Humboldt Crabs Baseball

By Ray Hamill — Elijah McNeal became the latest Humboldt Crabs player to be taken in the MLB Draft this week, and his manager believes he has a bright future.

McNeal, who was in his first summer with the Crabs, was drafted in the 20th round by the San Francisco Giants.

And the UC Davis commit now has a big decision to make, whether to join the Giants organization or pursue a college career with the Aggies.

Regardless of what choice he makes, however, Crabs manager Robin Guiver believes he will be a big success in the game and is glad to have had him as part of the team this summer.

“He’s a big strong, physical kid,” Guiver said. “And he was pretty mature in the way he handled business and took care of things. He’s an impressive kid for sure, and he played well for us.”

McNeal appeared in 15 games for the Crabs this summer and the infielder averaged .255 at the plate.

He is a rare high school player to be included on the summer roster, having just recently graduated from Dublin High School.

McNeal was also in high demand.

“He was on a lot of teams’ radar,” Guiver added. 

In his brief time with the Crabs, McNeal left a positive impression on his teammates and coaches and fit in well.

At just 18 years old, McNeal was also the youngest player on this year’s Crabs team.

“He’s got a lot of tools, and he’s out there competing against guys that are 20 or 21 years old,” Guiver said. “The sky’s the limit for Elijah. He’s definitely got professional baseball ahead of him.”

McNeal has until the end of the month to decide whether he wants to take the Giants offer or join the Aggies.