Binghamton — In normal years, Elijah Dunham would almost certainly have heard his name called during the MLB draft.
But the pandemic threw the normality out of the window. In 2020, the MLB draft was reduced from 40 rounds to 5 rounds. That meant only 160 picks. Dunham wasn't one of them after the college junior season. And perhaps even before the shock and disappointment began to fade, Dunham realized that he had all the motivation needed to turn himself into a versatile player that would never be overlooked.
"I think it set me a little on fire," Dunham said earlier this month. "I thought I should have made a draft. I went to work. I did that for sure why I didn't get it done. Now we're here."
"Here" is the Yankees' minor league system double A Somerset, with 24-year-old outfielders opening more eyes after showing outstanding performance in the Arizona Fall League last year. Dunham is still ranked as the Yankees' 26th-ranked prospect,according to MLB.com, but there are some signs of his thirst for improvement and the work he puts in to do so. If so, he may be forcing him to eventually raise their rankings in his way.
