One young man has reached the pinnacle by making it to Major League Baseball, while the other is projected to be in the big leagues by 2027.
STAFFORD-ELLINGTON, CT — The past 10 days have been especially prosperous for a pair of professional baseball players from adjoining towns in Tolland County, as each recently attained the next milestone in their careers, including the ultimate dream come true for one.
After toiling for five-plus seasons in the minor leagues, Josh Simpson of Stafford reached the zenith of every young man's hopes when he was promoted to the Miami Marlins from the Jacksonville Jumbo Shrimp of the Triple-A International League.
A 32nd-round draft pick in 2019 out of Columbia University, the former Stafford High School standout had compiled some impressive statistics in the Miami organization: a 13-7 record in 154 appearances, with 314 strikeouts in 224 innings pitched, a remarkable 12.6 per 9 innings. Before his callup to the big leagues, Simpson had fashioned a 3-0 record with three saves this year in Jacksonville.
Wearing uniform number 66, he made his MLB debut on June 21, hurling the final two innings of a 7-0 loss to the Atlanta Braves. The first batter he faced, Drake Baldwin, singled and eventually scored, while Simpson ended the eighth inning by striking out Nick Allen. In the ninth, he posted his first career walk to Ronald Acuna, uncorked his first wild pitch, and surrendered his first home run, a three-run blast by Baldwin.
His second outing came four days later in San Francisco's Oracle Park, where he retired all five batters he faced, including Rafael Devers. He was not involved in the decision in what became an 8-5 win for the Marlins in 10 innings.
The next night will forever be etched in Simpson's brain. He relieved struggling starter Janson Junk with two outs and a runner at third in the fourth inning, but struck out Heliot Ramos looking to end the threat. With the score tied at 5-5, Simpson was the pitcher of record when Miami pushed across three runs in the fifth, eventually ending in a 12-5 victory which earned the rookie his first MLB win.
While Simpson has realized his dream of being a big leaguer, Frank Mozzicato of Ellington continues his rapid ascension through the Kansas City Royals' farm system. The No. 7 overall pick in the 2021 MLB draft out of East Catholic High School in Manchester, the 6-foot-3 southpaw has struck out 365 hitters in just over 326 innings of work in 76 minor league starts.
After the 2024 season, Mozzicato was chosen as the pitcher on the 9-man list of minor league Gold Glove winners for fielding excellence by Rawlings and Minor League Baseball. The list encompasses just one player per position from all minor league levels - Triple-A, Double-A, Single-A and Rookie League. He began the 2025 campaign with the Quad Cities River Bandits of the Class-A Midwest League, posting a miniscule 1.24 earned-run average in his first seven outings before being promoted to the Northwest Arkansas Naturals of the Double-A Texas League.
The 22-year-old is struggling a bit in his first experience at such a high level, but his confidence no doubt received a boost on Monday, when he was named as one of 10 pitchers who will represent the American League in the MLB All-Stars Futures Game on All-Star weekend.
The Futures Game is an annual 7-inning exhibition showcasing top minor league prospects. It is slated for Saturday, July 12 at Truist Park in Atlanta. Game time is 4 p.m.