Rockies select right-handed pitcher Eddie Butler with 46th overall pick in the 2012 MLB first-year player draft
With the 46th overall pick of the 2012 First-Year Player Draft tonight, the Colorado Rockies selected right-handed pitcher Eddie Butler out of Radford University (Va.). Butler was rated as the top overall player in the draft from the state of Virginia by Baseball America.
Butler, 21, is a 6-foot-2, 165-pound right-handed pitcher. Butler went 7-4 with a 2.20 ERA (98.0 ip, 24 er), 23 walks and 95 strikeouts in 14 starts for Radford in 2012. Butler was rated by Baseball America as the 85th-best player in the draft by Baseball America. He was the Big South Co-Pitcher of the Year in 2012. Butler is the highest drafted player from Radford University since Phil Leftwich was taken 64th overall in the 1990 draft.
Earlier in the night, Colorado selected outfielder David Dahl out of Oak Mountain High School with the 10th overall choice in the first round of the draft. Dahl was rated the 12th overall player available for the draft by Baseball America.
“We have closely followed David Dahl throughout this process and we are pleased to add him to the organization,” said Rockies Vice President of Scouting Bill Schmidt. “He is an athlete that we believe has the opportunity to develop into a productive player in our organization.”
Dahl, 18, is a 6-foot-2, 185-pound outfielder who throws right and bats left. In his senior season for Oak Mountain he batted .412 (35-for-84) with 11 doubles, 3 triples, 3 home runs, 17 RBI and 18 stolen bases. In addition to being rated the 12th-best prospect available for the draft by Baseball America he was also the top prospect from the state of Alabama. Dahl was rated the third-best outfield prospect in the draft and fifth-best position player by the same publication.
Dahl is the second outfielder the Rockies have taken with their first overall selection in the last three years. Colorado selected Kyle Parker in the first round in 2010. Dahl is the first high school outfielder the Rockies have ever selected with their first overall selection of the First-Year Player Draft.
The 2012 First-Year Player Draft will continue at 10:00 a.m. MDT tomorrow with the 2nd-15th rounds.