'I'm honestly speechless': Former Coeur d'Alene High star Paddack drafted in 18th round by Chicago White Sox

By JASON ELLIOTT

Sports writer

It was a call to the bullpen that Coeur d’Alene High product Liam Paddack might not soon forget.

Paddack, a 6-foot-4, 210 pound left-handed pitcher is continuing his journey in baseball.

Paddack was selected in the 18th round (529th overall) of the Major League Baseball First-Year Player Draft on Tuesday by the Chicago White Sox.

This summer, he's been pitching for the Chatham (Mass.) Anglers of the Cape Cod League, one of several college wood-bat leagues across the country. After playing at Community Colleges of Spokane for two seasons, Paddack pitched at Gonzaga this past season.

“I’m honestly speechless,” Paddack told Andrew Selover during an interview on the Chatham Anglers ‘Catch of the Day.’ “I don’t really know what to say and still don’t know what to say. My phone’s been blowing up and I’ve got so many 'thank yous' to get to. It’s just so cool and humbling to hear my name. There’s a lot of hard work that goes into that, and it pays off in the long run. It’s super special to hear that.”

Paddack is the first local player selected in the MLB Draft since former Post Falls High and Oregon State pitcher Jake Pfennigs was selected in the 13th round, 349th overall in 2022.

“All of the guys came over during batting practice and were giving me hugs in the bullpen,” Paddack said. “I really don’t know what to say. Coming from a small town in Idaho, you really don’t hear of guys being selected like that. A couple of years ago, Kyle Manzardo (the former Lake City High and Washington State standout, who was selected by Tampa Bay, in the second round in 2021 and is now in the Cleveland Guardians organization) got the call. It’s just incredibly, incredibly special.”

Paddack has struck out 39 batters in 33 ⅓ innings in his two seasons with Chatham. A 2021 graduate of Coeur d’Alene High, Paddack led Gonzaga in strikeouts (77), innings pitched (65), starts (12) and opposing batting average (.235), and finished sixth in the West Coast Conference in strikeouts and seventh in opposing batting average.

“I knew it was a possibility to be drafted in the fall before the year started,” Paddack said. “I wanted to be present for my teammates and that’s the same way here. (Chatham manager) ‘Sheets’ (Jeremy Sheetinger) wants us to present here with our teammates and be happy. He’s a big reason why I came back to the Cape this summer, which is incredibly special. It’s just another step in the journey.”

Paddack’s hopes to finalize his deal this weekend.

“We got what we wanted, but I’m still speechless,” Paddack said. “It’s super special.”

“It’s a fantastic, fantastic opportunity,” Paddack said. “All of my friends back home supporting me is just incredibly special. I’m excited to be a White Sox. I’m going to share some great memories on the way.”