Earlier this month, five members of the NC State baseball team, three seniors and two juniors, were selected in the MLB draft. In the two and a half weeks since their names were called, all five have signed contracts and begun their professional careers.
Here is a breakdown of how the newest Pack pros are faring in the early stages of their pro baseball days:
Brock Deatherage, Outfielder, Detroit Tigers
Deatherage was selected with the first pick of the 10th round, one pick after teammate Josh McLain, and signed with the Tigers shortly after with a very low signing bonus of just $10,000, as the slot value for his 285th overall selection is $143,300.
The Tigers initially assigned Deatherage to rookie ball with the Gulf Coast League Tigers, but the left-handed outfielder made his stay there a very short one. In his first professional game, Deatherage blasted three home runs, following that up with a grand slam in game two.
Through two games in the Gulf Coast League, Deatherage was slashing an enormous .556/.600/1.889 with four home runs and seven RBIs in just nine at-bats. The blazing start earned Deatherage a promotion to Single-A after just two outings. In his first two games with the Class A West Michigan Whitecaps, Deatherage went a combined 2 for 7.
Brett Kinneman, Outfielder, Pittsburgh Pirates
Kinneman was the Pack’s highest selection, as the Pirates selected the power-hitting outfielder in the seventh round with the 204th overall pick. Kinneman signed shortly after, electing to forgo his senior season at NC State, for a signing bonus of $215,500, right at his slot value.
After being assigned to the Single-A West Virginia Black Bears, Kinneman has gotten off to a slow start in his professional career. Through six games, Kinneman is 4 for 19 with just one extra-base hit, a double. He does have six RBIs, but has yet to show some of the power that got him drafted.
Brian Brown, Pitcher, Boston Red Sox
Brown put together an incredible senior season at NC State, and was named the ACC Pitcher of the Year. The strong final campaign earned Brown his chance at professional baseball, as the Red Sox picked the lefty with the 280th overall pick of the draft in the ninth round.
The Red Sox and Brown signed a contract, seeing Brown get just $2,500 as a signing bonus despite a slot value of $144,600. Brown was assigned to the Class A Lowell Spinners, where he has made one start.
In his lone start, Brown got no help from his defense, being chased from the game after 2.2 innings in which Brown gave up five runs, all unearned. Brown allowed only three hits, while walking two and striking out two.
Josh McLain, Outfielder, Los Angeles Dodgers
The Dodgers selected McLain for the second year in a row, using the final pick of the ninth round to take the speedy outfielder. McLain signed for $7,500, well under his $143,600 slot value, and was assigned to rookie ball with the Arizona League Dodgers.
Like Deatherage, McLain took just two games to earn his promotion to Single-A, getting moved to the Great Lakes Loons after slashing .333/.333/.500 in two games in Arizona. In his first game with the Loons, McLain went 4 for 5, finishing a home run shy of the cycle, collecting two RBIs and seven total bases. As a whole, he is hitting 5 for 10 with four RBIs and an on-base plus slugging percentage of 1.400.
Jack Conley, Catcher, Philadelphia Phillies
A somewhat unlikely selection, Conley was picked by the Phillies in the 27th round and signed for a bonus of $50,000, electing not to return to the Wolfpack. Conley is in rookie ball with the Gulf Coast League Phillies, and has yet to record a hit in four at-bats over three games.
