Jul 8, 2024 By Chris Dugan 5 min read

Outfielder Brandon McIlwain, in some ways, is not your typical Wild Things player.

McIlwain has played in front of 80,000 spectators and in games that were televised nationally.

Those games, however, were as a college football player.

As a quarterback.

A starting quarterback.

In power five conferences – the SEC and Pac-12.

McIlwain is the fourth player in Wild Things history to have been on a major college football roster as a quarterback. The others were pitcher Grant Dorn (North Carolina State), outfielder Grant Heyman (Miami, Fla.) and infielder Ramsey Romano (Michigan).

The difference between McIlwain and the others is he entered the world of college football as a coveted recruit. McIlwain, who is from Newtown, located in Berks County, northeast of Philadelphia, played his high school football in the PIAA at Council Rock North, leading the school to the playoffs in the consecutive seasons for the first time in its history. He was a four-year starter in football.

Along the way, McIlwain caught the attention of college coaches. He was given his first scholarship offer, by nearby Temple, following his freshman year. That number grew to 20-25 after his sophomore year and by his senior year he was rated a four-star recruit and the No. 2 dual-threat quarterback in the nation, behind only current Philadelphia Eagles QB Jalen Hurts, by one recruiting website. All the marquee schools came calling and McIlwain chose South Carolina and the Southeastern Conference.

“My father went to South Carolina and my mother is from Charleston,” McIlwain explained. “That made it an easy decision.”

As a true freshman, McIlwain played in eight games, starting three. South Carolina won two of those three games.

After one year at South Carolina, McIlwain transferred to California in 2017 – he spent his early years living in California – and sat out the season because of the NCAA’s now-changed transfer rules. In 2018, he played in 10 games for the Golden Bears. He ran for 123 yards with a touchdown and passed for another score against Oregon. His best game might have been against Arizona when he ran for 107 yards and two touchdowns and passed for 315 yards.

So, how did McIlwain get out of football, into baseball and land with the Wild Things?

At both South Carolina and Cal, McIlwain also played baseball. Even during the 2019 season, when he had a foot injury that limited him to 20 baseball games, he caught the attention of the Miami Marlins, who drafted him in the 26th round that year. He didn’t sign with the Marlins, but a year later signed as a free agent with the New York Mets.

“I am a baseball guy,” McIlwain said. “It’s the right lifestyle for me. I love playing it every day. I love the sport.”

McIlwain got on the radar of major league teams during high school days, but how that happened is not normal. McIlwain attended a football 7-on-7 event that was held at IMG Academy in Bradenton, Fla. Also in town at that time was a Perfect Game baseball showcase for high school players. One of McIlwain’s youth baseball coaches suggested that he go to the showcase and try to talk his way into a workout.

“I got in and did well at the showcase. I got a couple of at-bats and hit a ball high off the wall for a triple,” McIlwain recalled. “I did well enough that they invited me to the Perfect Game All-America Game in California.”

After signing with the Mets, McIlwain advanced to Class AA by 2022, his second year in the Mets’ farm system, and played that year in the prestigious Arizona Fall League. Last year, he started in Double-A and was promoted to Class AAA Syracuse, one step away from the major leagues. He played in 43 games for Syracuse and hit five home runs with 11 stolen bases. However, McIlwain began this year back in Class AA.

“Last offseason, the Mets signed a lot of guys with big-league time and that created a logjam at the top of the organization,” McIlwain said. “I was one of the Triple-A guys who started down in Double-A. Plus, the Mets have a new (general manager) this year, so …”

McIlwain got off to a slow start with Double-A Binghamton this year and was batting .224 through 44 games when he was released. He signed with the Wild Things last week and is batting .333 with one double, one triple and two stolen bases through five games.

“I wanted to keep playing,” McIlwain said. “Lancaster (of the Atlantic League) had contacted me but (Washington) has a good history of developing players and getting them signed, so I decided to come here.”

So with all of his experiences, when did McIlwain have the most fun playing sports?

“High school football and baseball,” McIlwain said with a smile. “There’s so much excitement behind it and the little rivalries. It’s so much fun to play with guys you grew up with. … There is something to be said for playing in front of 85,000 people, but the higher level you’re at the more stress there is. After high school it became more like a job.”