After spending his first three seasons switching back and forth between being a starting and relief pitcher, Virginia Tech made Andrew McDonald one of the cornerstones of their bullpen this year. The senior reliever benefited having his best season in a Hokie uniform which also caught the eye of MLB teams.
Today, the Cincinnati Reds decided to make him a ninth round pick.
https://twitter.com/HokiesBaseball/status/1004113034099511296
Andrew McDonald was selected 259th overall today by the Cincinnati Reds. McDonald's selection makes it back-to-back drafts that Virginia Tech has had a player selected in the first 10 rounds with Packy Naughton being selected 257th overall by the Reds last year. McDonald is also the eighth-highest picked Hokie in MLB Draft history.
McDonald had his best season of his collegiate career in 2018 making 29 appearances and leading the team with 5 saves. In addition, McDonald had 67 strikeouts and averaged 11.03 strikeouts per 9 innings which also led all Hokies who made double-digit appearances.
While McDonald has been used as a starting pitcher at times in the past, his future is as a lefty reliever for the Reds with his strikeout per 9 inning rate being quite good for a reliever.
Congrats to Andrew McDonald on being selected in the 2018 MLB Draft.
Photo Credit: Dave Knachel/Virginia Tech Athletics
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