The Long Island Ducks have had two of their players contracts chosen by major league teams. Right-handed pitcher Matt Seelinger’s contract has been purchased by the Detroit Tigers organization. Seelinger will now report to the team’s Double-A affiliate, the Erie SeaWolves, in Pennsylvania.
Outfielder Tyler Dearden’s contract has also been purchased by an AL Central team. Dearden will be in the Minnesota Twins organization. He will report to the team’s High-A affiliate, the Cedar Rapids Kernels, in Iowa.
Seelinger, a Westbury, NY native, has pitched in a team-high 21 games for the Flock and recorded an Atlantic League leading 11 saves. He's allowed just one earned over 20.2 innings of work, good for a 0.43 ERA. The 29-year-old gave up just nine hits and eight walks while striking out 31 batters and holding opponents to a team-best .129 batting average against.
“Matt has been lights out in the bullpen for us all season,” said Ducks Manager Lew Ford. “He is incredibly deserving of this opportunity, and we wish him the best of luck with the Tigers organization.”
He was selected by the Pirates in the 28th round of the 2-17 draft and became the first Farmingdale State College player in history to be drafted by a major league team. In his time with the Pittsburgh Pirates, Tampa Bay Rays, San Francisco Giants and Philadelphia Phillies organizations he had a 12-12 record with a 3.57 ERA, 18 saves and 351 strikeouts to 125 walks over 257.1 innings of work.
Dearden leaves the Ducks with the Atlantic League’s best batting average at .361. He is also tied for the league lead in doubles (19) while ranking second in extra-base hits (31) and third in hits (73), total bases (128) and slugging percentage (.634). The New Jersey native led the Ducks in RBIs (46), runs scored (37) and games played (55) while ranking second on the team in home runs (12), on-base percentage (.410) and OPS (1.044). The hitting machine also departs in the midst of a 12-game on-base streak.
Still just 25 years old, he spent the first six seasons of his professional career in the Boston Red Sox organization, reaching as high as Triple-A Worcester in 2023. He compiled a .353 on-base percentage and a .778 OPS along with 49 home runs, 228 RBIs, 204 runs, 356 hits, 72 doubles, five triples and 179 walks in 399 games. He was named an MiLB.com Organization All-Star and a High-A East Post-Season All-Star in 2021 after leading the High-A East in home runs (24), RBIs (80) and walks (55). Dearden was originally selected by the Red Sox in the 29th round of the 2017 amateur draft.
“We’d like to congratulate Tyler on this exciting opportunity,” said Ducks Manager Lew Ford. “He has been a terrific hitter for us all season, and we wish him the best of luck in the Twins organization.”
Dearden becomes the eighth member of the 2024 Ducks to have his contract purchased by a Major League or foreign organization. He joins left-handed pitcher Emilio Marquez (Pericos de Puebla, June 4), infielder Rixon Wingrove (Minnesota Twins, May 24), and right-handed pitchers Matt Seelinger (Detroit Tigers, June 25), Tyler Zuber (Tampa Bay Rays, May 13), Chris Ellis (Arizona Diamondbacks, April 25), Dan Straily (Chicago Cubs, April 25) and Raynel Espinal (Rieleros de Aguascalientes, April 15). Since beginning play in 2000, the Ducks have had 30 players reach the Major League level after joining Long Island, and 115 have had their contracts purchased.