NC State baseball signee, Carlos Rodon led his Holly Springs Golden Hawks to the North Carolina High School Athletic Association state 4-A baseball championship series at Five County Stadium just a few days ago. (Link to article)
Carlos Rodon was named the tournament Most Valuable Player. He was one for four in the second game and had an RBI, but fired a two-hit shutout while also collecting two hits in three at-bats in the first game as Holly Springs blanked Roberson 4-0.
…and this week Rodon was drafted by the Milwaukee Brewers in the 16th round of the Major League Baseball draft.
Rodon, a left-hander who was chosen MVP of the NCHSAA 4-A state championship series last week, was taken much later than projected, falling to the Milwaukee Brewers in the 16th round (491st overall).
One of the major reasons Rodon, who was projected by most outlets as being a top-five-round selection, fell hundreds of picks later was what baseball pundits call “signability.” Rodon and his parents value the college experience and education, and MLB teams knew it would take a signing bonus in the range of supplemental round’s slotted range (about $750,000 to $800,000) to sign him away from his commitment to play at N.C. State next season.
The Brewers called Rodon in the fourth round to ask if he would sign for that round’s slot money, which is estimated at about $250,000. He declined and was taken by the team 12 rounds later without a phone call beforehand.
“It’s definitely a business. I’ve learned a lot about how people truly are,” Rodon said. “I got drafted a lot later than I expected, but it happens. Being drafted is pretty great, and especially on top of a state championship (last week).”
Rodon struck out 135 batters this season, the most in the Triangle, with a 1.40 ERA. Over his past three seasons, he went 23-2 as a starter. During a complete-game two-hit shutout in the first game of the 4-A championship series, his fastball was clocked at 93 mph in the first inning and only trailed off to 90 mph by the seventh.
Rodon’s slip in the draft may mean good news for NC State. BaseballAmerica ranked the Wolfpack signee as the 198th player overall, and the 28th-best left-handed pitcher in the draft. Those rankings would have projected him as a selection in the Top 5 rounds. Rodon will have the choice to go to college for a minimum of three seasons or go ahead and sign with the Brewers.
NC State signee Brett Austin was selected 54th in the MLB Draft by the San Diego Padres. You can click here for comprehensive conversation about the impact of the MLB draft on NC State.
