The Major League Baseball First-Year Player Draft will commence this upcoming Monday, June 12, 2017 and run for 40 rounds finishing up on Wednesday, June 14th. The draft will be held in Secaucus, New Jersey. Last year, four Historically Black College and University (HBCU) baseball players were drafted.
Black College Nines highlights some of the anticipated top HBCU prospects in the 2017 draft class. Our five rising HBCU players already showing the potential to go in this year’s draft are…
Top Five For 2017
1 Devin Hemmerich, LHP, Norfolk State University
2 Miguel Yrigoyen, RHP, Jackson State University
3 Noah Dyals, RHP, North Carolina A&T University
4 Ray Hernandez, IF, Alabama State University
5 Kyle Chavez, RHP, Talladega College
The 2017 class has, at least at this point, a supply of prospects who have caught the attention of scouts.
Three hard-throwing hurlers and one crafty submarine pitcher top the HBCU list in Norfolk State southpaw Devin Hemmerich 6’1″ 190 pounds, Jackson State righty Miguel Yrigoyen 6’0″ 180 lbs, N.C. A&T right-hander Noah Dyals 5’11″ 200 lbs and Kyle Chavez 6’0″ 181 Ibs, RHP, Talladega College. Three are capable of sitting in the 90s with quality breaking pitches. Hemmerich throws hard has an assortment of pitches. Yrigoyen tops 91 with a wicked slider. Dyals has raw talent and a pitcher’s mentality who throws hard and better suited as a relief pitcher. Chavez side-arm deceptive slider and change-up has batters chasing balls out of the strike zone and his pitches have movement across the plate.
A number of talented all-around position players include Ray Hernandez IF (6’3″ 230 lbs), Alabama State University, Demetrius Sims SS (6’2″ 200 Ibs), Bethune Cookman University and Jesus Santana IF (6’3″ 215 Ibs), Jackson State University. The three are high-level athletes with raw talent at the plate who grade out in all tool areas by MLB standards with plus speed, power and arm strength.
These are the top HBCU Baseball prospects according to Black College Nines. MLB scouts have been active at HBCUs during the 2017 season. The 2017 Prospect Watch:
Alex Mauricio RHP/INF – Norfolk State University
Brandon Marsonek LHP – Alabama A&M University
Michael Parmentier RHP – Norfolk State University
Myles Sowell OF – North Carolina A&T University
Ricky Green IF – Tuskegee University
Austin Bizzle RHP – Alabama State University
Devin Repine RHP – University of Maryland Eastern Shore
Cody De Beste OF – Prairie View A&M University
Wallace Rios Jimenez INF – Alcorn State University
Daniel Barnett INF – Grambling State University
John Pope IF – Southern University
Ivan Acuna INF – Winston Salem State University
Robert Troiano RHP – Benedict College
Devin Sweet RHP – North Carolina Central University
Dylan Yankle 1B – Harris-Stowe State University
Ellington Hopkins INF – North Carolina State University
Ricky Rice RHP – St. Augustine’s University College
Miguel Beltre OF – Edward Waters College
Demetrius Sims SS – Bethune Cookman University
Austin Garcia OF – Bethune Cookman University
Chris Biocic C – Alabama State University
Cornelius Copeland INF – Jackson State University
David White Jr. OF – Benedict College
Conrad Kovalcik C – North Carolina Central University
Tyler Howe RHP – Alabama State University
Richard Edwards RHP – Edward Waters College
Carlos Andrade 1B – Jarvis Christian College
Darrien Williams RHP – Prairie View A&M University
Terence Berry RHP – Lincoln University
Carter Williams OF/INF – North Carolina Central University
Andrew McCoy OF – Benedict College
Brian Beard OF/INF – Norfolk State University
Michael Keels OF – St. Augustine’s University
Miguel Beltre OF – Edward Waters College
Austin Pate RHP – Miles College
Armando Valentin SS – Benedict College
Emmanuel Pantaleon LHP – Wiley College
Adan Ordonez INF/OF – North Carolina A&T University
Deandre McGuire OF – Jarvis Christian College
The 2017 MLB Draft begins at 7 pm ET on Monday, June 12, with Rounds 1 and 2. That includes the Competitive Balance Round A, which follows Round 1, and the Competitive Balance Round B after Round 2.
Day 2 of the draft starts at 1 pm on June 13 and will include Rounds 3 thru 10. The MLB Draft concludes on June 14 with Rounds 11-40, starting at noon.
You can watch the MLB Draft live on the MLB Network and MLB.com to see which HBCU player gets drafted in 2017.