Three Pistol Shrimp Selected in 2026 MLB Draft

Peru, IL - The Illinois Valley Pistol Shrimp are proud to announce that current Pistol Shrimp Baseball outfielder Dominic Battista, former outfielder Brayden Bakes and former first baseman Ryan Niedzwiedz were selected in the 2026 Major League Baseball Amateur Draft. 

Battista was chosen with the 119th selection by the Kansas City Royals in the 4th round. Prior to playing with the Pistol Shrimp, Battista, a native of Aurora, Illinois, graduated from Oswego East High School and had committed to the University of Illinois Chicago.

In five games with the Pistol Shrimp, Battista hit .368 (7-for-19) with a home run, three runs batted in, four walks and 11 stolen bases. The outfielder set a new team single-game record when he stole five bases in a June 6 victory against Normal.  

Bakes was picked 399th by the Philadelphia Phillies in the 13th round. A member of the 2023 Pistol Shrimp, Bakes hit .324 with 56 hits, 29 runs batted in and 13 stolen bases in 46 games. The Algonquin, Ill. native played high school baseball at Huntley High School before playing collegiately at Illinois State University. 

Niedzwiedz was the 434th pick, taken by the Colorado Rockies in the 15th round. A key member of the 2024 Prospect League Championship team, Niedzwiedz hit .273 with 14 doubles, 26 runs batted in and eight stolen bases in 42 games. He homered and scored twice in the clinching game of the 2024 Prospect League Championship Series. The North Aurora product played at West Aurora High School before continuing his career at Southern Illinois University Edwardsville.  

About Pistol Shrimp Baseball: The 2024 Prospect League Champion Illinois Valley Pistol Shrimp are an amateur wood-bat summer league baseball team, made up of top college players from around the country who aspire to a career in professional baseball! Established in 2019, the Pistol Shrimp are part of the Prospect League, a 20-team league that spans across the midwest from Iowa to Tennessee to Pennsylvania. The Pistol Shrimp play their home games at Schweickert Stadium in Peru, Illinois from late May to early August each year, and pride themselves on providing fun, affordable, family-friendly entertainment to the communities of Peru and the towns throughout the entire Illinois Valley region!