Milwaukee Milkmen sign right-hander Nate Hadley

The Milwaukee Milkmen have made their first roster addition of the offseason. With the American Association reverting back to normal roster rules after they were suspended for the shortened 2020 season, the importance of finding high-quality rookie contributors has once again become paramount. The Milkmen believe they have found such a player in right-handed pitcher Nate Hadley.

Hadley, who turns 25 in December, is a native of Santa Monica, California. He pitched collegiately at UCLA, compiling a 9-2 record with a 3.75 ERA across 83 appearances covering 84.0 innings pitched. During his final season with the Bruins in 2019, Hadley posted a 2.33 ERA in 41 outings, working a total of 46.1 innings. He struck out 55 batters against 19 walks along with a WHIP of 0.885. That strong showing helped him get selected by the Minnesota Twins in the 25th round of the 2019 MLB Draft.

During his lone minor league season, Hadley was dominant while pitching at two different levels in the Appalachian League and Midwest League. In total, he appeared in 21 games and threw 33.2 innings, authoring a sterling 1.87 ERA between the two stops. He punched out 43 batters and walked 13 with a 1.010 WHIP. Hadley did not appear in 2020 as the affiliated Minor League Baseball season was cancelled at all levels, and the Twins released him on September 16th.

In his pre-draft scouting report, Baseball America praised Hadley by saying he "emerged as one of UCLA's top relievers this year and drew high praise from scouts for the way he competes on the mound...Hadley sits 90-91 mph and touches 93 on his fastball. His slider is his swing-and-miss pitch and projects well for matchups with righthanders. Hadley's stuff plays up with deception and funk."

Based on his professional experience, Hadley joins the Milkmen as a rookie classification player. As a reminder, American Association clubs are required to carry a minimum of five rookies at all times during the regular season.