University of Alabama baseball signee Jacob Heatherly was chosen with 77th overall pick by the Cincinnati Reds in the MLB Draft on Tuesday. The left-handed pitcher from Cullman High School was the second pick in the third round.
Slot value for the player drafted 77th overall is listed as $743,900.
Heatherly was a first-team All-State selection this season by the Alabama Sports Writers Association. Cullman was the runner-up for the 6A state championship this season. Heatherly was 10-1 in 14 games with a 1.11 ERA. He struck out 116 batters in 69 2/3 innings. He threw one no-hitter and three shutouts. His fastball sits in the low- to mid-90s with a changeup and two breaking pitches. He’s listed at 6-1 and 210 pounds.
He earned national accolades during his high school career and was named a preseason All-American by Perfect Game. Heatherly is already 19 years old, meaning he would be eligible to be drafted after his sophomore season if he chose to attend Alabama rather than sign with the Reds.
Alabama signee Leslie “Bubba” Thompson was chosen on Tuesday with the 26th overall pick in the first round by the Texas Rangers. The McGill-Toolen Catholic outfielder is expected to sign a professional contract, forgoing his college eligibility.
The 2017 MLB Draft concludes on Wednesday with rounds 11-40 beginning at 11:00 a.m. central time. Several UA players and signees remain on the board with a chance of being chosen. Alabama and Ole Miss are the only two SEC schools that did not have a current player chosen in the first two days of the draft.
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