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From Denney Willie to Davis Wendzel, no fewer than 48 Baylor Bears have reached baseball’s highest level over the last century-plus. Willie debuted in 1911, Wendzel in 2024, and there’s been a host of Baylor greats to reach Major League Baseball in between, including All-Stars, a Rookie of the Year, and a Hall of Famer.

So, who are the best Baylor alumni to reach the big leagues? That’s a question we first aimed to answer six years ago. Since then, five more Bears have reached the big leagues, and we’ve seen players stake their claim for a new spot (or a higher spot) on the list. So, we humbly present our new-for-2025 list of the nine best Bears in Major League history:

Baylor students can explore a diverse array of unique chapel offerings designed to nurture faith, foster community and create space for pondering a deeper understanding of Christianity.

Baylor is welcoming not one, but two new deans this summer, following the retirement of longtime Graduate School Dean Larry Lyon (BA ’71) and the hiring of Hankamer School of Business Dean Sandeep Mazumder as president of Berry College.

For world-class concerts and entertainment, Baylor University and the City of Waco are establishing the Paul and Alejandra Foster Pavilion and Waco, Texas, as the premiere mid-market experience.

From Baylor's Truett Seminary to ministry in various locations around the globe and now serving as a civilian director of religious education for the Army, Aluma Syeeda Echols follows her calling with faith at the center of her work.

Ahead of the 23rd Baptist World Congress in Brisbane, Australia, July 7-12, the Baptist World Alliance and Baylor University announced the establishment of a Baptist World Alliance Program to be housed at Baylor’s Truett Seminary.

One frequent criticism of higher education is that its findings often remain locked in the “ivory tower,” rather than being shared with the “real world.”

Dr. Thomas Hibbs is the counterpoint to that — a longtime dean (and even university president) who has consistently applied his knowledge to current events and popular culture and used mass media to share those insights.

For the fifth straight year, a Baylor Bear was taken in the first round of the NBA draft — and this one went higher than any Bear before him.

With the No. 3 overall pick in the 2025 NBA Draft, the Philadelphia 76ers selected Baylor’s VJ Edgecombe — making the Big 12 Freshman of the Year the highest draft pick in Baylor basketball history. The previous mark was held by Ekpe Udoh, who was selected at No. 6 by the Warriors in 2010.

Among the many draws to Baylor University is the chance to learn from elite faculty members at a Christian Research 1 university.

Dr. Leigh Greathouse is one of Baylor’s many cancer researchers, specifically focused on the relationship between diet, microorganisms and cancer. Her efforts are driven in part by her own experience fighting cancer while still in her 20s.

Her work is also driven by her faith. Earlier this year, she posted on social media about what it’s like to be a Christian working in science today:

Alumna Dr. Jade Connor Eruchalu, B.S. ’17, is making an impact on the world through geriatric memory care.

A Baylor-led study analyzed the whiskers of leopard seals to challenge assumptions about the feeding behavior of these apex predators.

You may have heard friends or family members lament the ubiquity of technology, or bemoan that the ways it changes our interactions with the world could lead to “brain rot” or something similar. (Maybe you’ve even said that yourself).

Dr. Michael Scullin, an associate professor of psychology and neuroscience at Baylor, set out to see if such fears are warranted — and his findings have earned international attention.

From one generation of students to the next, Baylor University has played a powerful role in shaping the lives of thousands of young men and women.

Baylor students just keep upping the school record for Fulbright scholarship recipients. In 2019, BU set a new high with 7 Fulbrights; in 2022, that jumped to 14; and last year, 18 Bears were so honored.

Given that trend (and Baylor’s continued national recognition as a top Fulbright producer), it should come as no surprise that that record has fallen again. This spring, 23 Baylor students and recent alumni won the prestigious Fulbright awards — and that’s just the beginning when it comes to the list of BU students winning top national and international scholarships and fellowships.

Among the many draws to Baylor University is the chance to learn from elite faculty members at a Christian research university.

There are plenty of ways to measure this, from having dozens of faculty recognized among the nation’s most cited researchers to the University’s attainment of a top-30 national ranking for both undergraduate teaching and research. Another sign of Baylor’s elite faculty: the many researchers recognized as fellows in their fields.

Baylor Track & Field’s legacy of Olympians, national champions and record-setters sets a high standard — a standard that this year’s athletes upheld and extended.

Two Bears claimed national titles in individual events this spring, Baylor won three of four Big 12 Performer of the Year honors, and a host of Bears brought home all-America honors as head coach Michael Ford’s teams closed out another successful season last week.

International prize recognizes CERN collaborators, including four Baylor physicists, for groundbreaking discoveries at the Large Hadron Collider in Geneva, Switzerland.

Baylor students receive prestigious scholarships and fellowships, demonstrating excellence in undergraduate education and research.

Standout performances by current and former Bears this spring.

Soon, hundreds of students will embark on Baylor summer missions trips, spanning the globe to serve others and share the love of Christ. Becky Kennedy, Assistant Dean for Spiritual Life and Missions and Associate Chaplain in Baylor Spiritual Life, shares the impact of discipline-specific mission trips that form students as they serve.  

Since graduating from Baylor four decades ago, Doug Rogers (BFA ’82) has truly had a fairy tale career.

From Friends and The Drew Carey Show, to Shrek and Tangled, to the castles at Disney Shanghai and Hong Kong (pictured above left), to Turning Point Ministries’ Why the Nativity?, he’s seen a myriad of projects come to life.

Charles M. Ramsey, Ph.D., B.A. ’97, M.A. ’00, associate University Chaplain and director of campus ministries and church connections, has been selected as University Chaplain and Dean of Spiritual Life, effective June 9. 

We could write a month’s worth of posts about recent Baylor graduate Kristen Nakamura (BA ’25). She was a Getterman Scholar, and a University Scholar studying English and math with a minor in creative writing. An award-winning poet whose Honors thesis and undergraduate research included translating the post-WWII haiku shared between her Japanese-American great-grandmother and her twin sister. Tutor. Piano teacher. BRH Choir member. Mission trip veteran. HRC College Council. Summa cum laude graduate. Phi Beta Kappa. Fulbright ETA recipient to Indonesia.

But for all of those honors, what Nakamura really wanted to talk about was the community and sense of belonging she found at Baylor.

Baylor University, The Congregational Collective and Harvard Medical School partner to innovate equipping congregations to become community hubs for mental health engagement.

Residence halls at Baylor provide a foundation for student success in and out of the classroom through a caring community.

For Baylor students, career success begins when they set foot on campus, with the help of the Baylor University Career Center. Baylor’s placement rate of 91 percent is one of the best in the nation, and its approach is student-centered, walking alongside students and helping them define success. Michael Estepp, newly appointed Assistant Vice Provost in the Career Center, showcases the approach that helps students successfully pursue their calling.

The annual Alumni Awards honor graduates who advance Baylor’s mission in their careers and lives.

For some, college is just about getting a piece of paper that, after four years, will help land a job. And while that’s important, the Baylor experience is about so, so much more.

The first-wave findings of the Global Flourishing Study have attracted coverage from across the globe, including major media outlets ranging from The New York Times to National Geographic.

Baylor graduates are highly sought after in the workplace, with an impressive 91% placement rate of recent graduates in either employment or grad school. This success is in part thanks to BU’s strong relationships with top employers, and the Baylor Career Center’s concierge-style approach to recruitment that benefits both student and employer.

Recent data shows these are the top 10 employers hiring the most Baylor grads right out of school:

Archaeologist and anthropologist Julie Hoggarth heads to Belize this week to continue her nationally recognized research on ancient Maya cultures, uncovering what their experiences can teach us today. Hoggarth was recently recognized as a prestigious American Association for the Advancement of Science Fellow, and she takes listeners inside the findings that yield new insights from her digs.

You may remember the name Deonte Epps (BA ’13) from a post we wrote a couple of years ago, as the Baylor alum was working his dream job at ESPN as a content creator. Today, Epps is not only a content associate (a promotion from his last role); he’s also an Emmy winner, thanks to his work with ESPN’s NFL Live, which won the Emmy for Outstanding Studio Show – Daily.

Supply chain expert Adé Oyedijo, Ph.D., explains the three primary ways tariffs are affecting the global supply chain and how tariffs can be used to promote ethical supply chain practices. 

Welcoming new regents and a farewell to longtime leaders.

The academic year is complete: finals graded, books returned, students graduated — and Baylor faculty honored! Congratulations to this year’s Baylor professors of the year:

Undergraduate certificate programs offer students a flexible pathway to gain specialized skills and increase the value of their degree. 

New degrees highlight growth in University strategic priorities

With two new deans stepping into leadership, Baylor University is stepping into an exciting era of academic growth and innovation. 

Baylor University is collaborating with Waco Surf, integrating its premier inland surfing facility into the student experience.

The Extend the Line scholarship initiative, launched in 2025, aims to provide $250 million in new scholarships for Baylor students by the end of 2030.

Gaming is a rapidly evolving industry, and its impact on the world continues to expand with the market projected to grow 2-3% per year — from an estimated $187 billion in 2024 to more than $213 billion by 2027.

Baylor University esports director and coach

Wellness is as multifaceted as human beings are, and Justin Adeyemi, Ph.D., sees a connection between these different realms of wellness.

Holistically shaping people at Baylor extends beyond the students to the faculty and staff.

Each week, Brad Livingstone, husband to Baylor President Linda A. Livingstone, Ph.D., led a group of 16 Baylor students as they learned how to mature in their faith.

The Black Gospel Archive (BGA), housed by Baylor’s University Libraries, is one of the largest collections of gospel music in the world, and a $2.48 million grant from Lilly Endowment Inc. will support further expansion. 

Vertical Ministries is a non-denominational, student-led ministry that seeks to challenge college students to actively pursue an authentic and “vertical” relationship with God.

Baylor’s Air Force and Space Force Reserve Officer Training Corp (AFROTC), Detachment 810, has added another milestone to its distinguished history as one of the nation’s oldest AFROTC units.

Baylor closed a monumental chapter in the life of the institution, mourning the loss of its beloved American black bear and Baylor icon, Judge Sue “Lady” Sloan. 

As a young man in Nigeria, Ade Oyedijo, Ph.D., witnessed manufacturing companies from other countries extract resources like minerals and timber from his home region to share with the world. 

Leigh Greathouse, Ph.D., associate professor of nutrition sciences at Baylor, is a nationally regarded researcher of the relationship between diet, the microbiome, disease and health, and her work has been supported by the Department of Defense, National Institutes of Health and more.

A new study in Nature Human Behavior by neuroscientists at Baylor University and the University of Texas at Austin Dell Medical School reveals that digital technologies are associated with reduced cognitive decline.

At the intersection of aerospace, ground transportation and artificial intelligence stands Baylor’s new Advanced Vehicle Intelligence and Autonomy (AVIA) Lab, a truly futuristic home for research that develops technologies to enhance the efficiency, safety and adaptability of autonomous intelligent systems found in aerospace and ground vehicles.

Key Insights Emerge From Historic Baylor-Led Global Flourishing Study

Since the judges didn’t give top-seeded Baylor acrobatics & tumbling a perfect 10.0 score in the 2025 NCATA national championship final on April 26 at the Elmen Center in Sioux Falls, S.D., the Bears just went out and got their own 10.

Baylor Men’s Golf alumni are making a splash in the professional ranks.

In the modern landscape of college athletics, it’s easy for schools to get lost in transactions, focusing exclusively on the ends while ignoring the means.

Track and Field’s Alexis Brown made history as she became the first Baylor athlete to win a national championship in the long jump event. 

10 Keys for Navigating Change in College Athletics

For someone who feels a personal mission to make the world a better place for children, there may be few better fits than Feed the Children, a global nonprofit which seeks to end childhood hunger. All of this made a significant opportunity at the organization just right for Emily Callahan (BA ’00), a Baylor alumna and longtime non-profit leader whose personal mission dovetailed with the organization she now leads.

Baylor University’s success for highly competitive fellowships and awards continues to skyrocket as a record 23 Baylor students and recent alumni have been selected for 2025-2026 Fulbright U.S. Student Grants. 

Congratulations, Class of 2025 — you did it!

This weekend, more than 4,000 Bears — the largest class in Baylor history — celebrated earning their degrees, the culmination of the Baylor experience. Thousands of their friends and family filled the Ferrell Center for each ceremony, and countless more watched online and joined in the celebration via social media to honor BU’s newest graduates.

Will Critchfield’s student experience at Baylor led directly to working with cutting-edge technology in his field, then a connection with a prominent Baylor graduate, and finally, an impressive first job after graduation.

For Critchfield, a member of the Class of 2025 from Glen Rock, N.J., success has never been about coincidence; it’s been about faith, perseverance, and the unwavering support of his Baylor community. As he graduates from Baylor this week with a major in film & digital media and a minor in entrepreneurship, his next chapter will begin with a role at NBC.

David M. Szymanski, Ph.D., will join Baylor University on May 27 as The William E. Crenshaw Endowed Dean of the nationally ranked Hankamer School of Business.

Harmon and Lea Kong's gift to Baylor establishes the Kong Family Endowed Presidential Fund for Student Care and the Kong Family Endowed Fund for Faculty Development.

When Carolyn Price’s mother told her, “There isn’t anything you can’t do,” she couldn’t have imagined the far-reaching those words would have on her daughter’s life — including becoming the oldest known doctoral recipient in Baylor history, at age 83.

Every spring, the Baylor Family bids happy retirement to professors and staff who have dedicated their professional lives to the university and its students. This spring, we say a special farewell to two prominent university leaders, Vice President for Student Life Kevin Jackson and Baylor Graduate School Dean Larry Lyon (BA ’71).

Michael E. Young, Ph.D., professor of psychological sciences and graduate program director at Kansas State, has been selected as Vice Provost and Dean of the Graduate School.

Legendary comedian Jeff Dunham will bring his new North American Tour ARTIFICIAL INTELLIGENCE to the Paul and Alejandra Foster Pavilion, Waco’s new premier concert venue, at 7:30 p.m. Friday, Oct. 3.

One of the first stops for Baylor campus visitors is the Williams Bear Habitat, home of bear mascots Indy and Belle. The La Vega High School students visiting campus last week for the first-ever Baylor CityLab were no different; the Bear Habitat was tops on their tour agenda — and where their interactive science journey began.

As soon as the tour was over, Baylor students involved in CityLab set up the scenario. They drank from a stray water bottle, began “acting” strange, and soon developed zombie-like symptoms. Now it was up to the high school students to use real-world scientific methods — including DNA analysis and forensics — to determine what was causing this strange behavior and what exactly was in the water bottle.

Honors College researcher studies how maternal humor on social media helps women navigate the pressures of modern parenting and connect through shared experience.

Last week, Baylor released the first-wave findings of the Global Flourishing Study — one of the most comprehensive studies of human existence ever undertaken, and the largest funded research project in Baylor history.

How big a deal is this study? The coverage it attracted is one indication; the results were widely covered in major media outlets ranging from The New York Times to National Geographic to CNN to Christianity Today (and more).

Every summer, Baylor students head out on mission trips around the world, putting what they’ve learned in the classroom to use serving others. But the experience isn’t a one-way gift; these students also come back having learned about other people, places and cultures, and ways they can use their skills to help others in the future.

In late April, Baylor sent these Bears off with a special Student Mission Trip Commissioning Ceremony. Following the disciples’ example, Baylor representatives gathered to send these short-term missionaries off with prayer and encouragement (plus some treats to sweeten the celebration).

What does it mean to be a Christian university? Certainly, it means that our Christian faith is infused into everyday life on campus. It’s also expressed in classrooms and labs across campus, by Christian faculty living out their calling at the highest levels.

In fact, Baylor’s growth as a Christian research university has been fueled in part by elite faculty drawn to BU precisely because here they can openly practice their discipline in a Christian context.

Here are just a few of the reasons Baylor professors say the institution’s Christian mission is meaningful to them:

Baylor University welcomes Texas's top middle and high school esports teams for the TexSEF 2025 Undisputed State Championships esports competition.

The Institute for Global Human Flourishing places Baylor as an epicenter for global flourishing research/practice alongside research partners at Harvard’s Human Flourishing Program.

Baylor graduates truly do “fling their green and gold afar,” making an impact in virtually any field you can think of. This year’s Baylor Alumni Award winners are no different, with recipients leading the charge in areas ranging from the military and the ministry to the law and our nation’s legal systems.

Congratulations to this year’s honorees:

The Global Flourishing Study revealed its First Wave findings on human flourishing, results from one of the most comprehensive studies of human well-being ever undertaken. 

Baylor and Waco are at the center of the collegiate tennis world this year.

Last fall, the Hurd Tennis Center hosted the NCAA Singles and Doubles Championships. In January, men’s tennis hosted the ITA National Indoor Championship at Hawkins Indoor Tennis Center. Earlier this month, the Hurd was the home for the Big 12 Tennis Championship. And now, Baylor is preparing to host the NCAA Men’s and Women’s Championships (every round from the quarterfinals to the title match).

The run to the championship begins this weekend for both the Baylor men and women.