Mustangs Roster Grows After Busy Week
The Billings Mustangs had a busy week as the month of February wound down. Not only did the squad finalize their coaching staff for the 2023 season, the Mustangs also hit the free agency trail hard, signing their first ten players for the upcoming season.
First, the Mustangs announced their two assistant coaches on manager Billy Horton's staff: pitching coach Dennis Rasmussen and hitting coach Craig Maddox. Rasmussen, a 12-year left-handed pitcher in Major League Baseball, moves over from the Frederick Keys of the MLB Draft League. Maddox played 13 years professionally, including parts of 12 years in independent baseball. He comes to Billings following three seasons as a hitting coach in the San Francisco Giants system.
On the player side, the Mustangs hit the ground running, re-signing three pitchers from last season's squad, which led the Pioneer League in ERA and was a driving force in Billings' 53-41 season in 2022, the most successful regular season for the club since 2011.
RHP McLain Harris comes back for his second season in a Mustangs uniform. The 24-year-old made his professional debut on June 16 last season, going 2-0 with a 4.40 ERA in 30 outings. A control specialist, he walked only nine batters in 47.0 innings (1.72 BB/9) and struck out 45 batters. He also recorded 13.0 consecutive scoreless innings over a two-week span in mid-July. A Georgia native, Harris pitched at Young Harris College in his home state, where he was a First Team All-Conference selection as a senior.
RHP Sean Kiley returns for his second season in Billings. The 27-year-old is an indy ball veteran, beginning his fourth professional season across three different leagues. The 27-year-old began 2022 in the bullpen before moving to the rotation amidst an 18.0-inning scoreless string spanning over three weeks. He finished the season 3-1 with a 5.01 ERA in 12 games (seven starts), striking out 29 over 41.1 innings. A Los Angeles native, Kiley may be the most interesting man on the roster, being the son of Emmy-winning comedian Brian Kiley (best known for his work on Conan) and is currently a first-year law student at the University of Texas.
RHP Hunter DePrimo is back in the fold for his second professional season. A 23-year-old, DePrimo joined the Mustangs on June 21 last season and got big outs right away, picking up a six-out save in his professional debut the next night. He went 2-2 with a 4.05 ERA and three saves over 21 outings in relief, striking out 21 in 26.2 innings. He finished last season with the Boise Hawks after a late-season trade. A New Jersey native, DePrimo pitched collegiately at Mansfield University in Pennsylvania, striking out nearly 12 batters per nine innings over the course of a five-season career.
The 'Stangs then ventured out to fill more slots on the pitching staff, as well as filling up the outfield.
RHP Keagan McGinnis arrives as a key bullpen piece following two seasons with the Idaho Falls Chukars. A 6-6 24-year-old, McGinnis went 3-2 with a 4.47 ERA in 2022, pitching in a league-high 44 games. A big arm, he fanned 74 batters in just 56.1 innings, striking out the third-most batters among PBL relievers. Over his two pro seasons, he's struck out 125 batters in just 87.0 innings (12.9 K/9). A native of Virginia, he pitched four seasons at the Division I level at Virginia Tech and George Washington, striking out a whopping 13.6 batters per nine.
RHP Blake Svoboda arrives as a potential rotation fixture for his third professional season. The 25-year-old racked up an impressive 2022 season split between the Williamsport Crosscutters in the MLB Draft League and Monterey Amberjacks of the Pecos League. He began the season at the top of the Monterey rotation alongside 2022 Mustang Ethan McRae, going 3-1 with a 1.75 ERA over six dominant starts, striking out 53 batters in just 36.0 innings, including a 15-strikeout gem on June 26. He then moved on to Williamsport, posting a 2.40 ERA in 15 outings in relief, fanning 19 batters in 15.0 innings. He began his pro career in his home state of South Dakota in 2021, pitching for the American Association's Sioux Falls Canaries, which bookended a five-year career at Mount Marty University, where was 18-12 with a 4.22 ERA and 228 strikeouts in 187.2 innings over his college career.
RHP Spencer Taack begins his second pro season after pitching alongside Svoboda in Williamsport in 2022. The 24-year-old was 3-3 with a 4.33 ERA in six games (five starts) for the Crosscutters, striking out 24 batters in 27.0 innings. The Dallas native joined Williamsport after a distinguished college career at Henderson State University in Arkansas, where he led the rotation his final two seasons, going 15-3 in that span and earning a pair of First Team All-Conference selections. He also led the Reddies to their winningest season in school history in 2022 and departed as the school's fourth-leading strikeout artist (207) all-time.
RHP Jared Kengott also comes off a successful first pro season in the MLB Draft League. The 24-year-old pitched for the State College Spikes the last two seasons, enjoying a particular strong 2022. In 15 games (14 starts), he went 3-2 with a 2.44 ERA, allowing just 51 hits in 62.2 innings. The workhorse led the league in ERA and finished third in innings pitched while tying for the league high in starts. After initially beginning his college career as a third baseman and outfielder at Southern Illinois University, the Dallas native transfered to Emporia State in Kansas and moved to the mound, posting a 4.57 ERA in 33 games (30 starts), earning All-Conference honors as a senior.
OF Mikey Edie was the first position player inked by the Mustangs for 2023 and also the most experienced signee currently on the roster. The 25-year-old played six seasons in the San Francisco Giants organization from 2014-19, reaching Class A. Over his career, Edie has showed good speed and a knack for getting on base, as he swiped 60 bases and hit .277 with a .359 on-base percentage over 283 games, the most at the professional level for any current Mustang. A native of Venezuela, he was originally signed by the Giants on his 16th birthday in 2013.
OF Myles Miller returns to the Pioneer League after spending most of the 2022 season in the Seattle Mariners organization. The 26-year-old began the season with Class A-Advanced Everett before finishing the season in his native Canada, playing 15 games for the Frontier League's Trois Rivieres Aigles. His best pro season came in the PBL in 2021, where he batted .339 with seven homers and 51 RBI for the Boise Hawks, finishing tied for second in the league with 131 hits (one more than Jalen Garcia) and scoring 90 runs, which also ranked in the top-10 in the league. Miller played collegiately at Cameron University in Oklahoma and Northwestern Ohio, batting .319 with a .415 on-base percentage between both stops.
OF George Bell brings pop and more experience to the Mustangs outfield. The 24-year-old spent 2022 with the Frontier League's New Jersey Jackals, batting .253 and crushing 10 homers in just 52 games. He previously spent time in the San Francisco Giants organization, appearing in 133 games between the 2018-19 and 2021 seasons. A native of the Dominican Republic, Bell was originally a 13th round selection in the 2018 MLB Draft by the Giants out of Connors State College in Oklahoma, where he batted .355 with eight homers and 75 RBI over 81 collegiate games. He is the son of former MLB outfielder George Bell, who bashed 265 homers over 13 seasons in the majors and was the 1987 American League MVP.
The Mustangs are now less than three months away from opening the 2023 season, their 70th season, on May 23 at Dehler Park against the Missoula Paddleheads. Full and partial season ticket plans are available now by calling the Mustangs front office at 406-252-1241 or visiting from 9 AM-4 PM Monday through Friday.