By Luke Firoozye
While the Sonoma Stompers were busy extending their winning streak over the weekend, the MLB Draft was taking place. Three former Stompers were selected in this year's draft.
Outfielder Paul Contreras ('24 Stomper) went to the New York Yankees in the fourth round with the 127th overall pick. Pitcher Alfredo Capacete ('23 Stomper) was selected by the Texas Rangers in the 14th round with the 417th overall pick, while infielder Mikey Bell ('22 and '23 Stomper) was selected by the San Francisco Giants in the 19th round with the 564th overall pick.
The trio became the first former Stompers to be drafted since the team joined the California Collegiate League in 2022.
Contreras became the first former Stomper selected when the Yankees picked him on the first day of the draft. The 20-year-old outfielder from Turlock was drafted out of Cal State Fullerton after earning Big West Co-Player of the Year honors in 2026.
He spent one summer in Sonoma in 2024, helping lead the Stompers to the CCL semifinals. Contreras led the team with six home runs and a team-high 25 walks.
Capacete played his college ball at UC Riverside and Cal Baptist. He came to Sonoma in 2023 as a first baseman and pitcher but found more success on the mound than at the plate.
In seven relief appearances, Capacete struck out seven batters and posted a 2.08 ERA with two saves. Following that summer, he became a full-time pitcher at UCR.
Bell was selected by his childhood favorite team, the San Francisco Giants, in the second-to-last round of the draft after a standout career at Gonzaga. The infielder spent two seasons with the Stompers in 2022 and 2023, leading the team with 23 RBI in his first year.
He started his collegiate career at Cuesta College in San Luis Obispo before transferring to Gonzaga, where he was the back-to-back WCC Player of the Year.
He recently announced that he was transferring to Georgia for his final season of college baseball. It remains to be seen if he will satisfy that commitment or begin his professional career.