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Iowa baseball: Tanner Wetrich lands professional baseball contract

By Ryan Sikes

HOUSTON, TX - JUNE 03: University of Iowa Hawkeyes infielder Mitchell Boe (4) makes the throw to first for the out during the Houston Regional baseball game between the Iowa Hawkeyes and the Texas A&M Aggies on June 3, 2017 at Schroeder Park in Houston, Texas. (Photo by Ken Murray/Icon Sportswire via Getty Images)
HOUSTON, TX - JUNE 03: University of Iowa Hawkeyes infielder Mitchell Boe (4) makes the throw to first for the out during the Houston Regional baseball game between the Iowa Hawkeyes and the Texas A&M Aggies on June 3, 2017 at Schroeder Park in Houston, Texas. (Photo by Ken Murray/Icon Sportswire via Getty Images) /
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Former Iowa baseball shortstop Tanner Wetrich went undrafted in the 2019 MLB Draft but that didn’t stop him from landing a professional contract.

Flying under the radar should not be an unfamiliar feeling for former Iowa baseball standout, Tanner Wetrich. He was a first-team all-state infielder out of high school but largely went unrecruited. Wetrich headed to Williams Wood University for the 2016 season and proceeded to hit 0.344 with 11 doubles and 3 home runs.

He transferred to Mineral Area Community College for the 2017 season and hit 0.356 with 6 home runs, 12 doubles, and 1 triple. His efforts were good enough to be named first-team all-region and first-team all-conference.

The University of Iowa came calling and Wetrich landed with the Hawkeyes as their primary shortstop for his junior and senior seasons. In his final year at Iowa, Wetrich slashed 0.263/0.374/0.451 with 7 home runs and 28 RBI’s. He went undrafted in the 2019 MLB Draft but he recently landed on his feet with the River City Rascals.

The Rascals are part an independent Frontier League and it’s a start for Wetrich to get noticed by major league scouts. While the trend is for former major league players to continue playing baseball in independent leagues, Wetrich will be doing the reverse.

Wetrich and Hawkeyes starting pitcher Cole McDonald are the only two members of Rick Heller’s club to land professional baseball contract. McDonald was drafted by the Houston Astros in the 15th round of the draft.

There’s no doubt that Wetrich will have his work cut out for him as the chances to make a major league roster from an independent league are extremely slim. The last one that comes to memory, being a Cubs fan, is Jason James who played for the Rockford Riverhawks between 2006 and 2010.

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James slashed 0.374/0.455/0.571 in 2009 which caught the eye of the Cubs who signed him to a deal. Ultimately, James was cut by the Cubs but he was, at the very least, given a chance.

Tanner Wetrich is hoping for that same opportunity.

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