The Colorado Rockies drafted Baltimore native Cam Nelson in the fifth round of the 2025 MLB Draft out of Wake Forest.
The 5-foot-11, 185-pound center fielder hit .318/.489/.485 with eight extra-base hits and 19 RBIs as a draft-eligible sophomore at Wake Forest. The left-handed hitter was limited to 27 games due to a finger injury.
Nelson attended St. Paul’s School for Boys in Brooklandville from seventh grade to his junior year of high school prior to going to what is now known as PDG Academy in Fredericksburg, Va., in 2022-23. Nelson is appreciative of what St. Paul’s did for him in the classroom and on the field.
“I can’t be more grateful for that experience, not only just for the in-classroom experience, being able to … be ready for college, it was an extremely important thing for me,” Nelson said on Glenn Clark Radio July 17.
Nelson was a multi-sport athlete growing up, but baseball was his passion. That passion only grew at St. Paul’s.
“Baseball, it’s always been a little different for me. I’ve had a different energy for the game, different drive,” Nelson said. “It got to the point for me once I got to high school and really figured out that I wanted to really take my game to the next level, that’s when I decided to start dropping any other sports, started training in the offseason, taking it very seriously. It was kind of like a little bit of a switch flipped for me as I started getting to my high school years growing up.”
Nelson is also grateful for the alumni connections he made at St. Paul’s, like meeting former Orioles right-hander Steve Johnson at an alumni game. He has also crossed paths with Pirates first baseman Spencer Horwitz and spoken with former Giants and Angels first baseman LaMonte Wade Jr.
“I thought it was pretty cool to see the people that have been through the program and what they’re up to nowadays, just seeing how successful they are,” Nelson said of the alumni game. “Just envisioning that in myself years down the road, I think that’s very important to think about. Just meeting all those people is great.”
Nelson said it “felt like a dream” to get the call from Colorado on July 14. He later signed with the Rockies for $600,000. He wants fans to know he is an energetic player who will throw himself into every aspect of the game.
“It’s going to be electric,” Nelson said. “I’m a guy that’s going to give it my all every single time out there on the field — playing every single game like it’s my last, playing every game with no fear. I’m a guy that’s going to go out there and just lay everything out on the line. … I feel like I can have a real big impact in the organization, and I feel like I’m ready to do that.”
For more from Nelson, listen to the full interview here:
Photo Credit: Courtesy of Wake Forest Athletics