Fordham University’s own Daniel Bucciero heard his name called in the 9th round as the 260th pick of the 2025 Major League Baseball (MLB) Draft on July 14, 2025. Bucciero, who will be headed to the Athletics, became the 38th Ram to be selected in the draft and the first since 2021.
On July 18, The Fordham Ram interviewed Bucciero to discuss his journey and feelings of achieving every young baseball player’s dream: playing professional baseball.
Before college, Bucciero wasn’t highly recruited: “I didn’t really have many offers coming out of high school, it was really just Fordham,” he said. He was spotted by a Fordham coach his junior year at a tournament in Georgia.
Bucciero said he visited Fordham and liked the business program at the Gabelli School of Business. Although he is now leaving Fordham after completing his junior year, he does expect to eventually graduate.
“I definitely want to finish my degree at some point,” he said.
While Bucciero may not have had many offers coming out of high school, he certainly left his mark on the Fordham Baseball program. During the 2025 season, Bucciero was the team’s most valuable player.
An iron man, he was the lone Ram to start all 58 games, putting up career bests in batting average (.320), runs scored (54), hits (72), doubles (16), runs batted in (RBI) (37), total bases (116), walks (34) and stolen bases (35). His stellar showing puts him alongside Fordham great Bobby Kingsbury as the only Rams to reach 125 runs, 40 doubles, 20 home runs, 100 RBI and 60 stolen bases in their careers.
Numbers like these in the past few years earned Bucciero a spot in the Cape Cod Baseball League (CCBL) in 2024. The CCBL is a premier summer baseball league for college players known for attracting top talent and players from all around the country, serving as a stepping stone for many players who go on to play in the MLB.
“It was a lot different than other summer ball teams,” Bucciero said. “You’re playing the best of the best, probably the best players in the country.”
His stint in the CCBL with the Orleans Firebirds was a mixed bag. The increase in the level of competition saw Bucciero experience a decrease in his playing time when compared to his time with Fordham Baseball, but he still contributed with a team-leading four home runs.
Bucciero’s success at Fordham and in the CCBL helped open the door for him to play professionally. Heading into the 2025 MLB draft, he expected to be selected by someone; the question was when.
“I wasn’t really sure how long we were going to be waiting. I was just hanging out at home,” Bucciero said. “I found out probably at the end of 7th, early 8th, that the Athletics were going to take me in the 9th. I was probably sitting on the couch watching already for three hours, so it was like ‘Oh, finally I don’t have to sit here anymore.’ But mostly happy that everything paid off and I’m going to the next level.”
Skill alone didn’t allow Bucciero to make it to the MLB. “Always work harder than the person next to you,” he said, when asked what advice he would give his younger self. “Bring everybody else with you.”
As Bucciero continues his baseball journey with the Athletics, the Fordham community will continue watching and wishing him the best.
