Banks Wickersham was set to become the next slugger for the College of Charleston when another opportunity arose.
Wickersham signed scholarship papers with the Cougars in November. However as his senior season approached he received an increasing amount of attention from scouts. Following a stellar season by the Fort Dorchester catcher/pitcher/shortstop, Wickersham was drafted July 12 by the Kansas City Royals in the 14th round of the 2026 Major League Baseball draft as the 419th overall pick.
“This is awesome,” Wickersham said. “It’s everything I’ve wanted since I was a little kid so it’s cool that it’s actually happening now.”
He is only the second Fort Dorchester baseball player to be drafted by an MLB team. He is the first to be drafted straight out of high school.
“When we started the season scouts came out for our games and then they started talking to me a little after the games,” he said. “One of the Kansas City scouts was basically coming to every game and talked to me a lot. After the season, I got some workouts with a couple of teams and I started realizing there might be a chance. I gave it all I had and didn’t really have any off days so I was hoping and praying things would work out.”
Former Patriots’ shortstop Jalen Vasquez was drafted by the Baltimore Orioles in the 20th round of the 2023 MLB Draft. At the time, he had played three seasons of college baseball.
Members of the Royals organization have indicated Wickersham’s path to the Majors will be as a catcher, but his overall athleticism really caught their eye.
“They could tell I put in the work and my numbers are good,” Wickersham said. “I think they just saw I’m a good athlete who they can make better.”
He heads to Arizona this week to workout with other Royals’ rookies.
Fort Dorchester grad Banks Wickersham was drafted by the Kansas City Royals July 12.
“I’ll probably be there for a few months and come home for the offseason and they will figure it out from there,” he said. “I think I’ll be able to bang it pretty well but need to work on my catching. I’m more raw on the catching side so I have a lot of work to put in to match that next level.”
Wickersham graduated as Fort Dorchester’s all-time hits leader. He carried a .500-plus batting average and .500-plus on-base percentage deep into the 2026 state playoffs. As a senior he had double-digit hits for extra bases, stolen bases and runs scored.
“He’s a tough out every time up,” said Fort Dorchester coach Jay Christmas. “He rarely strikes out and set the tone offensively for our team with his approach and consistency. What separates him is his versatility and reliability. He’s a high IQ player who prepares, competes, and makes everyone around him better.”
Wickersham is a 2026 Perfect Game Atlantic All-American. As a member of the Fort Dorchester team he earned multiple all-region and all-state honors and was named the Patriots’ MVP.
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‘ Some details of this article were extracted from the following source www.postandcourier.com ’
