Military service academy alumni in MLB

What many may not know about rookie phenom Paul Skenes is that, prior to attending Louisiana State University, from which he was drafted No. 1 overall by the Pirates in 2023, he was throwing 100 mph fastballs for the Air Force Academy.

The United States military service academies are extremely rigorous programs that train men and women to become officers in the Army, Navy, Air Force, Coast Guard and Merchant Marines. Increasingly, they have also been producing professional baseball players, including a few who have reached the Majors.

Here’s a look at graduates of the three academies with NCAA Division I baseball programs -- West Point, the Naval Academy and the Air Force Academy -- who have reached MLB, as well as non-graduates like Skenes who attended one of the academies before reaching the big leagues.

The United States Military Academy at West Point, New York

Jacob Hurtubise, OF
Hurtubise graduated from West Point and was signed by the Reds in 2020. Thanks to a government policy that was enacted just six months before his graduation, he was allowed to defer his military service obligation until after the end of his playing career. He had been drafted by the Mariners in the 39th round the prior year, but did not sign.

Hurtubise’s calling card is speed -- he led NCAA Division I with 42 steals as a sophomore at West Point in 2018. He made his MLB debut as a pinch-runner against the D-backs on May 13, 2024. Five days later, he picked up his first Major League hit against the Dodgers at Dodger Stadium.

Chris Rowley, RHP
Signed by Toronto as an undrafted free agent in 2013, Rowley reached the big leagues four years later -- his application to waive his service requirement was granted after he had served two years in the Army, and after returning to baseball, he rapidly worked his way to the Majors. He appeared in six games for the Blue Jays in ’17, including three starts, posting a 6.75 ERA.

Rowley would only make two more MLB appearances in his career -- he was picked up off waivers by the Rangers in ’18, and later signed Minor League deals with the Padres and Twins, though he never made any Major League appearances for San Diego or Minnesota.

Played at West Point but did not graduate: Walt French, RF, Philadelphia A’s (1923, 1925-29)

The United States Naval Academy at Annapolis, Maryland

Oliver Drake, RHP
Drake had a six-year MLB career after being drafted by the Orioles out of the Naval Academy in the 43rd round of the 2008 Draft. Since he had gone to the Naval Academy prep school and became Draft-eligible after his sophomore season, he did not have a service requirement. He made his big league debut for Baltimore in 2015, and later had stints with the Brewers, Cleveland, Angels, Blue Jays, Twins and Rays. Overall, he finished with a 4.27 ERA over 196 relief appearances.

Mitch Harris, RHP
Harris was another standout pitcher at the Naval Academy and a teammate of Drake’s in Annapolis. Selected by the Braves in the 24th round of the 2007 Draft, Harris didn’t sign with Atlanta, but he was drafted again the following year by the Cardinals in the 13th round. He signed with the understanding that he would complete his five years of required service time before beginning a pro baseball career.

Harris served in the Persian Gulf, the Caribbean Sea and Moscow before returning stateside to resume playing baseball. He appeared in a Spring Training game with the Cardinals in 2014, but he didn’t appear to have the velocity or effectiveness he showed at age 22. Still, Harris was very impressive with Low-A State College and got another shot with the Cardinals.

Within a year, Harris made his MLB debut for St. Louis. Overall, he posted a 3.67 ERA in 26 relief appearances in 2015. Unfortunately, that would be Harris’ only Major League season -- a right elbow injury necessitated surgery to repair the ulnar collateral ligament, and he never made it back to the big leagues.

Nemo Gaines, LHP
Gaines received special leave upon graduating from the Naval Academy in 1921, so he could pitch for the Washington Senators. He became the first graduate of the Naval Academy to appear in a Major League game later that year, on June 26. He appeared in three more games out of the bullpen that season, pitching 4 2/3 scoreless innings overall. He gave up five hits, walked two and struck out one.

There would not be another Naval Academy grad in the Majors until Harris and Drake made their big league debuts within a month of each other 94 years later.

A Naval Academy grad who could make his MLB debut soon: Noah Song, RHP
The Red Sox selected Song out of the Naval Academy in the fourth round of the 2019 Draft. He was excellent over his first seven pro appearances, posting a 1.06 ERA over 17 innings for Low-A Lowell. But his application to waive his service time requirement was not granted, so he went into active duty.

In 2022, the Phillies selected Song from Boston in the Rule 5 Draft. But when Philadelphia needed roster spots as it made a postseason push in ’23, Song was designated for assignment and put through waivers. Since he wasn’t claimed, the Phillies were required to send him back to the Red Sox.

Once seen as a potential top-of-the-rotation starter, Song still has a fastball that sits 92-93 mph and can touch 96. He could be the next Naval Academy grad to reach the big leagues.

The United States Air Force Academy at Colorado Springs, Colorado

Griffin Jax, RHP
Jax became the first graduate of the Air Force Academy to appear in a Major League game when he pitched in relief for the Twins against the Yankees on June 8, 2021. The right-hander made 14 starts that year along with three other relief appearances for Minnesota, finishing with a 6.37 ERA. He improved dramatically in the years following, posting a 3.49 ERA from 2022 to mid-2024.

Attended Air Force Academy but did not graduate

Paul Skenes, RHP
Skenes chose the Air Force Academy because of his strong desire to serve his country, and over his first two years there, it became quite clear that he’d have a decision to make. He dominated opposing hitters in the Mountain West Conference and decided to transfer to LSU for his junior season in 2023, so that he could be eligible for the MLB Draft without having a five-year military service time requirement.

Skenes took it to another level with LSU, posting a 1.69 ERA and striking out a whopping 45% of the batters he faced. The Pirates drafted him first overall in the 2023 Draft, and within less than a year, he made his MLB debut at PNC Park.

Zach Reks, OF
Reks played at Air Force as a 19-year-old in 2013 before transferring to the University of Kentucky. The Dodgers drafted him from Kentucky as a 10th-round pick in '17. He made his MLB debut for the Dodgers in '21, going 0-for-10 in six games. He was dealt to the Rangers and appeared in 16 games for Texas in '22, going 9-for-34 (.265) with a double.

The Rangers released Reks in July of '22, and he continued his pro career with the Lotte Giants of the Korea Baseball Organization. He then signed a Minor League deal with the Padres in February of '24.