NEWPORT, R.I. – Newport Gulls left-handed pitcher Leighton Harris (Kentucky) has been named the 2025 NECBL Stephen Strasburg Top Pro Prospect, becoming the eighth Gull to receive the league’s most prestigious professional scouting honor since the franchise’s founding in 1994.

The award, presented annually to the NECBL’s top professional prospect, is named after former Torrington Twisters pitcher, three-time MLB All-Star, and 2009 No. 1 overall draft pick out of San Diego State, Stephen Strasburg.

Harris is the fourth consecutive Gull to claim the award, following in the footsteps of Dixon Williams (‘24, East Carolina), David Horn (‘23, Vanderbilt) and Colton Ledbetter (‘22, Mississippi State). He is the first Newport pitcher to win the honor since former No. 1 overall pick Mark Appel in 2010.

After primarily pitching in relief this spring as a freshman at the University of Kentucky, Harris transitioned to the starting rotation in Newport, making seven regular-season starts. Over 24 innings, he allowed just two earned runs while striking out 31 and walking only seven, finishing with a 0.75 ERA.

The Newport Gulls and the New England Collegiate Baseball League congratulate Leighton Harris on this tremendous honor. Harris continues the proud tradition of Gulls players making their mark on the national stage.

With Harris’s name added to the record books, the Gulls once again reinforce their standing as one of the NECBL’s premier destinations for developing elite baseball talent.