Major League Baseball Draft 2011: Top Five Players – Part 4
The Number four spot in the Major League Draft 2011 was to be picked by the Baltimore Orioles and righteously following suit, they picked up pitcher Dylan Bundy.
Bundy, the first high school player to be picked in the Major League Draft is merely 18-years-old and stands huge at 6ft 1in and weighs 200 lbs. He has been on the prospect radar since the 2008 Area Code Games when, at the young age of 15, he clocked 92
mph with his pitching. He did not settle with his achievement and has continued to improve with his regular workouts and persistent efforts. This has paid-off with veteran scouts terming him as the ‘best young arm’ they have ever scouted.
He hails from Owasso High which is one the nation’s top prep programs. Bundy has been dominating the spring at Owasso High time and again. Recently enough, he had a stint of eight complete-games, all ending in victories. His 8-0 win-loss record has stunned
many pundits of the game. He pitched for 49 innings and completed 111 strike-outs without conceding a home-run. In total, he completed 164 strike-outs in 79.2 innings with an impressive ERA of 1.58. His win-loss record at 11-1 stands out from the lot.
Bundy’s repertoire includes the entire arsenal that a pitcher needs. He throws five diverse pitches including a slider, cutter, changeup ball, the curve and the ever-improving fast ball which now clocks at 98 mph.
Odds are quiet low that Bundy will not take a rapid path to Major League Baseball. He has more to offer to his team apart from his hard line pitching, as he hits well with the bat. He can hit mile-long hits from both sides of the pitch. He has a good eye
and to his credit, he never swings at a pitch outside the strike-zone.
Dylan did get emotional on hearing his name at the draft but at the same time, he showed maturity and did not get carried away with his price tag at $30-million. He has stated that he’ll weigh how things settle before making any decision. Having earned a
scholarship already at Texas, he termed it as a win-win situation for himself. He opined that if things don’t really work out with the Orioles initially, he has the opportunity of playing at Texas and then giving it a shot three years down the lane.
Although citing it as a dream come true, getting an opportunity to play together with his elder brother Bobby Bundy at the Orioles, he said he would decide with his family what would be in the best interest for him. His dream of pitching in the Majors is
well in sight but he wants to make sure that he secures his future first.
"Any way you look at it, it is a win-win for me," Bundy said. "If we don't come to an agreement with the Orioles, I have Texas to fall back on and we can try it again in three years.”
Bundy commented that his work ethics are of high priority to him and won’t be compromised given that he has got selected now. His build at this age may pose a problem for him but he believes that’s the way it has been and that’s what has enabled him to be
here. A true player in the making, one must say!
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