SPORTS

ESPN: Iowa's A.J. Puk moving toward MLB draft history

Andy Hamilton

ahamilton@dmreg.com

A.J. Puk’s performance last week in front of a herd of major league executives and scouts may have cemented his place in Iowa draft history.

The Cedar Rapids native took a shutout into the eighth inning in an SEC Tournament start against LSU, one of the final pre-draft auditions for the Florida lefty.

ESPN’s Keith Law projects Puk to be the top overall pick in Major League Baseball’s first-year player draft, which begins June 9. The Philadelphia Phillies hold the No. 1 pick.

Florida's A.J. Puk pitches against Virginia on June 15 in the College World Series. Puk could become the first pick in the June draft.

“He threw strikes, he was 93-96 (mph), held his velocity until that final inning,” Law said on ESPN’s Baseball Tonight podcast with Buster Olney. “The Phillies had at least three guys here; the Reds scouting director was here — there were obviously a ton of scouts, because it was the SEC Tournament, but those two clubs in particular are drafting 1-2 — I think that’s probably the market for Puk.

“Although I’m sure nothing’s decided yet, that had to substantially ease concerns that the Phillies have had about Puk just not having a great season. You’re drafting him off of his size — he’s 6-6 — off of the stuff, but he hadn’t gone deep into many games this season; he’s not had success statistically. He needed to have a big outing, at this point.”

Puk has 90 strikeouts in 65.2 innings this season. He’s allowed 45 hits and 31 walks. He takes a 2.88 earned run average into this week’s NCAA Regional.

Iowan A.J. Puk on the verge of MLB Draft history

Jeff Clement, a Marshalltown graduate who played for USC, is the highest-drafted Iowa native. He went third overall in the star-studded 2005 draft.

Law indicated Puk, a Cedar Rapids Washington graduate, is a low-risk pick.

“You’re never going to get fired for taking the 6-6 college lefty who throws 97,” Law said. “And, really, at worst, what have you got? You’ve probably a great bullpen arm if everybody absolutely goes wrong. As long as he’s healthy, he’s going to pitch in the big leagues and probably be OK. That’s the consensus right now on who the Phillies would take there.”