NEW HAVEN, Conn. -- Three Yale players were selected on the third day of the Major League Baseball Draft Wednesday, as first baseman Griffin Dey (Pound Ridge, N.Y.) was picked in the 23rd round by the Detroit Tigers, right-handed pitcher Scott Politz (Austin, Texas) was picked in the 29th round by the St. Louis Cardinals and left-handed pitcher Kumar Nambiar (Larchmont, N.Y.) was picked in the 34th round by the Oakland A's.
Combined with the selection of shortstop Simon Whiteman (Trumbull, Conn.) by the San Francisco Giants in the ninth round Tuesday, Wednesday's selections give Yale a total of four draftees this year -- the most in school history. All four just completed their senior seasons.
"Big couple days for Yale Baseball. Could not be prouder," said John Stuper, Yale's head coach, who has had 44 players sign professional contracts in his 27 seasons. "I chuckle when people think a coach gets players drafted. 'Well, that coach gets a lot of guys drafted.' Coaches don't get players drafted. Players get themselves drafted. And these four all earned this opportunity because of their ability, work ethic and performance over the last four years. I'm so happy for all of them."
Dey, a two-time honorable mention All-Ivy League selection, was one of the best power hitters in Yale history. This season he was second in the league in on-base percentage (.482), third in slugging percentage (.651) and fifth in batting average (.362). He tied for second in the league in homeruns with 11 and was third in walks with 35. He tied for third in RBIs with 44.
"While Simon brings great speed to the table, Griff brings power," said Stuper. "Best bat speed of any kid I've ever had. That plays well at the next level."
Dey finished his career second on Yale's career homerun list with 29, trailing only Ryan Lavarnway '09 (33), who was drafted in the sixth round of the 2008 draft by the Boston Red Sox and now plays in the New York Yankees organization. Dey's 126 career RBIs rank fifth on Yale's all-time list. In 2018 he was a second team ABCA All-Region selection and was first team All-New England.
A graduate of John F. Kennedy Catholic High School, Dey was a political science major in Grace Hopper College at Yale.
Politz, an ace throughout his career, tied for second in the Ivy League in wins with six this season. He led the league in innings pitched with 83.1, including a pair of complete games, and was seventh in the league with a 3.46 ERA. He walked only 18 batters.
With a win in his final game this season, Politz tied Frank Quinn '48 for Yale's career wins record (28). His 240 career strikeouts place him third on the Yale list, and his 11 wins in the 2017 season were one away from the Yale record. He was a first team All-Ivy League selection three times.
"Scott, what can I say? He's been our No. 1 guy since freshman year," said Stuper. "Tied the all-time wins record by going 28-12, while going against the other team's best pitcher in virtually every outing. Can throw four pitches for strikes. Incredibly competitive. He's going to surprise people. Not going to lie, the fact that he's going to the Cardinals [the team Stuper won a World Series with in 1982] makes it a little more special for me."
A graduate of St. Andrews High School, Politz was a political science major in Timothy Dwight College at Yale.
Nambiar enjoyed the best season of his career this past spring, earning first team All-Ivy League honors. He ended the year on a roll, with complete-game shutouts on the road in his final two starts. Opponents hit only .250 against him, giving him the eighth-best opposing batting average in the league. He was also eighth in the league in strikeouts with 57. He had a 3.90 ERA and three wins in 10 starts.
"Kumar got himself on a lot of team's radar by the way he finished this year," said Stuper. "Absolutely dominant in his last two starts. This selection is well deserved."
A graduate of Mamaroneck High School, Nambiar was an economics major in Morse College.
Dey, Nambiar and Politz, along with Whiteman, were key parts of a remarkable run by the Yale baseball team in recent years. That included Ivy League championships in 2017 and 2018 and a pair of wins in the 2017 NCAA Tournament.
Report by Sam Rubin '95 (sam.rubin@yale.edu), Yale Sports Publicity
Yale Baseball MLB Draft Selections
2019
9th Round Simon Whiteman, Giants
23rd Round Griffin Dey, Tigers
29th Round Scott Politz, Cardinals
34th Round Kumar Nambiar, A's
2017
28th Round Richard Slenker, Astros
31st Round Harrison White, Marlins
2016
27th Round Chasen Ford, Padres
2013
34th Round Rob Cerfolio, Dodgers
2012
10th Round Pat Ludwig, Pirates
11th Round Nolan Becker, Reds
27th Round Charlie Neil, Tigers
2011
23rd Round Brook Hart, Rockies
49th Round Gant Elmore, Brewers
2010
49th Round Trygg Larsson-Danforth, Red Sox
2009
25th Round Brandon Josselyn, Mariners
2008
6th Round Ryan Lavarnway, Red Sox
17th Round Brian Irving, Giants
36th Round Steve Gilman, Tigers
2007
15th Round Marc Sawyer, Cubs
2006
38th Round Jon Hollis, Rangers
2005
10th Round Josh Sowers, Blue Jays
2002
21st Round Matt McCarthy, Angels
26th Round Craig Breslow, Brewers
2001
3rd Round Jon Steitz, Brewers
2000
23rd Round Tony Coyne, Mets
1999
15th Round Todd Kasper, Diamondbacks
26th Round Ben Johnstone, Cubs
1998
30th Round Eric Gutshall, Cardinals
33rd Round Tommy Kidwell, Cardinals
1996
22nd Round Dan Thompson, Brewers
1995
33rd Round Dave Feuerstein, Rockies
1994
2nd Round Dan Lock, Astros
28th Round Keith Pelatowski, Cubs
1993
19th Round Blair Hodson, Indians
30th Round Manny Patel, Mariners
53rd Round Scott Eidle, Astros
1992
35th Round David Verduzco, Tigers
1981
1st Round Ron Darling, Rangers
1973
25th Round Dick Jauron, Cardinals
29th Round Robert Corcoran, Cardinals
1970
17th Round Steve Greenberg, Senators
