Indians tab of Tyler Naquin at #15 in the 1st round of first-year player draft
The Cleveland Indians today announced the club has selected OF TYLER NAQUIN with the 15th overall selection in the first round of the 2012 First-Year Player Draft.
Naquin, 21, is a junior outfielder at Texas A & M University in College Station, TX. He batted .380 (92-242) for the Aggies this season with 18 doubles, 6 triples, 3 home runs and 49RBI in 61 games. He also scored 56 runs, stole 21 bases in 26 attempts and posted an OPS of .999 (.458OB/.541SLG). A first-team All-Big 12 selection, he also is a semifinalist for the 2012 USA Baseball Golden Spikes Award and received Louisville Slugger third team All-American honors.
As a sophomore in 2011, Naquin led all NCAA Division I batters in hits (104) and hit a Big 12-best .381 (104-273) with 23 2B, 7 3B, 2HR and 44RBI in 68 games. He was named Big 12 Player of the Year and garnered All-America honors from College Baseball Insider (First Team), American Baseball Coaches Association/Rawlings (Second Team) and Collegiate Baseball (Second Team) on an Aggie team that advanced to the College World Series in Omaha. Last summer he was a member of the USA Baseball 2011 Collegiate National Team, batting .321 (17-53) with 4 2B, 1 3B, 2HR & 10 RBI in 12 games.
The 6-3, left-handed hitting outfielder finished his three-year collegiate career with a .348 (238-687) batting average with 49 2B, 13 3B, 7HR, 153RS and 112 RBI in 187 games. Tyler hails from Spring, TX outside of Houston where he was a two-time all-State selection at Klein Collins High School. The Aggies’ season ended yesterday after a loss to TCU. Naquin (NAY-quinn) was drafted out of high school in the 33rd round in 2009 by the Baltimore Orioles.
The 2012 MLB First-Year Player Draft will resume in the second round at noon tomorrow. The Tribe’s second round selection is in the 79th overall slot. The club’s third round pick is the 110th overall slot.