From 22 at-bats to the MLB Draft: How Wichita’s Owen Clyne fueled his rise
The lowest point of Owen Clyne’s baseball career fit into 22 at-bats.
He never forgot how any of them felt.
Three years after a frustrating freshman season left him buried on the bench, the Wichita native heard his name called Sunday when the Philadelphia Phillies selected him with the 459th overall pick in the 15th round of the MLB Draft.
Clyne, a 2022 Maize South graduate, became the first player in school history to be drafted.
“You dream about hearing your name called growing up as a kid, so when it finally happens, it’s just unbelievable,” Clyne said. “It’s definitely a sense of relief and you can feel the pressure lifted off your shoulders.”
The 22-year-old shared the moment at his parents’ home in Wichita, surrounded by the family members who had believed in him through every unexpected turn.
There had been plenty.
Clyne arrived at Iowa Western expecting to play every day. The former Maize South standout, who earned league MVP honors during his junior season, carried a specific vision for how his first year of college baseball would unfold.
Reality looked nothing like it.
Clyne received only 22 at-bats as a freshman and finished with a .136 batting average. For the first time, he had to learn how to handle life from the bench.
He had never been asked to do that before.
The disappointment initially discouraged him. Eventually, it became fuel.
“I always think back to that feeling and how I felt that whole year,” Clyne said. “I just told myself that I don’t ever want to go through that again. It just fueled the fire in me.”
Clyne carried that disappointment with him to Barton Community College and transformed it into a breakout season. One year after hitting .136 in 22 at-bats, Clyne hit .401. He finished the 2024 season with a .520 on-base percentage, 57 RBIs and 57 runs to earn first-team All-Jayhawk Conference honors.
But even those numbers did not create an abundance of Division I opportunities.
Clyne said only one program pursued him aggressively: George Mason.
Coach Shawn Camp and his staff offered more than a place on the roster. They gave the 6-foot-2, left-handed-hitting shortstop an opportunity to take over one of the most demanding positions on the field immediately.
“They were the only school who gave me a real shot out of junior college,” Clyne said. “To me, that meant something. I wanted to give them everything I had.”
Their faith paid off.
Clyne started all 61 games during the 2025 season and hit .341 with a .429 on-base percentage. He drove in 60 runs, scored 61 and stole 20 bases.
A year after receiving limited Division I interest, Clyne had played himself into position to pursue a larger program through the transfer portal.
Many players would have taken that opportunity.
Clyne stayed.
“For me, it was a no-brainer to stay and pay them back for their loyalty,” Clyne said.
He returned for his senior season and delivered another standout year, starting all 56 games while hitting .335 with a .430 on-base percentage. Clyne finished with 57 runs, 56 RBIs, nine home runs and 21 stolen bases.
Over two seasons at George Mason, he started all 117 games, produced 116 RBIs, scored 118 runs and stole 41 bases.
Clyne earned first-team all-conference honors as a senior, served as a team captain and was named a semifinalist for the Brooks Wallace Award, which honors the nation’s top college shortstop.
The numbers explain part of what made Clyne an intriguing professional prospect.
He is a left-handed hitter who consistently reaches base, adds value with his speed and has shown the durability to handle shortstop every day. His experience at a premium defensive position also gives the Phillies options as he enters professional baseball.
But Clyne credits much of his development to the confidence George Mason placed in him.
He understood how rare it was for a program to hand an incoming junior college transfer the reins at shortstop. Camp allowed him to play through mistakes, grow into a leadership role and trust the same ability that had produced his breakout season at Barton.
The player who once wondered when his next at-bat would come became the player George Mason trusted to play every inning.
Clyne never forgot who gave him that opportunity.
He also never forgot where his love for baseball began.
Before Clyne imagined hearing his own name called in the MLB Draft, summer baseball meant nights with his family watching the Wichita Wranglers, then the Wichita Wingnuts and annual trips to the NBC World Series.
Baseball became part of the rhythm of his childhood.
Years later, Clyne experienced the NBC World Series from the field when he played in the tournament with the Kansas Cannons.
It was another childhood dream realized in the city where his love for the game began.
That made the setting for Sunday’s draft even more meaningful.
Clyne returned to Wichita and spent the weekend at his parents’ home. When the Phillies selected him, he was surrounded by the people who had followed every stop — from Maize South to Iowa Western, Barton and George Mason.
“I wouldn’t change the path that I took for anything,” Clyne said. “I’ve enjoyed every bit of my journey here. Even the lowest parts because I think those moments helped me get to the highest parts and I’m very thankful for it all. You just trust in God’s plan.”
After signing, Clyne could begin at the Phillies’ player-development complex in Clearwater, Fla. before joining the organization’s Single-A affiliate, the Clearwater Threshers.
His age and extensive college experience could make him a candidate to move quickly into full-season competition, although the Phillies will determine his assignment after evaluating him within their development system.
Wherever he begins, Clyne understands the draft did not complete his journey.
It reset it.
Professional baseball will bring better pitching, longer seasons and another competition for playing time. There is no guarantee his name will appear at shortstop every day.
In some ways, Clyne is starting over again.
This time, he knows what disappointment can become.
“I’m somebody who is going to put everything on the line every single day,” Clyne said. “I’m very passionate about the game and I don’t take anything for granted. I hope when fans watch me play, they see how much fun I have out there and ultimately how much I want to help my team win.”
The Phillies gave Clyne another opportunity.
His past taught him what to do with it.
“I know I have a long journey ahead of me,” Clyne said. “But I know I’m capable of doing it because of where I’ve been and the things I’ve done.”
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