Former NIACC standout Ball signs with Guardians' organization
Former NIACC standout Bryce Ball is now a member of the Cleveland Guardians' organization.
Ball signed a minor league contract with the Guardians' organization on Thursday. Ball was released by the Cubs' organization on July 4.
It will be the third MLB organization for Ball, who played at NIACC in 2017-18.
Ball, who played one season at Dallas Baptist University after NIACC, was drafted by the Atlanta Braves in the 24th round of the 2019 MLB Draft.
Ball, who prepped at Newman Catholic, was traded from the Braves to the Chicago Cubs' organization in exchange for Joc Pederson on July 15, 2021.
In 2023, Ball played in 52 games split between the South Bend Cubs (High A) and Tennessee Smokies (Double A). He hit .214 with one home run and 28 RBIs before being released by the Cubs earlier this month.
Ball will report to the Guardians' Double A affiliate Akron RubberDucks.
Ball has a career minor league average of .253 (318 for 1,258) with 208 RBIs, 42 home runs, 84 doubles and 196 RBIs.
In Ball's two seasons at NIACC, he had a career batting average of .362 (tied for 14th on NIACC's career list) with 135 hits (seventh on NIACC's career list), 96 RBIs (tied for 11th on NIACC's career list), 21 home runs (seventh on NIACC's career list) and 33 doubles (fourth on NIACC's career list).
In Ball's lone season at Dallas Baptist, he hit .325 with 18 home runs, 12 doubles and 54 RBIs.