HOLLY SPRINGS – Former Coastal Plain League (CPL) southpaw Josh Maciejewski (photo courtesy of the New York Yankees) made his Major League debut for the New York Yankees Monday night (4/8). With the Yankees up 7-0 entering the last frame, Maciejewski didn’t show any nerves out of the pen, pitching a 1-2-3 inning on just four pitches to lock up the victory over Miami.
The 10th round draft pick by New York in 2018, Maciejewski started showing flashes of his true worth in his second year of professional ball. Starting 2019 in Low-A Staten Island, he went on to pitch for Single-A Charleston, High-A Tampa, and Triple-A Scranton/Wilkes-Barre before the end of the season. In all, he was 4-5 with a 2.33 ERA through 73 1/3 innings of work. He went 9-4 with a 4.10 ERA through 18 games with Hudson Valley in 2021 and again finished the year with the RailRiders.
A year later, Maciejewski mostly played for Double-A Somerset, where he was 4-1 with 48 strikeouts in 34 1/3 innings. He split time in 2023 with the Renegades, Patriots and RailRiders in 2023, ending with a 6-3 record and impressive 2.96 ERA with 46 punchouts in 45 2/3 innings on the bump. Maciejewski was 1-0 with five strikeouts in 4 2/3 innings for Scranton/Wikes-Barre to start the 2024 season before being called up to join the Pinstripes.
The Charlotte 49ers product spent two summers with the Gastonia Grizzlies (photo courtesy of Mike Gibson/Gaston Gazette). In 2016, he worked up 36 1/3 innings on the bump, mostly in relief. In that time, he was 5-0 with a 1.49 ERA and had a combined shutout. He gave up just six runs – all earned – on 28 hits, walked 14 and struck out 45. Maciejewski returned in 2017 and started 3-of-8 appearances for the Grizzlies. He struck out 31 across 24 innings, and finished the season 1-1 with a 3.00 ERA and a complete-game shutout. He also helped lead the Grizzlies into the playoffs that summer and onto their second CPL Petitt Cup Championship. Overall, Maciejewski went 1-0 with a 4.97 ERA in two starts with 13 punch outs in 12 2/3 innings; and was the winning pitcher of Gastonia’s championship-clinching 12-3 victory in game two of the best-of-three series versus Wilmington.
Maciejewski is the third former CPL player to make his debut in the Bigs this season and 188th overall.
About Coastal Plain League:
The Coastal Plain League is the nation’s premier summer collegiate baseball league. The CPL is currently comprised of 15 franchises playing in Georgia, North Carolina, South Carolina and Virginia. To date, the CPL has had over 1,750 alumni drafted, and 188 alums make their Major League debut. Most notable alumni include Justin Verlander, Ryan Zimmerman, Mark Reynolds, Kevin Youkilis, Chris Taylor, Alec Bohm, Jake Cave, Chas McCormick and NFL Super Bowl champion Russell Wilson. For more information on the Coastal Plain League, please visit the league website at www.coastalplain.com, and be sure to follow us on Facebook, Twitter, Instagram and TikTok @CPLBaseball.
About Capitol Broadcasting Company:
Capitol Broadcasting Company, Inc. is a diversified communications company which owns and/or operates WRAL-TV, WRAZ-TV, WRAL-FM, WRAL-HD2, WNGT-CD, WCMC-FM, WCMC-HD1, WDNC-AM, WCMC-HD2, WCMC-HD3, WCLY-AM, WCMC-HD4, Microspace, WRAL Digital and Wolfpack Sports Properties (a joint venture with Learfield) in Raleigh, NC; WILM-TV, WILT-LD and Sunrise Broadcasting in Wilmington, NC; The Durham Bulls Baseball Club, Bull City Hospitality and Coastal Plain League in Durham, NC; The Holly Springs Salamanders in Holly Springs, NC; Greenville Yard Gnomes in Greenville, NC, the American Underground startup hub in Durham, NC; and real estate interests including the American Tobacco Historic District in Durham, NC, and Rocky Mount Mills in Rocky Mount, NC.