NEW HAVEN, Conn. -- Right-handed pitcher
Mike Walsh (La Grange, Ill.) of the Yale baseball team was chosen by the Pittsburgh Pirates with the fourth pick of the ninth round of the Major League Baseball Draft Monday. Walsh, the first Ivy Leaguer taken in this year's draft, is the 43rd Yale player selected in MLB Draft history – including 38 since 1993. The rising senior went 260th overall.
Walsh is one of nine players in Yale history taken in the draft's top 10 rounds. He started 11 games for the Bulldogs this past spring, serving as Yale's No. 1 starter throughout the Ivy season. He led the team in strikeouts with 80 (second in the Ivy League) and tied for the team lead in innings pitched with 65.0. He also tied for the team lead in wins with four. Opponents hit only .237 against him, the fifth-lowest opposing batting average in the league. He was an honorable mention All-Ivy League selection.
Walsh pitched for Wareham of the Cape Cod Baseball League this summer. There, he posted a 2.38 ERA with 23 strikeouts, five walks and 12 hits allowed in 11.1 innings over eight games. He earned a pair of saves.
"Could not be prouder of Michael," said
John Stuper, who coached Walsh at Yale for the past three years. "He earned this through hard work and dedication to his craft. He worked so hard I sometimes had to protect him from himself. He wants to be great. Hard for a coach to argue with that. He went to the Cape and became a reliever, which is where he is best suited. 11 innings up there with 23 Ks says it all."
Walsh is a graduate of Lyons Township High School and is in Trumbull College at Yale.
Yale's highest draft pick ever was
Ron Darling '82, who went ninth overall to the Texas Rangers in 1981.
Dan Lock '95 went 51st overall as a second-round pick by the Houston Astros in the 1994 draft, and
Jon Steitz '02 went 88th overall as a third-round pick by the Milwaukee Brewers in 2001.
The Bulldogs currently have four former players playing Minor League Baseball. Catcher
Ryan Lavarnway '09 is with Jacksonville, the Florida Marlins' Triple-A affiliate. Infielder
Simon Whiteman' 19 is with Eugene, the San Francisco Giants' High-A affiliate. Left-handed pitcher
Kumar Nambiar '19 is at Lansing, the Oakland A's High-A affiliate. Left-handed pitcher
Rohan Handa '23 is at San Jose, the Giants' Single-A affiliate, after being picked in the fifth round of last year's draft.
Yale Baseball MLB Draft Selections
2022
9
th Round
Mike Walsh, Pirates
2021
5
th Round
Rohan Handa, Giants
2019
9
th Round Simon Whiteman, Giants
23
rd Round Griffin Dey, Tigers
29
th Round Scott Politz, Cardinals
34
th Round Kumar Nambiar, A's
2017
28
th Round
Richard Slenker, Astros
31
st Round Harrison White, Marlins
2016
27
th Round Chasen Ford, Padres
2013
34
th Round Rob Cerfolio, Dodgers
2012
10
th Round Pat Ludwig, Pirates
11
th Round Nolan Becker, Reds
27
th Round Charlie Neil, Tigers
2011
23
rd Round Brook Hart, Rockies
49
th Round Gant Elmore, Brewers
2010
49
th Round Trygg Larsson-Danforth, Red Sox
2009
25
th Round Brandon Josselyn, Mariners
2008
6
th Round Ryan Lavarnway, Red Sox
17
th Round Brian Irving, Giants
36
th Round Steve Gilman, Tigers
2007
15
th Round Marc Sawyer, Cubs
2006
38
th Round Jon Hollis, Rangers
2005
10
th Round Josh Sowers, Blue Jays
2002
21
st Round Matt McCarthy, Angels
26
th Round Craig Breslow, Brewers
2001
3
rd Round Jon Steitz, Brewers
2000
23
rd Round Tony Coyne, Mets
1999
15
th Round Todd Kasper, Diamondbacks
26
th Round Ben Johnstone, Cubs
1998
30
th Round Eric Gutshall, Cardinals
33
rd Round Tommy Kidwell, Cardinals
1996
22
nd Round Dan Thompson, Brewers
1995
33
rd Round Dave Feuerstein, Rockies
1994
2
nd Round Dan Lock, Astros
28
th Round Keith Pelatowski, Cubs
1993
19
th Round Blair Hodson, Indians
30
th Round Manny Patel, Mariners
53
rd Round Scott Eidle, Astros
1992
35
th Round David Verduzco, Tigers
1981
1
st Round Ron Darling, Rangers
1973
25
th Round Dick Jauron, Cardinals
29
th Round Robert Corcoran, Cardinals
1970
17
th Round Steve Greenberg, Senators
