DRAFT DAY FOR MARIANO RIVERA JR.

Mariano Rivera has been pitching like a boss lately. No, not that Mariano Rivera. I am talking about his son – Mariano Rivera Jr. Some of you might remember last summer’s MLB Amateur Draft, where the Yankees drafted Rivera in the 29th round. He was a Sophomore then, but chose to continue his education and stay at Iona. He is a Junior now, and he will be eligible for the 2015 Amateur Draft, taking place in the early part of next week. Many believe he could place much higher this year, and it should be no surprise if you have seen his record.

This was his third year of college baseball, primarily functioning as a starter. You may remember that his father also began his career as a starter before he landed in the bullpen. Either way, this kid’s performance is noticeably good. In three full seasons, his ERA went from 7.25 to 5.40 to 2.65. His 113 strikeouts over 85 innings this year more than doubled the previous year’s numbers. His K/9 this year was 11.96, almost double the prior year’s, and fifth in the nation in NCAA Division I baseball. He also tied for fifth in the nation in complete games with six. A couple of weeks ago, he was named the Metro Atlantic Athletic Conference Pitcher of the Year. Yes, he is that good.

The only downer on this is that he may not be a Yankee. Last year his numbers were not remarkable, and the Yankees spending their 29th round pick (872nd overall) was more of a show of support for the legendary closer. Now he has started to step out of the shadow of his Future Hall of Fame father, establishing himself in his own right, and other teams will likely take notice. Interestingly, it will be a new experience for both father and son since the Sandman was never drafted (he was signed straight out of Panama). Whatever happens, we wish them both all the best next week.

--Ike Dimitriadis, BYB Senior Staff Writer
Twitter: @KingAgamemnon
My blog is: Shots from Murderer's Row







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