Baseball / Two Former VBLers Drafted

Two Former VBLers Drafted

Date:  Source: Valley League Baseball

As many fans know, major league baseball reduced the amateur draft to just five rounds this year. So while the number of draftees is a tiny fraction of a normal year (49 players were drafted in 2019, for example), the Valley League still saw two alumni picked by major league teams this week.

  • Kyle Nicolas (Charlottesville 2018), a righthander from Ball State, was taken in Competitive Balance Round B (61 overall) by the Miami Marlins. Nicolas has one of the best fastballs in all of college baseball, running his up there at 95+ mph.
  • Jack Hartman (New Market 2017), a righthander from Appalachian State, was picked in the fourth round (108th overall) by the Pittsburgh Pirates. A position player for New Market three summers ago, Hartman converted to the mound, and can also hit high 90's with his fastball.

There are expected to be many, many non-drafted free agent signs in the coming weeks, so stay tuned!