The impending June MLB draft is not on the forefront of the minds of many players on the Pilots baseball team. But for seniors Kody Watts and Caleb Whalen, this was a thought four years ago that looms in their minds again now.
Watts turned down a chance to play for the Pittsburgh Pirates and Whalen the Milwaukee Brewers.
“It was great, I remember sitting next to a radio, waiting for my name to be called,” Whalen said. “It was cool hearing your name called, it is a great experience.”
Neither player opted to go professional, instead chose the college route. Going to college gave the players an opportunity to develop, both physically and mentally.
“I thought I wasn’t mature enough to go right into the minors,” Whalen said. “I thought I needed to mature as a player and as a person.”
The goal for Whalen and Watts would have been to improve their game over the course of their four years, and in turn boost their own draft stock. Improvement, especially through top-notch coaching, was a big pull factor for the players to choose UP.
“I chose here mainly because I know our pitching coach is really good,” Watts said.
Unfortunately, both of these young players have experienced injuries this year. Whalen has only played 11 games, but looks to return to the field as soon as possible.
Watts however, has seen his time at UP marred by recurring injuries in his shoulder. He will be going under the knife later this week, cutting his season short.
Watts has been unable to prove his ability since being drafted. Drafted in the 15th round during high school, Watts had the talent to be a pro ballplayer. But his resume no doubt has red flags, highlighted by his injuries.
Whalen has proven over his four years that he is a consistent hitter. After a sophomore slump, he improved on most of his stats. He was one of the team leaders in both slugging (.423) and on base percentage (.344) last year, upping his draft stock.
Although this team has struggled, with a 7-27 record, they have been playing better lately, and hope to get hot before the WCC championship in May.
“As conference has started we seem to be playing a lot better as a team,” Watts said.
As the season’s end looms, Watts and Whalen have an important decision to make: Go back into the draft or stay for a medical redshirt season? It appears that staying another year is the wiser choice, but if teams are inquiring, that could change.
Jimmy Sheldrup is a sports reporter for The Beacon. He can be reached at sheldrup18@up.edu or on Twitter @CJSheldrup.
