Texas High School Player Selected No. 2 in MLB Draft

FORT WORTH, TX — A Texas high school baseball star was taken with the second overall pick in Saturday’s Major League Baseball Draft.

Fort Worth Christian shortstop Grady Emerson was selected by the Tampa Bay Rays, one spot behind UCLA shortstop Roch Cholowsky, who was picked No. 1 by the Chicago White Sox.

Emerson, a left-handed batter, was the Gatorade National Player of the Year at Fort Worth Christian, a private school in North Richland Hills.

He had a .532 batting average, a .648 on-base percentage, seven home runs, 50 RBIs and 31 stolen bases in 28 games.

He had a stellar .992 fielding percentage on 124 chances at shortstop.

Other notable picks involving players from the Lone Star State — or Texas teams — included Texas A&M second baseman Chris Hacopian going 11th to the Washington Nationals.

At No. 16, the Texas Rangers selected Florida High School pitcher Gio Rojas, while the Houston Astros took Texas Tech left fielder Logan Hughes at No. 17.

The Astros also took Notre Dame pitcher Jack Radel in the first round at No. 28.

Other top 100 picks included:

• 42. Washington Nationals: Chase Brunson, OF, TCU
• 43. Minnesota Twins: Carson Tinney, C, Texas
• 54. Texas Rangers: Connor Comeau, 3B, Anderson HS (Texas)
• 57. Houston Astros: Wes Mendes, P, Florida State
• 62. Chicago Cubs: Caden Sorrell, OF, Texas A&M
• 66. Milwaukee Brewers: Sawyer Strosnider, OF, TCU
• 71. Miami Marlins: Ryan Peterson, P, Sam Houston State
• 81. Los Angeles Angels: Gavin Grahovac, 3B, Texas A&M
• 86. St. Louis Cardinals: Caden Ferraro OF, Texas Tech
• 89. Texas Rangers: Brody Bumila P, Bishop Feehan HS (Mass.)
• 92. New York Mets: Aiden Robbins OF, Texas
• 93. Houston Astros: Keon Johnson SS, First Presbyterian HS (Georgia)
• 95. Cleveland Guardians: Tre Broussard, OF, Houston
• 100. Philadelphia Phillies: Ruger Riojas, P, Texas