PITTSBURGH (93.7 The Fan) – The Seattle Mariners come to Pittsburgh for their first pick in the MLB Draft. North Allegheny shortstop Cole Young is the 21st pick overall and just the fourth player since 1978 to go straight from a WPIAL school and become a first rounder.
Young joins West Allegheny’s Austin Hendrick who went 12th overall to Cincinnati two years ago, Plum’s Alex Kirilloff to Minnesota with the 15th overall pick in 2016 and Neil Walker by the Pirates in 2004. Young also joins Cubs All-Star Ian Happ from Mt. Lebanon (1st round in 2015 out of the University of Cincinnati) and David Bednar’s brother Will, from Mars, who was drafted in the first round out of Mississippi State last year, as other WPIAL stars in the first round.
A 6’, 190-pound left-hand hitting shortstop, Young makes a lot of contact and plays solid defense. He’s also ranked by MLB.com as good base runner with a good arm.
“Young is the kind of player who needs to be seen more than once to be truly appreciated, as his feel for the game is greater than any jump off the page tools,” said MLB.com. “That said, he does have impressive bat-to-ball skills from the left side of the plate. He doesn’t swing and miss much, doesn’t look overmatched against velocity and shows the ability to use the whole field. While he’s not a huge power guy, there is some impact here, with gap power.
“An above-average runner who is capable of taking the extra base, Young has enough range and savvy, to go along with an above-average arm, to stay at shortstop long-term. The Duke recruit has received comps to left-handed hitting infielders like Adam Frazier, with more extra-base impact and a better chance to stick at short, and former first-rounder Stephen Drew.”
Young is committed to play baseball at Duke University this fall.