After Northeastern’s glorious 2025 season — stacked with NCAA-leading marks, a conference championship title, and the program’s first regional tournament win in over 50 years — the Huskies earned plenty of attention from major league teams during the MLB Draft July 13-14. Northeastern saw three pitchers, an outfielder, and a shortstop drafted during the two-day event, setting a program record
After Northeastern led the nation in pitching this season with a 3.06 ERA and recent Huskies product Cam Schlittler put up a solid 5.1 innings in his major league debut for the New York Yankees, it’s no surprise that pitching was the star of the show for the Huskies this draft season. However, the degree to which the MLB took to Northeastern was a shock, breaking the previous record of four draft picks in a season (2006, 2011, 2019, 2021) with a remarkable five.
The San Francisco Giants were clearly full of Husky fever as they picked up three Northeastern stars, including two in consecutive selections — left-handed pitcher Jordan Gottesman in the sixth round, 176th overall; outfielder Cam Maldonado in the seventh round, 206th overall; and right-handed pitcher Cooper McGrath in the 18th round, 536th overall. The American League-leading Detroit Tigers and the Atlanta Braves didn’t want to miss out on the Northeastern action either, with Detroit picking up shortstop Jack Goodman in the 13th round, 399th overall; and Atlanta grabbing right-handed pitcher Aiven Cabral in the 18th round, 547th overall.
Jordan Gottesman
Following four years at D-III Endicott, the graduate student was a welcome surprise for the Huskies in his final year of collegiate eligibility, as he put up stellar numbers in his sole D-I stretch. Gottesman posted a team-best 2.27 ERA and 0.864 WHIP in the 2025 season across 83.1 innings pitched. After starting the season with a handful of relief appearances, the lefty joined Northeastern’s starting rotation, acting as the Game 3 pitcher for the remainder of the year. Among a throng of arms pitching primarily to contact, Gottesman stood out as the Huskies’ strikeout leader, accumulating 97 K’s, including a whopping 12 against UNCW to propel the Huskies to the CAA championships. For his skill on the mound, the graduate student was named to the 2025 American Baseball Coaches Association/Rawlings Division I All-America Second Team and All-Region First Team. He’s the third-highest Northeastern draft pick this decade, behind Aaron Civale (2016, Cleveland, 3rd round, 92nd overall) and Mike Sirota (2024, Cincinnati, 3rd round, 87th overall).
Cam Maldonado
Despite hitting a slump during his sophomore season, Maldonado came back stronger than ever for his junior campaign. He had made a name for himself as a freshman with a .351 batting average in 2023, accumulating numerous accolades and the program record for most home runs by a rookie (13) before a down year in 2024. In his third year with the Huskies, though, he was right back to his old ways. With a .351 batting average and a .631 slugging, Maldonado led the Huskies in doubles (17) and contributed 15 homers. He didn’t let up on that power at the 2025 MLB Combine either; as the sole Northeastern attendee, the junior held the sixth-highest average exit velocity at 101.5 mph. Additionally, Maldonado’s plate discipline improved in his junior campaign, working many a pitcher to a full count and boosting his OBP from .433 in 2023 to a team-leading .467 in 2025 while logging a team-high 42 walks. Much to opponents’ chagrin, he was dangerous on the base paths too, with a team-high 29 stolen bags in 36 attempts. And if Maldonado’s offense wasn’t enough, he’s been errorless in the outfield two years straight. The junior earned a spot on the All-CAA First Team, the All-ECAC team, and the ABCA/Rawlings Northeast All-Region First Team. He was the only Husky listed in the MLB’s preseason draft rankings, clocking in at 194 and falling close to that mark as the 206th overall selection.
Jack Goodman
While he may be known around Friedman Diamond as the second Husky in the modern era to hit for the cycle, Goodman has proven to be so much more over the past two seasons. After transferring to Northeastern from Pepperdine as a sophomore in 2024, Goodman cemented himself as a star shortstop and a strong bat. And although his marks weren’t great as a rookie, with a .192 batting average and .506 OPS at Pepperdine, they skyrocketed once he donned the red and black. At Northeastern, the now-junior held a .328 batting average across two seasons and an OPS just inches shy of 1.000 at .953. In 2025, Goodman contributed 51 RBI, including 10 home runs, and jumped to a .967 fielding percentage (up from .910 in 2024). He was also incredibly consistent, never going more than two games in a row without a hit this season, including going 5-for-9 in the regional tournament and driving in a crucial RBI single to help Northeastern earn a narrow 4-3 win over Bethune-Cookman.
Cooper McGrath
McGrath checks in as another former D-III pitcher who worked his way up to the big leagues through Northeastern’s pitching farm. After only playing his junior and senior years at Trinity College with a 4.53 ERA, McGrath took up a bullpen role at Northeastern in stride in 2024 as a graduate student, stamping an impressive 2.63 ERA on his first D-I season. One year later, the righty was down to a 1.66 as one of the Huskies’ most reliable relievers in a record-breaking season. Through 21.2 innings pitched in 2025, McGrath gave up just four runs and 14 hits, with none stretching further than a double. Plus, the 24-year-old demonstrated some of the craziest reflexes you’ll ever see with one highlight-reel-worthy grab during the final game of the season that even had ESPN in shock.
Aiven Cabral
Cabral’s story is similar to that of Maldonado: a freshman star in 2023 who hit a sophomore slump before bouncing back in his junior campaign. After posting a team-high 2.26 ERA as a rookie, Cabral struggled to the tune of a 7.07 ERA as a sophomore. However, in that second-year stretch, just seven of his 16 appearances were starts, compared to 15 of 18 in 2023 and 16 of 16 in 2025. As a regular starter in his junior season, the Huskies’ Game 1 arm notched a 2.92 ERA and 1.03 WHIP alongside a 10-3 record, including a complete game mercy-rule shutout against Towson on March 22nd. He pitched a team-high 89.1 innings, accumulating 74 strikeouts and allowing just 14 walks. The junior was named to the ABCA/Rawlings Northeast All-Region Second Team, the All-ECAC team, and the All-CAA First Team this season. On top of that, Cabral put up great numbers in summer ball despite limited appearances, with a 1.93 ERA through two games with the NECL’s Newport in 2023 and a 2.81 ERA through nine games with the CCBL’s Yarmouth-Dennis in 2024.
The Huskies’ prevalence in the 2025 MLB Draft reflected the success of this season’s squad. Backed by head coach Mike Glavine and pitching coach Kevin Cobb and set on a foundation of both camaraderie and sheer talent, this year’s remarkable campaign helped to further the program and send a record five individuals towards a potential future in professional baseball. Although Gottesman and McGrath’s time in collegiate play was already up, Maldonado, Goodman, and Cabral still have NCAA eligibility remaining, and their futures are yet to be decided. Regardless of the number of departures, the contributions and commitment of these athletes have helped to bring the Huskies national recognition and set a strong footing for the program for years to come.