Texas A&M had six players drafted in this week’s MLB Draft, with junior starting pitchers Corbin Martin and Brigham Hill being drafted in the first five rounds.
Martin was drafted on the first day of the draft by the Houston Astros in the second round. The Cypress native will have a chance to make the big leagues for the team he grew up rooting for. After a tough start to the season, Martin has settled into his role as the Aggies’ No. 2 starter and is 7-3 with a 3.35 ERA to this point in the year.
Hill, who spent the entire 2017 season as A&M’s Friday night starter, heard his name called for the second-straight season, this time by the Washington Nationals. Hill leads the Aggies with eight wins and 107 strikeouts in 96.1 innings.
Cason Sherrod was the third Aggie selected, going to the Kansas City Royals in the 13^th round. As one of the anchors of the bullpen, Sherrod racked up 38 strikeouts and four saves in 43.2 innings.
The Nationals added another A&M product to their roster in the 18^th round, drafting senior center fielder Nick Choruby. The Oregon native has been the Aggies’ leadoff hitter for most of the season and has been one of their most consistent hitters, hitting .325 on the season with a team-leading 49 walks and 55 runs scored.
Turner Larkins came off the board in the 21^st round via the Toronto Blue Jays. Larkins has battled injuries and sickness all season long, but he has the arm talent to impress scouts despite his limited usage. He made nine appearances, with five starts, in 2017, pitching to a 3.38 ERA.
Finally, Kaylor Chafin — A&M’s bullpen ace — was drafted by the New York Mets in the 32^nd round. Chafin, a redshirt junior, pitched in a team-high 31 games. He went 7-2 on the mound with a 2.56 ERA, striking out 64 batters and notching three saves along the way.
The Aggies also had several recruits get drafted, including shortstop Adam Hall and prep pitchers Alex Scherff and Jack Conlon. Hall and Conlon were each drafted by the Baltimore Orioles in the second and fourth rounds, respectively, and Scherff went to the Boston Red Sox in the fifth. Nothing is official yet regarding whether they will come to A&M or forego their collegiate careers for professional baseball.