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Left-hander must choose between Terps and pros
Spalding’s Blohm picked by O’s in 17th round, leaving choice between Terps and pros
Tyler Blohm added another highlight to an incredible baseball season when he was selected by his hometown Orioles in the 17th round of the Major League Baseball draft Saturday.
The left-hander, who pitched Archbishop Spalding to its third straight Maryland Interscholastic Athletic Association A Conference championship this spring, will have a difficult decision to make in the coming months, having already committed to pitch at Maryland.
Blohm went 9-0 his senior season. The 6-foot-3, 185-pound ace had 103 strikeouts, a 0.74 ERA and a 0.682 WHIP in 66 innings and was named the Maryland Gatorade Player of the Year. He finished his career with 25 wins in four varsity seasons.
“It’s a really humbling experience,” said Blohm, who got a text message and then a phone call about his selection just hours before having to head off for a summer-league game with the Baltimore Redbirds. “It’s great to be selected by such a great organization as the Orioles, but I’m not sure yet how to go. I’m going to have a long discussion with my parents.”
Blohm’s father, Pete, knows something about the subject since he played in the Orioles’, Atlanta Braves’, Pittsburgh Pirates’ and Toronto Blue Jays’ systems, reaching as high as Triple-A.
“It’s been a crazy couple of days,” said Blohm, who took a tour of Camden Yards this month to meet executive vice president Dan Duquette and manager Buck Showalter. “The Orioles have been first class through the entire process.”
“I know if I got in the Orioles’ system, I could definitely develop. But I have to make sure I’m physically and mentally ready for that,” Tyler Blohm said. “I definitely value my education very much.”
Dean Albany, one of the Orioles’ scouts for the Mid-Atlantic region, said he was impressed with Blohm, the 511th overall selection in the draft.
Blohm, who won’t be eligible to be drafted until after his junior season if he chooses to attend college, is the first player drafted during coach Joe Palumbo’s four-year tenure at Archbishop Spalding.
The coach said Blohm has a fastball that regularly hits the upper 80s and has topped out at 91 mph.
“But the fastball might be his thirdbest pitch,” Palumbo said. “He has a good breaking ball and an outstanding changeup. He’s confident, polished and doesn’t walk many hitters . ... He’s poised to be successful at any level.”
Other Marylanders taken Saturday were Towson catcher Brady Policelli of Walkersville (Detroit Tigers, 13th round), Richmond shortstop Tyler Beckwith of Mount Airy (Washington Nationals, 17th round), Eckerd College center fielder Nick Hill of Clear Spring (San Francisco Giants, 26th round), Old Dominion center fielder Connor Myers of Middletown (Chicago Cubs, 27th round), Messiah right-hander Steven Ridings of Harwood (Seattle Mariners, 29th round) and Georgetown Prep first baseman Matthew Mervis of Potomac (Nationals, 39th round).