The Tampa Bay Rays have selected center fielder Theo Gillen from Westlake (Tx.) High School with the No. 18 pick in the first round of the 2024 Major League Baseball First-Year Player Draft.

Gillen, 18, hit .415 with four doubles, six triples, 7 HR, 30 RBI, 38 runs and 29 stolen bases as a senior in 2024. He earned First Team High School All-American honors from Baseball America following the season. The two-time First Team All-Central Texas selection helped Westlake to the District 26-6A title and Class 6A state tournament during his junior campaign in 2023, marking the school’s first trip to the tournament since 2009.

Gillen was ranked as the No. 8 player in this year’s draft by FanGraphs, No. 23 by Baseball America and No. 28 by MLB.com. Baseball America also ranked him as the No. 20 high school player in the draft.

The University of Texas commit is the second Westlake High School product to be drafted in the first round, joining Kelly Gruber (10th overall) in 1980. Gillen, Gruber and Calvin Schiraldi (1980, No. 423) are the only players to be drafted directly out of Westlake.

Gillen is the 12th outfielder selected by the Rays in the first round, including the first since Nick Schnell in 2018. Other notable selections include Delmon Young (2003), Rocco Baldelli (2000) and Josh Hamilton (1999).

THEO GILLEN, CF

Bats/Throws: L/R | Height/Weight: 6-2/195 | Born: September 12, 2005 | Hometown: Austin, Tx.

Rays First Selections, All-Time

1996 OF Paul Wilder No. 29 overall

1997 RHP Jason Standridge No. 31 overall

1998 1B Josh Pressley No. 132 overall

1999 OF Josh Hamilton No. 1 overall

2000 OF Rocco Baldelli No. 6 overall

2001 RHP Dewon Brazelton No. 3 overall

2002 SS B.J. Upton No. 2 overall

2003 OF Delmon Young No. 1 overall

2004 RHP Jeff Niemann No. 4 overall

2005 RHP Wade Townsend No. 8 overall

2006 3B Evan Longoria No. 3 overall

2007 LHP David Price No. 1 overall

2008 SS Tim Beckham No. 1 overall

2009 CF LeVon Washington No. 30 overall

2010 OF Josh Sale No. 17 overall

2011 RHP Taylor Guerrieri No. 24 overall

2012 3B Richie Shaffer No. 25 overall

2013 C Nick Ciuffo No. 21 overall

2014 1B Casey Gillaspie No. 20 overall

2015 OF Garrett Whitley No. 13 overall

2016 3B Josh_­ Lowe No. 13 overall

2017 LHP/1B Brendan McKay No. 4 overall

2018 LHP Matthew Liberatore No. 16 overall

2019 SS Greg Jones No. 22 overall

2020 RHP Nick Bitsko No. 24 overall

2021 SS Carson Williams No. 28 overall

2022 1B Xavier Isaac No. 29 overall

2023 SS Brayden Taylor No. 19 overall