After selecting a college shortstop with their first-round pick in the 2019 MLB Draft, the A's went with a college pitcher in round two.
Oakland drafted North Carolina right-hander Tyler Baum with the 66th overall selection.
Baum, 21, went 7-3 with a 3.95 ERA as a junior this season, with 92 strikeouts and 25 walks in 86 2/3 innings. The 6-foot-3 Florida native was ranked as the number 100 prospect in the draft by MLB Pipeline.
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SIGN UP HERE "We liked him a lot out of high school," A's scouting director Eric Kubota said. "He's very athletic. He's got plenty of arm strength. He's got instincts. We love the combination of athleticism and instincts."
Baum features a fastball, curveball, slider and changeup. The A's really like his fastball, which was up to 96 miles per hour the last time they visited him, and his curveball.
"We definitely like the curveball," Kubota said. "It's a hard, power-type curveball. We think it's certainly got out-pitch potential."
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Kubota also noted that the A's view Baum as a starting pitcher, as opposed to a reliever. In his three seasons at North Carolina, he went 18-4 with a 3.73 ERA.
The MLB draft continues Tuesday with rounds three through 10. Oakland's next pick will be the 104th overall selection.