Former Doniphan Don drafted by Phillies

Most little boys, when they get their first baseball glove, have the dream of playing baseball at the highest level they can.

For former Doniphan Don Jake Eddington, his level just went up as he was drafted in the seventh round of the 2023 MLB Draft by the Philadelphia

Phillies.

“It’s a surreal moment,” he said of hearing his name. “This is a dream come true. Back when I was a little kid, when I said these little dreams that I wanted to achieve, you think about all the people that have been with you all of your life saying that you were able to do it and we’re gonna cheer you on. I’ve been so supported. All the emotions kind of go together and just know you’re thankful and proud of yourself and you’re also thankful for everybody around you.”

Growing up, Eddington said there was really only one person that he wanted to follow in the footsteps of.

“My dad was always a person I looked up to,” he said. “Ever since I was a little kid, he’s guiding me, taught me how to be a man, taught me how to be respectful and treat everybody well. Kudos to my mom too but as far as baseball wise, he was really good baseball player.

“He went to Three Rivers and played. Tommy John surgery as well which is the same thing that I had two years ago. He would have had the same opportunity as me … It was it was him as a for me and guiding me in the right direction. I wouldn’t be here today without him for sure.”

When Eddington was finishing up his sophomore year as a pitcher for the Dons, he was starting to realize he may be onto something with baseball.

He became a highly recruited pitcher and the top prospect in his class in Missouri before heading to Alabama to be a member of the Crimson Tide.

After a solid freshman campaign, Eddington had Tommy John surgery and missed his sophomore season.

Like most athletes, Eddington admitted coming back from injury was difficult.

“Your mental toughness has to be there. It has to be top notch,” he said. “You’re gonna have a lot of good days, you’re gonna have a lot of bad days. So you’ve got to be able to tell yourself on the bad days, you know, I’m gonna come out of this. I’m gonna be better.”

Deciding to transfer, Eddington had a “revenge tour” mindset and although the season didn’t start as well as he’d hoped in Springfield, he said he doesn’t regret anything about his decisions and still loves the staff and his teammates.

“We all glued together,” he said. “When that happens, it makes it a lot more fun to come in the clubhouse every day and go go to battle with your guys.”

What’s next for Eddington? After getting paperwork and physicals out of the way in Philadelphia, he’s headed to Florida where he’ll be assigned for the Phillies.

What he’s excited about? It’s just about getting better every single ay for Eddington.

“There’s a lot of good things ahead of me in the future,” he said. “I’m just excited about the process and excited about the journey.”