Roden goes from Middleton to the majors

Middleton has a lengthy history as one of the top baseball schools in Wisconsin.

The Cardinals have reached the state tournament 14 times, had countless players compete collegiately and had a handful play in the minor leagues.

Middleton never had a player reach the major leagues, though — until now.

Alan Roden, a 2018 Middleton graduate, learned this week he made the Toronto Blue Jays opening day roster. Toronto begins its 2025 season by hosting Baltimore Thursday afternoon.

“I’m incredibly excited for the opportunity,” Roden said Monday afternoon. “And I’m extremely grateful for everyone that has helped me get to this point.”

The 25-year-old Roden had a sensational spring, batting .423 with a 1.287 OPS. Roden, the No. 5 prospect in Toronto’s farm system, is expected to play all three outfield positions and do some designated hitting.

“He’s a winning type of player, there’s no question,” Blue Jays president Mark Shapiro told MLB.com. “He both projects well from a purely objective standpoint, and subjectively has the attributes you want to build a winning environment.”

Toronto manager John Schneider wholeheartedly agreed with Shapiro.

“We trust his skillset, not only on the field but between his ears,” Schneider told MLB.com. “When it comes to being able to process things and slow things down. I think there’s a really good chance he’s an impact player for us, and I think there’s a really good chance he won’t be (up and down from the minors) in that time. I think he’s going to be (steady).”

Roden’s rise to the major leagues isn’t a surprise to those that know him best.

Tom Schmitt — who managed Middleton from 2003-2018 — kept just two freshman on varsity in that time: Roden and Shane Adler. Schmitt watched Roden shine at MHS, later at Creighton University, then during his time in Toronto’s minor league system.

When Roden learned he had made Toronto’s opening day roster, Schmitt might have been almost as happy as his former star pupil.

“I am ecstatic for Alan to reach a goal of his,” Schmitt said. “He has done it with tremendous work ethic and a humble attitude. 

“His successes along the way have not changed who he is or how he works to improve. Alan was always about how the team is doing, doing whatever he could do to make his teammates and the team be the best.”

Roden also played basketball at MHS and excelled as an undersized off guard.

Despite standing 6-foot, the scrappy, aggressive Roden led the Cardinals in rebounds his senior year (7.2) and still ranks in the top-10 in school history in that category. Roden was also the Cardinals’ second-leading scorer as a senior (8.6) and was named honorable-mention all-conference.

“Alan was a joy to coach,” Middleton boys basketball coach Kevin Bavery said. “He’s the ultimate competitor and simply put, is as ‘tough as nails.’

“Coachable, respectful, respected, a quiet leader, he played extremely physical. I couldn’t be happier for Alan as there is no one more deserving as a player and a person.”

It was clear from the start, though, that Roden’s path to greatness was on the diamond.

During Roden’s time at MHS, he received some form of all-Big Eight Conference honors all four seasons.

As a senior in 2018, Roden was named first-team all-state and was the runner-up for Big Eight Conference Player of the Year honors. That year, Roden batted .465, had an on-base percentage of .556, a slugging percentage of .721 and a remarkable OPS (on-base plus slugging) of 1.276.

Roden had 28 RBI, 40 hits, 14 doubles and three triples as a senior. He also scored 31 runs, had 11 stolen bases and struck out just twice.

Roden also helped power Middleton to its first Big Eight Conference title since 2010. And after playing catcher his first three years at MHS, Roden moved to shortstop as a senior and had arguably his best season as a Cardinal.

Roden had a stellar career at Creighton and was named the co-Big East Conference Player of the Year in 2022. That season, Roden led Creighton with a .387 average, 75 hits and 25 doubles and finished the season reaching base in a remarkable 33 straight games. Roden also struck out just eight times in 194 plate appearances that year, making him the second-hardest player in the NCAA to strikeout (4.1%).

The Blue Jays liked what they saw and drafted Roden in the third round in 2022, making him the highest drafted player from Creighton since 1999.

“Alan is a tremendous worker,” Creighton coach Ed Servais said. “His preparation is right up there near the top of anybody we’ve had here. He’s got a good command of the strike zone. He’s everything you want in a hitter.”

Roden showed that during his time in Toronto’s farm system.

Roden flew through the lower levels of the minors, then excelled with the AAA Buffalo Bisons last summer. In just 71 games, Roden batted .314, had a .916 OPS, had nine home runs, 48 RBI, 35 walks and a .406 on base percentage.

Roden then won a spot on the Blue Jays’ roster with a sensational spring.

In typical Roden fashion, he was quick to credit all of the coaches that helped him reach this point.

“All the way back to coach Schmitt, coach (Jason) Pertzborn, and coach (Jamie) Guerrero at Middleton, to coach Ed Servais, coach Connor Gandossy and coach Paul Weidner at Creighton University, I am indebted to their contributions to my development as a baseball player,” Roden said. “It has been a long time coming, with years of hard work, courage, and trust in the people around me. I will do my best to continue to represent myself, my family, and my community in the best way I can.”

While Roden has made his mark on the diamond, his modest, unassuming ways have also impressed those around him. That’s why Schneider, Toronto’s skipper, said it was a lot of fun telling Roden he made the team.

“It was cool. It was the most emotion I’ve seen out of him yet with a big fist pump,” Schneider said. “It was cool to deliver the message because of what he’s done in this organization.

“He’s the epitome of what we try to instill in our Minor League players, attacking things the right way and working the right way, then also performing. He had a big smile on his face.”

Back home, Roden’s fan club was almost as happy as the newest Blue Jay himself.

“Watching him play minor league ball the past few years and now the spring training games you can see a confident, determined athlete that is a great person,” Schmitt said. “Good things happen to good people. 

“Alan is an intelligent, instinctive baseball athlete. He’s an All-American kid. So proud of Alan.”