Day 2 has 24 players from state taken in MLB Draft

Alabama outfielder Kade Snell was taken in the sixth round of the MLB Amateur Draft by the Chicago Cubs. (Courtesy Unv. Alabama Athletics)

By TIM GAYLE

Twenty-four players with in-state ties were taken on the second day of the Major League Baseball Draft, including five pitchers from Auburn.

Those two dozen players joined Hewitt-Trussville shortstop Steele Hall, Auburn catcher Ike Irish and Alabama pitcher Riley Quick, who were selected in the first three rounds of the draft on Sunday.

Dylan Watts, Cam Tilly, Samuel Dutton, Hayden Murphy and Cade Fisher joined Auburn teammate and shortstop Eric Snow as selections in the final 17 rounds of the draft on Monday. Snow was a sixth-round selection of the Blue Jays, while Watts went in the seventh round to the Blue Jays; Tilly went in the seventh round to the Mets; Dutton went in the 10th round to the A’s; Murphy went in the 15th round to the Diamondbacks; and Fisher went in the 18th round to the Red Sox.

A pair of Alabama outfielders were also selected on Monday. Kade Snell, a former Wicksburg High standout, went to the Cubs in the fifth round, while Richie Bonomolo was selected by the Yankees in the seventh round. Sophomore Jonathan Stevens, a former Briarwood Christian standout, was selected in the 16th round by the Twins.

Quick was also an in-state product, starring at Hewitt-Trussville.

A trio of Troy players were also selected on the second day of the draft. Catcher Brooks Bryan was selected in the eighth round by the Royals, while outfielder Noah Edders was drafted by the Cubs in the 15th round. Pitcher Jay Dill was picked by the A’s in the 18th round.

UAB outfielder Logan Braunschweig and pitcher Colin Daniel were both selected by the Atlanta Braves in the ninth and 11th rounds, respectively. A third Blazer, catcher Nick Hollifield, was selected by the Nationals in the 14th round.

A pair of Alabama State players also went in the 20th and final round on Monday, with first baseman Juan Cruz going to the Nationals and outfielder Kameron Douglas going to the Tigers.  

Samford pitcher Cameron Keshock was picked by the Pirates in the 12th round.

Jacksonville State pitcher Jackson Phipps was drafted by the A’s in the 16th round, while pitcher Joe Scarborough was selected in the 19th round by the Mets.

Two junior college players from Alabama were selected on Monday. The NJCAA Pitcher of the Year, Luke Fernandez of Wallace State Community College, went in the 16th round to the Guardians after the Hanceville pitcher compiled a 1.34 ERA in 80.2 innings pitched. Northwest Shoals Community College shortstop Sam Robertson went a round later to the Mets.  

Only three high school players from this state were selected in the draft. Mountain Brook third baseman Caleb Barnett was selected by the Cubs in the 19th round and Thompson pitcher Ma’Kale Holden went to the Brewers in the 20th round, joining Hall.