Former East High gold glove infielder Edison Polanco fields the ball for the Mahoning Valley Scrappers. Photo by David Dermer/Warren Tribune Chronicle
Edison Polanco has come a long way since his days at East as the former Cook Inlet Conference gold glove infielder is now playing in the Major League Baseball Draft League.
The Anchorage switch hitter is more than just rubbing elbows with next-generation stars; he’s holding his own against some of the filthiest young pitchers on the planet, posting a .317 on-base percentage in 11 games and hitting .222 with four extra-base hits in 36 at-bats.
On Sunday, the two-hole hitter for the Mahoning Valley Scrappers went 2-for-3 with a triple, walk and two RBIs. In the second inning, Polanco’s inside-the-park home run attempt was cut down at the plate after a nice relay.
The 6-foot-4 third baseman has also been solid in the field, making good on 30 of 32 defensive chances. He’s played 66 innings at third base, 18 at first and four at shortstop. He’s a big man with good movement, soft hands and strong arm.
The MLB Draft League was created in 2001 and since then more than 400 of its players have signed with an MLB organization.
Polanco is the second Alaskan to lace ’em up for the Mahoning Valley Scrappers. In 2024, Anchorage catcher Coen Niclai batted .360 in seven games. Later that summer he was drafted in the 15th round by the Miami Marlins.
Polanco, 19, played for the Anchorage Glacier Pilots of the Alaska Baseball League after graduating from high school in 2024 and spent his freshman season of college at El Paso CC, where he batted .360 in 10 games.
He signed with NCAA Division I Loyola Marymount for the 2026 season but did not play. It might not matter now that he’s in the MLB Draft League.
