just .098 with a home run and three RBIs. He did show good plate discipline and on-base skills out of the gate, though the sample size was small.
 
LHP Joe Miller W'22 – Detroit Tigers (High-A)
Miller, who was drafted out of Penn in the 11th round of the 2022 MLB Draft by the Detroit Tigers, had a strong showing in 2025 mostly with the High-A West Michigan Whitecaps. The former first-team All-Ivy selection made 26 total appearances, 23 of them starts, logging 116.0 innings with an 8-4 record, 2.95 ERA, 101 strikeouts, and a 1.24 WHIP.
 
He also saw time in Triple-A with the Toledo Mud Hens, making a couple of spot starts and ultimately earning his first win at that level. His career minor-league numbers now stand at 74 appearances, 61 starts, 296.1 innings, with a 15-11 record, 3.52 ERA, 270 strikeouts, and a 1.31 WHIP. Overall, Miller's 2025 suggests real progress—he's shown durability as a starter, consistent control, and enough performance to earn looks at the higher levels.
 
RHP Noah Millikan C' 25 – Oakland Ballers (Independent, Pioneer)
After graduating from Penn in the spring, Millikan had a standout season for the Oakland Ballers in 2025. Over 14 starts, he posted a 7–1 record while logging 85.0 innings and allowing just 65 hits and 23 runs.
 
He also led the league among starters with a 2.12 ERA and struck out 96 batters, cementing his case as a top pitcher in the Pioneer League. In July he was honored as Pitcher of the Month after going 1.83 ERA over 34.1 innings — allowing 25 hits and 7 earned runs in his five appearances that month.
 
C Matt O'Neill W'19 – New York Mets (AAA)
O'Neill remains a key depth piece in the New York Mets' organization, splitting time between Double-A Binghamton and Triple-A Syracuse in 2025.
 
In 84 at-bats, O'Neill batted .250 with two homers, eight RBIs, and two stolen bases for the Rumble Ponies. O'Neill had been getting on base at a decent clip (.373) in Double-A, showing some pop, and having enough flexibility as a catcher that his defense and experience are part of his value.
 
RHP Eli Trop C'24 – Philadelphia Phillies (A)
Trop concluded his first full season in the Phillies organization with Single-A Clearwater in 2025, despite an up-and-down season.
 
The right-hander punched out 31 batters over 30.2 innings in 23 relief appearances, pitching to a 6.46 ERA. He ended his season on a high note, not allowing an earned run over his final three outings from August 21 to September 2.
 
RHP Cole Zaffiro W'24 – New York Yankees (A)
A right-handed pitcher in the New York Yankees system, Zaffiro spent the 2025 season with the Single-A Tampa Tarpons. Over 23 relief appearances, he threw 38.2 innings, posting a 4.42 ERA and striking out 36 batters. While he didn't pick up a win, the numbers show he provided work out of the bullpen, though with room for growth in managing baserunners and limiting hits.
 
Zaffiro does have 'major league' experience under his belt, albeit during spring training where he appeared in a game for the Yankees against the Philadelphia Phillies. He struck out Carson DeMartini to record the final out in the bottom of the ninth of a 7-7 tie.
 
RHP Brian Zeldin C'23 – Lexington Legends (Independent, Atlantic)
Zeldin was effective out of the bullpen for the Legends in 2025, appearing in 15 games with a 2.61 ERA over 20.1 innings. He struck out 25 batters and walked just 12. His ERA was the fourth-best on the team among qualified pitchers.
 
Overall, Zeldin's season was defined by steady relief work and effective short bursts in high-leverage spots.
 
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