Brock Porter, a right-handed pitcher out of Orchard Lake St. Mary’s, was selected with the 109th overall pick by the Texas Rangers in the fourth round of the MLB Draft on Monday.
Porter slipped farther down the draft than many anticipated. MLB.com’s Jim Callis and Jonathan Mayo mocked him to the New York Mets at 11th overall and the Detroit Tigers at 12th overall, respectively, in their final mock draft.
But the potential for Porter to tumble down the board was always there, and it wasn’t due to a lack of talent.
Porter verbally committed to Clemson in June 2019 and has since begun taking classes there. He now has a decision to make about whether he wants to begin his professional career and forego college, or put it on hold in favor of going to Clemson.
If Porter decides to go to school, the Rangers will lose out on him. That risk was seemingly enough for teams at the top of the draft to back off of the talented righty.
If Texas wants him to sign, it’ll require an above-slot deal. The value of the 109th overall pick is $560,000, but with a scholarship from Clemson in his back pocket, the Rangers will need to pay up.
And they have the money. The NY Post’s Jon Heyman reported that Kumar Rocker, the Rangers’ first-round pick, agreed to terms on a deal that would pay him $5.2 million, which is approximately $2.4 million under what the third-overall pick is valued at.
The Rangers could use the savings from Rocker to persuade Porter into signing.
The 19-year-old starter helped lead St. Mary’s to a historic season in 2022. The team set a state record for wins in a single season, going undefeated over its 44 contests, and won the program’s first Division 1 state championship.
Porter played a big role in that, starting 10 games and ending the season with a 9-0 record to go along with his 0.26 ERA. The 6-foot-4 pitcher struck out 115 batters in 58⅔ innings, allowing just nine hits all season long.
He also tossed three no-hitters by himself, including one in a state semifinal against Ada Forest Hills Northern, where his pitches were clocked as high as 96 mph.
He also played a part in two combined no-hitters.
Porter was named the 2021-22 Gatorade National Player of the Year for the work he put in throughout his senior season. He’s the first baseball player from Michigan to win the award since Drew Henson did it in 1997-98 for Brighton High School.
His success wasn’t limited to last season, though, as Porter went 12-0 in 2021 with a 0.50 ERA. His sophomore season was canceled due to the COVID-19 pandemic, but as a freshman in 2019, he posted a 9-2 record and a 1.20 ERA.
rsilva@detroitnews.com
Twitter: @Rich_Silva18
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