Brent Iredale Awaits 2024 MLB Draft
The New Mexico Junior College faithful will have rooting interest when the Major League Baseball Draft takes place Sunday, July 14 at 5 p.m. MDT in Fort Worth, Texas.
Former NMJC baseball third baseman Brent Iredale is expected to be selected in the 2024 MLB Draft.
Iredale is coming off a historic season with the T-Birds. The Aussie batted .441 with 25 homers, 94 runs scored, 83 hits, 78 RBIs, and 22 doubles. The NMJC graduate's 42 career home runs broke the school record of 40 set by Radames Torres 26 years ago in 1998.
The Arkansas signee ended his 2024 campaign earning WJCAC MVP for the second consecutive season. Iredale is the first back-to-back WJCAC MVP in conference history. The third baseman's accolades include an NJCAA Second Team All-American selection, All-Region V nod, and WJCAC All-Conference honors.
The opportunity to be drafted to the MLB is a lifelong goal for Iredale that traces back to his childhood growing up in Australia.
"It's a big deal for me and my family. Being drafted with the chance to play in the MLB is something I've always wanted to do since I started playing baseball at four years old," Iredale said. "In my immediate family, I'll be the first person to play professional sport. It's not often that an Australian gets drafted, let alone plays in the MLB so I know I'll be representing the entire country of Australia when my name gets called."
Iredale credits the NMJC coaching staff of head coach Michael Robbins and assistant Lauro Felix for molding him into the prospect he is today.
"Coach Felix has a good background. He played pro ball. He got up to AAA, and then he went and played in the Mexican League as well," Iredale said. "He knows what he's talking about infield wise and also hitting. Felix was a big reason why my hitting this year and last year was pretty successful."
"Coach Robbins was big when it came to helping me in the weight room and lifting," Iredale said. Robbins is Robbins, he brings that energy into the dugout and I'll take that with me. I love them both (Robbins and Felix)."
Iredale has the competitive traits that sets himself apart from the everyday ballplayer according to NMJC baseball head coach Michael Robbins.
"Brent possesses what all great players have, a desire to be good," Robbins said. "It sounds obvious, but in some guys there is a genuine burn to want to be good. He has a handle on why he plays and what the reasons are that he wants to succeed. We've worked on that with our players, and Brent bought into it. This is where you have to start if you want to achieve the things you always thought about."
Coach Robbins is shy when it comes to taking credit for the upward trajectory Iredale's career has taken since his arrival to the program in the fall of 2022.
"The accomplishment is all Brent's. To be a small part of the story of his career to this point has been a blessing for us, and my family," Robbins said. "Some guys come to NMJC to shorten their path to MLB and it's becoming routine for us to be able to help guide them through the process. Fingers crossed for him, but I'm over the top excited to see how it plays out."
Iredale does have some advice for future ball players when it comes to making their decision on where to go for college. If you want to play early and often take a hard look at the junior college level.
"I mean, in my opinion, JUCO is the way to go. If you go to a DI as a freshman, you don't really have the opportunity to play as much. It's like, if you go DI you probably won't play your first two years and you can't get drafted until Year 3. Whereas in junior college you can be drafted after your first or second year and you're more likely to play if you're good enough."
Iredale doesn't regret making the decision to play NJCAA baseball one bit. It's a different experience compared to the traditional route, but the memories and relationships are something that will last a lifetime.
"It's the JUCO life, it's fun. I mean at NMJC our team all stayed in the dorm right next to each other, so we saw each other 24/7 for 10 months or so. You can walk to the facility, you're at dinner, breakfast, lunch, together. You're in the same classes. I enjoyed that atmosphere in Hobbs, it's different from what you'd see at the bigger DI schools."
If selected, Iredale will join recent T-Birds Stanley Tucker (2021-22), Tristan Stivors (2017-19), Joab Gonzalez (2017-19), and Avery Tuck (2017-18) as recent draftees that wore the Thunderbird uniform. Dylan Jasso, Iredale's teammate on the 2022-23 Thunderbird baseball team, signed with the New York Yankees as an undrafted free agent in 2023 and is currently in Single-A with the Tampa Tarpons.
The T-Birds have produced 28 players that were drafted straight out of NMJC and went on to sign with their respective MLB team. Boston Red Sox starting pitcher Nick Pivetta is the highest draft pick out of Hobbs, NM. Pivetta was selected with the 136th pick by the Washington Nationals in the 4th Round of the 2013 MLB Draft.
Iredale will watch the MLB draft in Fort Worth, TX alongside his family and friends.
The first two rounds of the MLB draft will take place at Cowtown Coliseum in Fort Worth, Texas starting at 5 p.m. MDT. Thunderbird fans can follow along live on ESPN or MLB Network. Rounds 3-10 will commence at 12 p.m. MDT on Monday and Rounds 11-20 will be on Tuesday starting at 12 p.m. MDT.