Indiana Baseball: Dunham signs free agent contract with New York Yankees

The Indiana baseball team is sending another player into the pros, as Elijah Dunham signed with the New York Yankees.

Elijah Dunham was on his way to having a great Junior year before it was suddenly stopped short due to the COVID-19 pandemic. He and teammate Grant Richardson were leading a young Hoosier team and didn’t look like they would slow down.

Unfortunately for IU baseball fans, it will be the last time they get to see Dunham in a Hoosier uniform. Dunham announced on his Twitter page that he had signed with the New York Yankees after going undrafted.

Dunham was one of many college baseball players that were a victim of the MLB draft being reduced to five rounds. The draft, which is normally 40 rounds, was cut down due to the pandemic and owners wanting to save money instead of having to pay the players they drafted a slotted amount of money.

Dunham would have surely been drafted had it been the normal 40 rounds. Instead, he had to “settle” for a free-agent contract, but it made it a tougher decision to go the pros or come back to IU for his senior season.

Dunham will join one of the most historic franchises in the MLB, but it will be interesting to see when he can finally get out there with the organization. The owners and players look closer to making a deal but they are still at odds with each other and nothing is formalized yet.

In his shortened Junior year, Dunham batted .390 and led the team in doubles with seven and had a team-best .434 on-base percentage. He was also a very good outfielder for the Hoosiers and will be missed by head coach Jeff Mercer and his staff.

It is a shame Hoosier nation won’t get to see Dunham in an Indiana uniform again, but we wish him the best of luck in his new career with the Yankees.