Texas Signee Kyle Muller Drafted by Atlanta, But Will He Sign?
@Braves you won’t regret it! #MLBDraft @kylemuller19 pic.twitter.com/cCXQGurwXK
— Jesuit Baseball (@jcpbaseball) June 10, 2016
A Texas player was taken in the second round of the 2016 MLB Draft last night, which is normally a good thing. Except when that player hasn’t made it to school yet. With the 44th pick, the Atlanta Braves took Gatorade National Player of the Year Kyle Muller, a large lefty senior pitcher from Dallas Jesuit. Whether or not he winds up in Danville, Virginia, to play Braves rookie ball or on the Forty Acres remains to be seen.
Neophytes should know that the MLB Draft works a bit differently than the NFL or NBA drafts. First off, high school players are eligible, and taken often. However, players can decide not to sign with teams if they feel like they need to develop more in college. In that case, as is different from the other leagues’ drafts, they can re-enter the draft and be selected again. A new rule allows high school players to hire agents and still attend college if they don’t sign with a professional team, another difference from NFL and NBA rules. According to Muller’s father, Harold, Kyle has an “advisor” at the moment but “loves Texas” and has “taken a liking” to Texas assistants Skip Johnson and Tommy Nicholson.
Muller, a 6-foot-5, 230-pound pitcher, is 8-0 this season, with an ERA so tiny you need a magnifying glass to see it. Apart from that 0.46 mark on the hill, he’s also hitting .396 with 15 homers, so there’s no question his high school frame is ready for the minor leagues. The only thing holding him back from foregoing college is the fact that MLB.com’s No. 24 prospect slipped into the second round. If he heads to school, he can re-enter the draft after his junior year at the earliest. With some stellar seasons on the hill for Texas, he could wind up with a lucrative signing bonus as a high first round selection.
Still, with Augie Garrido gone and no coach signed yet, plus the risk of injury, it wouldn’t be shocking if Muller jetted to the pros.
In the meantime, Muller is set to start this afternoon against Houston Langham Creek in the Class 6A state semifinal, and isn’t tipping his hand.
“I have no idea at this point,” Muller said. “I’m just focused on trying to win a state championship right now.”
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