Former Western Dubuque Star Taken By Chicago Team in MLB Draft

A former Western Dubuque High School star heard his named called in the 2023 MLB Draft, and will hopefully be joining a team that is close-to-home in the future.

Calvin Harris was selected by the Chicago White Sox in the fourth round of the 2023 MLB Draft. Selected 116th overall, he was the first Iowan taken in the draft this year. Harris is a catcher out of Ole Miss.

Ole Miss has been known to produce catchers, with eight drafted in the past decade, including notable major leaguer Nick Fortes of the Miami Marlins. Harris etched his name in the school's catcher lore by setting a record with four homers in a game on May 6th against Missouri.

Harris was also a five-time letter winner and three-year captain at Western Dubuque, with additional honors as Iowa Baseball Gatorade Player of the Year in 2018 and 2019, per The Des Moines Register. He started all 54 games for the Rebels this past season, finishing his junior campaign ranked second on the time in hits (67), home runs (12), doubles (14), and total bases (121). His .321 batting average ranked third on the team.

Any Chicago sports fan will lament to you the woes of the White Sox this season. The team is said to be in a championship window, but a dreadful 38-54 record says otherwise. The team currently sits in fourth place in the AL Central, and the only reason the Sox's position remains relevant is because they're still only seven games behind the Cleveland Guardians, who currently sit at .500.

Harris was the apple of the eye of many scouts and talent evaluators this draft season. MLB.com ranked him as the 133rd best prospect, and Harris got to flex his gifts at the MLB Scouting Combine.

Fellow Iowans selected in the 2023 MLB Draft were Marshalltown native Tate Kuehner (Milwaukee Brewers, seventh round) and Clinton native Jared Simpson (Washington Nationals, eighth round). Simpson attended Iowa Western Community College before pitching for the Hawkeyes.

Read more about Calvin Harris getting drafted by the Chicago White Sox on The Des Moines Register.