Mets select UNM closer Tripp in 13th round
Astros draft another Bregman
Christian Tripp got the call a little late Wednesday morning.
The New York Mets called the former University of New Mexico right-hander a few moments after his name appeared on the MLB.com’s draft board. The element of surprise was gone, but Tripp didn’t mind.
“Seeing my name pop up before I got a phone call was definitely unexpected,” Tripp said, “but it was a pretty exciting morning for me and my family. I’m already antsy to get started.”
Tripp was selected by the Mets in the 13th round (No. 380 overall). He was one of several players with New Mexico ties to get the call on the final day of this year’s Major League Baseball Draft, including one major surprise from the defending world champions.
The Houston Astros drafted in the 35th round Albuquerque Academy’s A.J. Bregman, the younger brother of Astros star third baseman Alex Bregman, who delivered the news himself to his younger brother, who is a UNM Lobo commit.
“Hey, why don’t you check Twitter, bro? You just got drafted in the 35th round by the ’Stros,” Alex Bregman told A.J. during batting practice on Wednesday in Houston, as seen on a video posted on Twitter by MLB.com reporter Brian McTaggart.
A.J. Bregman was visibly shocked and was seen on the video pulling out his phone to check to see if his brother was kidding. He was not.
As for Tripp, he said he’ll report to the organization’s spring training complex in Florida on Friday to take a physical exam and sign a contract. The 6-foot-7 relief pitcher who served as UNM’s closer for the past two
seasons watched the draft from his family’s Houston-area home.
The pick ended a hectic few weeks during which Tripp did private pitching sessions for five teams including the Mets.
“They were one of the teams that showed the most interest all along,” Tripp said. “I feel like it’ll be a good fit.”
Tripp enjoyed his share of success in three seasons with the Lobos, posting 18 career saves with 80 strikeouts in 90⅔ innings. He saved a game won by his older brother, Jonathan, during his sophomore year, but recalls a disappointing moment of his UNM career even more vividly.
“My freshman year we went to an NCAA Regional and that was a special moment,” Tripp said. “The thing I gained a lot of knowledge from was we had a chance to advance within our grasp and it was me that messed it up. You have to learn from failure in baseball and I think I learned from that.”
Filling in for injured closer Victor Sanchez, Tripp surrendered two late runs and was tagged with the loss that day in a 4-3 loss at Texas Tech. He bounced back to become UNM’s primary closer the next two seasons.
Manzano High’s
left-handed pitcher was drafted in the 28th round Wednesday by the Chicago Cubs, No. 848 overall.
“The whole having to wait for it, it was pretty painful,” Parker said.
His story took off in an unexpected direction, however, as Parker told the Journal that he had signed with San Jacinto JC in south Texas earlier this week. He said if the Cubs don’t sign him, he will almost certainly go the JC route — bypassing the University of Tennessee, where he signed last November — and re-enter the draft next year.
“Get bigger, faster, stronger for a year and then take a swing at it again,” Parker said. If he goes to Tennessee, he’d have to wait three years to be draft eligible again.
OTHERS: New Mexico Junior College had two draf picks Wednesday: outfielder Avery Tuck in the 17th round by Detroit, and first baseman Ryan Rijo, in the 37th round by Philadelphia. … Oakland selected St. Marys senior outfielder Austin Piscotty, the younger brother of current A’s outfielder Stephen Piscotty, in the 38th round. The Piscottys are sons of Albuquerque natives and UNM graduates Mike and the late Gretchen Piscotty. Their mother died last month from amyotrophic lateral sclerosis.