The TCU baseball team saw five players selected in the 2018 MLB draft, including a second-round selection of junior first basemen Luken Baker by the St. Louis Cardinals.
Bakers selection at 75th overall was the eighth highest a player has been drafted during head coach Jim Schlossnagles 15-year tenure in Fort Worth. The junior has some of the best power in the draft and was selected despite suffering two season-ending injuries in each of the past two years.
On the second day of the draft, All-American closer Durbin Feltman was selected in the third round by the Boston Red Sox and pitcher Sean Wymer was selected in the fourth round by the Toronto Blue Jays.
Similar to former TCU reliever Brandon Finnegan, who played in the College World Series and the MLB World Series in the same season, Feltman has the chance to be called up to the big leagues and make his professional debut in the same calendar year in which he pitched for the Horned Frogs. Many players toil for years in the minor leagues after getting drafted and the fact that Feltman has been rumored to have big league potential so soon is a sign of his talent as a reliever.
“Everybody wants to make it to the big leagues as fast as possible. I feel like I have a pretty good shot at it,” Feltman said in a Boston Globe Article. “If the Red Sox decide to push me up and challenge me, I’m always ready for the challenge.”
The control of his fastball, as well as a dominating slider, could prove an asset to the Red Sox as they make a playoff push later this fall.
The selections of Baker, Feltman, and Wymer in the first four rounds marked the second time TCU has had three players selected in the first four rounds.
On the final day of the draft, starting pitcher Jared Janczak was selected in the 32nd round of the draft by the Los Angeles Angels and outfielder Josh Watson was selected in the 35th round by the Milwaukee Brewers.
Janczak had an injury-riddled 2018 but was an All-American in 2017 and finished his career with a 17-7 record in 30 starts and a 2.56 ERA.
Watson started every single game of his three-year career, finishing as a .274 career hitter and a two-time All-Big 12 performer.
