Pitcher Matt Canterino is the first Rice baseball player selected in the 2019 MLB Draft, chosen by the Minnesota Twins in the second round.
Canterino entered the 2019 season with high expectations. After spending time with Team USA over the winter, the prospective early round pick put together an impressive spring campaign. Billed as the ace of a strong starting rotation, Canterino delivered in every way possible. Even his off days were strong starts. His best days, were MLB-caliber.
The Rice junior threw 99.1 innings with a 2.81 ERA and a stunning .970 WHIP. His 121 strikeouts were the most among Conference USA pitchers. He threw his first career complete game against FIU on April 5.
Those strong numbers did nothing but bolster his already potent MLB Draft stock. With Rice seeing their season end after a four-game conference tournament run, Canterino was able to turn his attention to the draft. And wait.
With the 54th selection of the second round, the Minnesota Twins selected Matt Canterino.
Several other Owls hope to hear their names called in the coming days. For now, Canterino becomes the most recent Rice player drafted since four Owls were selected in the 2018 MLB Draft.
Shortstop Ford Proctor was chosen by the Tampa Bay Rays in the third round. Pitcher Ricky Salinas went to the Cincinnati Reds in the 25th Round. Outfielder Cody Staab was picked by the Seattle Mariners in the 30th Round. 2019 Signee Antonio Cruz was a 40th Round selection by the Houston Astros before opting to go to school.
2019 MLB Draft schedule
The 2019 MLB Draft runs from June 3 to June 5. Rounds 1 and 2 will take place Monday (June 3), televised on the MLB Network. The final two days will available to watch on MLB.com Round 3 through Round 10 will take place Tuesday (June 4) with the remaining Rounds 11-40 on Wednesday (June 5).
