Rockies select third baseman Ryan Vilade as the 48th pick in the 2017 Draft
With the 48th overall pick of the 2017 Major League Baseball First-Year Player Draft, which began this evening, the Colorado Rockies selected third baseman Ryan Vilade (Vil-AID) out of Stillwater High School in Stillwater, Okla. … with the 70th overall pick, the Rockies selected right-handed pitcher Tommy Doyle out of the University of Virginia to conclude their first day of the draft.
SCOTTSDALE -- With the 48th overall pick of the 2017 Major League Baseball First-Year Player Draft, which began this evening, the Colorado Rockies selected third baseman Ryan Vilade (Vil-AID) out of Stillwater High School in Stillwater, Okla. … with the 70th overall pick, the Rockies selected right-handed pitcher Tommy Doyle out of the University of Virginia to conclude their first day of the draft.
Vilade, an 18-year-old Frisco, Texas, native batted .410 with seven home runs and 34 RBI this season, his lone season at Stillwater High School … prior to his move to Oklahoma, Vilade attended Frisco High School in Frisco, Texas, where he was selected as a 2016 Under Armour All-American.
The 6-foot-2, 200-pound right-handed batter was awarded the Gatorade Player of The Year Award for the state of Oklahoma and was named a Rawlings-Perfect Game 1st Team All-American for his performance this past season.
Vilade is the first third baseman selected by the Rockies with their first pick since Ian Stewart was selected with the 20th overall pick in 2003.
The 48th pick of the draft is the lowest first selection for the Rockies in franchise history, and it is the second time that they have not had a pick in the first round (also: 2001, infielder Jayson Nix selected in the supplemental first round, 44th overall) … the Rockies forfeited their first-round pick when they signed infielder/outfielder Ian Desmond, who turned down a qualifying offer from Texas, on Dec. 13.
Doyle, 21, stepped into the closer role for Virginia in 2017 and went 3-1 with 14 saves and a 1.87 ERA (33.2 IP, 7 ER) … his 14 saves were tied for second in the ACC and tied for fifth-most in a single season in UVA history.
The 6-foot-6, 235-pound native of Vienna, Va., was a Third-Team All-ACC Honoree in 2017, and has a career record of 6-9 with 17 saves and a 3.87 ERA (121.0 IP, 52 ER), 47 walks and 104 strikeouts in his three seasons at Virginia.
The draft will continue Tuesday with rounds three through 10, and will conclude Wednesday with rounds 11-40.