Padres select SS Trea Turner with 13th overall pick in the 2014 MLB Draft
Rated as the second-best shortstop in the 2014 Draft class by Baseball America
SAN DIEGO - The San Diego Padres today selected shortstop Trea Turner out of North Carolina State with the 13th overall pick on the first day of Major League Baseball's 2014 First-Year Player Draft. Executive Vice President/General Manager Josh Byrnes made the announcement.
Recommended by Padres Area Scout Tyler Stubblefield, Turner hit .321 (69-for-215) this past season for the Wolfpack, collecting 12 doubles, three triples, eight home runs, 65 runs scored, 26 stolen bases along with a .418 on-base percentage as well as a .516 slugging percentage in 54 games as a junior in 2014. The right-handed hitting infielder ranked among the Atlantic Coast Conference leaders in several offensive categories during the 2014 season, including: runs (1st), stolen bases (1st), home runs (T-4th), slugging percentage (T-4th) and total bases (54, T-5th). Additionally, his numbers at the plate this last season earned Turner Louisville Slugger First-Team All-America honors for the second consecutive season. Turner entered the 2014 season ranked by Baseball America as being the third-best college player in the country.
As a sophomore in 2013, the 6-1, 171 pound Lake Worth, Florida native led the Pack in batting average (.368), runs (66), hits (84), triples (4), total bases (126), walks (38), OBP (.455) and stolen bases (30) and took over as NC State's all-time stolen base leader after just 94 career games (117 total). As a freshman in 2012, Turner was a consensus Freshman All-America selection after he led the nation with 57 stolen bases in 61 attempts. Entering this season, Turner was rated by Perfect Game as the fastest college player in the country as well as being the top athlete.
Turner becomes the third college position player selected by the Padres with their number one overall pick in the last four years, joining outfielder Hunter Renfroe (13th overall) in 2013 and infielder Cory Spangenberg (10th overall) in 2011. The 20-year-old was rated as the second-best shortstop and ninth-best overall prospect by Baseball America among all players in the 2014 Draft class.
The Padres will make one more selection on the first day of the draft with the 51st overall selection. The 40-round draft will continue tomorrow at 10:00 a.m. PT with rounds 3-10 and will conclude on Saturday, June 7, with rounds 11-40.