Indians select LHP Justus Sheffield in the first round (31st overall) of 2014 Draft
CLEVELAND, OH - The Cleveland Indians today announced the selection of RHP JUSTUS SHEFFIELD in the first round (31st overall) of the 2014 First-Year Player Draft. The selection was compensation for the free agent signing of RHP UBALDO JIMENEZ by the Baltimore Orioles.
Sheffield, 18, recently completed his senior season at Tullahoma (TN) High School, going 10-0 with a 0.34 ERA (3 ER/61.2 IP) and 131 strikeouts. On Wednesday, the 6-for-1, 180-pound southpaw became the first high school athlete from the state of Tennessee to win a Gatorade National Player of the Year Award after leading his Wildcats team to a third straight district championship and a second round appearance in the Tennessee state playoffs. Past pitching recipients of the award include Zack Greinke ('02), Clayton Kershaw ('06) and Rick Porcello ('07), while Cleveland's 2013 first round selection (5th overall), OF Clint Frazier, earned the distinction last year.
A part-time center-fielder, Sheffield also batted .405/.478/.620 with 13 doubles, 3 homers and 16 RBI at the plate. Sheffield, a 2014 Perfect Game USA First Team All-American and returning First Team All-State selection by the Tennessee Baseball Coaches Association, is committed to Vanderbilt University, where his older brother, Jordan, is completing his freshman year as a RHP on the Commodores baseball team.