Dwyer a first-rounder?
By: Will Vandervort
Those are admirable words and are probably true. But after pitching a two-hit complete game against one of the best hitting teams in college baseball last Saturday, the 6-foot-2 freshman might have a little bit more on his mind right now.
See Dwyer, a lefty who can throw the baseball in the mid-to-low 90s on a consistent basis, turned 21 years old last Friday. What does that have to do with anything, you may ask? Everything.
See Dwyer is one of those few college freshmen that can be selected in the Amateur Baseball Draft this June. Usually a baseball player has to wait three years from the time he starts taking college classes to be considered for the draft, but any college player who turns 21 within 45 days after the June draft is eligible to be selected.
“This usually comes into play for some sophomores every once in a while, and rarely does it happen for a freshman,” said Kevin Goldstein of baseballprospectus.com.
Goldstein said Dwyer is being looked at by some scouts as a possible first-round selection in the June draft and what he did last week to the Miami Hurricanes did not hurt his stock. Dwyer, who will get the start today at Virginia Tech, has a 4-2 record with a 4.20 ERA so far for the Tigers. In his 47 innings of work, opponents are batting just .210 and he has recorded 47 strikeouts to 18 walks.
Because of his college status Dwyer has a rare bargaining tool should clubs want to bid for his services. Several clubs offered to draft him in the fifth round last year but they passed because he intentionally carried such a high price tag. He eventually was selected by the New York Yankees in the 36th round and thanks to a stress fracture in his lower leg; the Yanks did not really try and sign him.
Some think Dwyer might be a low-end first-round pick in June and if that’s the case, some might be willing to pay the asking price he had last year. If the 6-foot-2, 200-pound lefty decides not to go pro this year, then he will face this same question again next year and the year after that.
Though it is a nice bargaining tool to have, it can also become annoying or become a curse. It’s hard to imagine, however, Dwyer being a pick somewhere in the first three rounds and not jumping to the next level. But nobody thought he would turn down fifth-round money either.
In case you are curious how Dwyer became a 21-year old freshman in the first place, he started elementary school a year late and then chose to repeat his junior year of high school when he transferred to a prep boarding school.
A few months ago, Clemson pitcher Chris Dwyer told my good friend Paul Strelow at The State (Columbia) Newspaper that he isn’t worried about anything other than helping Clemson reach its goals this year.
Those are admirable words and are probably true. But after pitching a two-hit complete game against one of the best hitting teams in college baseball last Saturday, the 6-foot-2 freshman might have a little bit more on his mind right now.
See Dwyer, a lefty who can throw the baseball in the mid-to-low 90s on a consistent basis, turned 21 years old last Friday. What does that have to do with anything, you may ask? Everything.
See Dwyer is one of those few college freshmen that can be selected in the Amateur Baseball Draft this June. Usually a baseball player has to wait three years from the time he starts taking college classes to be considered for the draft, but any college player who turns 21 within 45 days after the June draft is eligible to be selected.
“This usually comes into play for some sophomores every once in a while, and rarely does it happen for a freshman,” said Kevin Goldstein of baseballprospectus.com.
Goldstein said Dwyer is being looked at by some scouts as a possible first-round selection in the June draft and what he did last week to the Miami Hurricanes did not hurt his stock. Dwyer, who will get the start today at Virginia Tech, has a 4-2 record with a 4.20 ERA so far for the Tigers. In his 47 innings of work, opponents are batting just .210 and he has recorded 47 strikeouts to 18 walks.
Because of his college status Dwyer has a rare bargaining tool should clubs want to bid for his services. Several clubs offered to draft him in the fifth round last year but they passed because he intentionally carried such a high price tag. He eventually was selected by the New York Yankees in the 36th round and thanks to a stress fracture in his lower leg; the Yanks did not really try and sign him.
Some think Dwyer might be a low-end first-round pick in June and if that’s the case, some might be willing to pay the asking price he had last year. If the 6-foot-2, 200-pound lefty decides not to go pro this year, then he will face this same question again next year and the year after that.
Though it is a nice bargaining tool to have, it can also become annoying or become a curse. It’s hard to imagine, however, Dwyer being a pick somewhere in the first three rounds and not jumping to the next level. But nobody thought he would turn down fifth-round money either.
In case you are curious how Dwyer became a 21-year old freshman in the first place, he started elementary school a year late and then chose to repeat his junior year of high school when he transferred to a prep boarding school.
posted by Roy Philpott @ 3:46 PM
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