It’s been a little over a week since the MLB Draft wrapped up, a three-day, 40-round marathon in which over 1,200 players in high school and college were selected. Among the masses included plenty of representation from Connecticut, where five UConn players, four Yale Bulldogs, plenty of high schoolers and multiple CT natives were all selected. Not all will sign, but here’s a rundown of those selections:
Jacob Wallace:
The UConn closer went in the third round to the Rockies, meaning he could return to the state with the Double-A Yard Goats in the future. A finalist for National Pitcher of the Year, Wallace is the only reliever in that group after a magnificent junior season that saw him go 3-1 with 16 saves and a 0.64 earned run average, striking out 68 hitters in 42 innings. In the NCAA Tournament he retired all 15 batters he faced, striking out a dozen. He’s already signed with Colorado.
Anthony Prato:
Another Day 2 selection, the middle infielder went in the seventh round to the Twins. A defensive whiz at short for Jim Penders, Prato is projected to slide over to second base at some point in his development. This past year he hit .324 with an .871 OPS in starting all 64 games.
Mason Feole:
Expected to be a Day 2 pick at the start of the year, Feole wound up in the 11th round to San Diego. After a sophomore season in which his ERA was a sterling 2.50, it jumped up to 4.09 as a junior, as he worked his way back from an early-season triceps injury. He did strike out 83 hitters in 77 innings, though he also walked 46.
Michael Woodworth:
The team’s consistent presence in the middle of the lineup, Woodworth went in the 29th round to Oakland. Second on the team with a .325 average and a team-best 42 RBIs, the senior played both centerfield and second base this year for the Huskies. Long-term he’s projected to be an infielder as a professional.
CJ Dandeneau:
In his senior season Dandeneau became one of the most oft-used arms out of the bullpen. In 31 appearances the righty tossed 50 innings (most by a reliever), going 4-2 with a 2.52 ERA. A 37th round selection by the Pirates, it’s a long path to the majors this late in the draft, but it’s been done.
Simon Whiteman:
The Yale Bulldog and Fairfield Prep standout became the 44th draft pick in John Stuper’s 27 seasons in New Haven when went in the ninth round to San Francisco. As a senior the shortstop led the Bulldogs with a .337 average and going a perfect 34-for-34 in stolen base attempts. In addition to being a second-team All-Ivy League performer, Whiteman was also a first-team Academic All-American and a finalist for the Rhodes Scholarship.
He highlighted the list of Bulldogs drafted, joining first baseman Griffin Dey (23rd round, Detroit), pitcher Scott Politz (29th round, St. Louis) and pitcher Kumar Nambiar (34th round, Oakland).
Austin Pope:
The pitcher from Fairfield University went in the 15th round to Arizona after a junior season that saw him named to the All-MAAC Second Team. In 14 starts he went 4-3 with a 3.18 ERA, allowing opponents to hit just .201 on the year.
Meanwhile there were plenty of other college players with Connecticut ties who were selected in the draft. Pitcher Zach Hart (Wallingford) was a 10th round pick by Cleveland out of Franklin Pierce University. Malachi Emond (Coventry) went in the 18th round to Baltimore after a strong junior season on the mound with New Mexico. The Dodgers took Jimmy Titus (Stafford) out of Bryant University in the 22nd round. Boston College pitcher Matt Gill (Simsbury) went in the 27th round to Cincinnati. From UMass, pitcher Justin Lasko (Stratford) was chosen by the Mets in the 30th round. And lastly, the Brewers drafted Columbia’s Josh Simpson in the 32nd round, a left-handed pitcher from Stafford.
Stephen Paolini:
A fifth-round pick by the Braves, only Wallace was a higher pick with Connecticut ties than the high schooler Paolini, an outfielder from St. Joseph High School in Fairfield. As a senior he hit .490 with 11 home runs and 30 RBIs as the Cadets won their fifth state title in school history.
Other Connecticut high schoolers drafted include Ken Turner from Ledyard (20th round, Rangers), Staples’ Chad Knight (31st round, Yankees), Montana Semmel of Stamford (36th round, Yankees), Chrisgian Fagnant from East Granby (39th round, Orioles) and Stamford’s Bobby Zmarzlak (40th round, Orioles).
