Indians select LHP Brady Aiken in the first round of the 2015 First-Year Player Draft

CLEVELAND, OH - The Cleveland Indians today announced the selection of LHP BRADY AIKEN with the club's first selection (17th overall) in the 2015 First-Year Player Draft.

The selection marks the second consecutive year Aiken has been selected in MLB's First-Year Player Draft, having been tabbed with the first overall pick by the Houston Astros last June. Aiken, 18, is a 2014 graduate of Cathedral Catholic High School (San Diego, CA), where he compiled a 7-0 record with a 1.06 ERA in 11 starts in his senior season. Brady was a 2014 Perfect Game USA first Team All-American and led Team USA to the gold medal at the 18U World Cup in Taiwan in September 2013, including a win in the championship game vs. Japan (7.0IP, 1R, 10K). He was the fifth LHP selected first overall and the first since David Price (Tampa Bay) in 2007.

The 6-foot-3, 210-pound lefty enrolled at the IMG Academy in Bradenton, FL in February 2015 as a postgraduate high school student after he and the Astros were unable to reach an agreement on a professional contract by the July 18, 2014 deadline. After making one appearance for the IMG Academy, Aiken underwent reconstructive left elbow surgery on March 26 in New York City (Dr. David Altchek) and is currently two and a half months post-op.

Aiken's selection marks the second consecutive year the Indians have selected a high school, left-handed pitcher in the first round, tabbing LHP Justus Sheffield with the 31st overall pick in 2014. Since 1980, the club has selected three high school left-handed pitchers (Aiken, Sheffield, CC Sabathia).