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Jacob Steinmetz’s blazing fastball helped pioneer him in the baseball draft.
The New York native is believed to be the first known Orthodox Jewish player to be selected by a major league team, making it to the third round – 77th overall – against the Arizona Diamondbacks on Monday.
The 6-foot-5, 220-pound Steinmetz, from the hamlet of Woodmere on Long Island, is a 17-year-old right-hander whose repertoire includes a fastball that sits in the mid-90s and a knee loop. curved ball. His draft supply increased significantly while playing for the Elev8 Academy of Baseball in Delray Beach, Fla. This year after previously competing for his high school team, the Hebrew Five City Academy and Rockaway.
Steinmetz recently told the New York Post that he observed the Sabbath and only ate kosher food. Although he plays on the Sabbath and Jewish holidays, he walks to matches on these days rather than taking transportation. No practicing Orthodox Jewish player has reached the major leagues.
The selections during Monday’s nine rounds were made by the teams in a conference call after the first night was a prime-time event at the Bellco Theater in Denver with MLB commissioner Rob Manfred announcing the picks . Major League Baseball moved the draft from June to July, including it in the All-Star festivities.
Pittsburgh took Louisville wide receiver Henry Davis with the No.1 overall pick on Sunday night and gave him a potential future teammate to lead Day 2 by selecting New Jersey high school southpaw Anthony Solometo at No.37. .
The Pirates chose athletic Pennsylvania high school outfielder Lonnie White Jr., who signed a letter of intent to play baseball and football at Penn State, on the competitive balance round between the second and third rounds. . Pittsburgh started throwing again in the third round, taking in Georgia high school pitcher and shortstop Bubba Chandler, who also has a scholarship offer from Clemson to play quarterback.
The Nationals used their 10th round pick on Cal infielder Darren Baker, the son of former Washington and current Houston manager Dusty Baker. Darren Baker was kicked off the plate by Giants player JT Snow during the 2002 World Series, while Baker, 3, was a bat boy. The Nationals also selected Darren Baker in the 27th round of the 2017 Draft, but he didn’t sign and instead played for Cal. He hit 0.327 for the Golden Bears this season.
Arkansas closest Kevin Kopps, Southeastern Conference pitcher of the year and Golden Spikes Award finalist, was won by San Diego in the third round. The 24-year-old right-hander was a sixth-year senior after being a freshman and missing a year after undergoing Tommy John surgery, but has dominated this season with a 0.90 ERA leading the Division I all. by winning 12 matches and saving 11.
Houston took on Nevada high school outfielder Tyler Whitaker with his first draft pick, which only came in the third round for the second year in a row as punishment for the Astros’ sign-stealing scandal.
The draft will be completed on Tuesday with Rounds 11-20 conducted via a conference call with the teams.
The Associated Press contributed to this report.
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