LI products Matt Archer, Matt Alifano sign with MLB clubs

Long Island products Matt Archer and Matt Alifano officially began their MLB journeys on Tuesday.

Archer, an infielder and Northport native who attended St. John the Baptist High School from 2016-17 before transferring to St. Thomas Aquinas in Fort Lauderdale Florida, was signed as an undrafted free agent by the Chicago White Sox.

Archer played collegiately at University of Central Florida from 2019-2021 and finished his career at Lynn University in Boca Raton. Over the 28 games played at Lynn in 2022 he hit .330 with one home run, 16 RBIs and 27 runs scored.

“I’m just thankful to the White Sox organization for an opportunity,” Archer told Newsday. “And it just kind of turned into thinking about what my parents and family sacrificed for me to be in that situation. Just being able to reflect on how much my mom and dad do for me, and to have my brother and my sister in my corner. That was a special moment for all of us.”

Also an infielder, Alifano, who signed with the Philadelphia Phillies, graduated from Center Moriches High School in 2019 and played for Adelphi. He hit .401 with nine home runs, 18 doubles and 46 RBIs over 47 games in 2022.