{"id":347294,"date":"2026-07-21T14:10:08","date_gmt":"2026-07-21T14:10:08","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/us-fl\/347294\/"},"modified":"2026-07-21T14:10:08","modified_gmt":"2026-07-21T14:10:08","slug":"no-2-mlb-draft-pick-grady-emerson-ready-to-join-tampa-bay-rays-nbc-5-dallas-fort-worth","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/us-fl\/347294\/","title":{"rendered":"No. 2 MLB draft pick Grady Emerson ready to join Tampa Bay Rays \u2013 NBC 5 Dallas-Fort Worth"},"content":{"rendered":"

MLB Draft. ESPYS. Meeting Mike Tyson.<\/p>\n

It has been a whirlwind July for 18-year-old high school baseball phenom Grady Emerson.<\/p>\n

\u201cIt\u2019s been overwhelming joy, honestly,\u201d Emerson said in an interview with NBC at 30 Rockefeller Plaza in New York City.<\/p>\n

Emerson, a shortstop from Fort Worth Christian High School in Texas, was drafted No. 2 overall by the Tampa Bay Rays on July 11. He watched the draft from a private gathering in Texas with close family, friends and coaches.<\/p>\n

\u201cThat was a dream come true,\u201d Emerson said. \u201cI burst out into tears<\/a>.\u201d<\/p>\n

The Chicago White Sox<\/a> selected another shortstop, 21-year-old Roch Cholowsky<\/a> from UCLA, with the No. 1 overall pick. But the front office spent significant time debating which shortstop to draft.<\/p>\n

The White Sox granted ESPN\u2019s Jesse Rogers unrestricted access to their draft war room<\/a>. Rogers reported that one White Sox scout described Emerson as \u201cseemingly without a weakness.\u201d But other White Sox scouts noted that he struggled with breaking balls and needed to get stronger in the weight room.<\/p>\n

Emerson relished having rare access to the unvarnished opinions of the White Sox scouts.<\/p>\n

\u201c[Cholowsky] is a super talented player and I wish him nothing but the best,\u201d Emerson said. \u201cBut it also gave me a little bit of drive now, you know, obviously when you see the pros, you see the cons and some of the questions.\u201d<\/p>\n

Getting stronger is a priority for Emerson. He said he weighs 195 pounds now as an 18-year-old and his goal to weigh between 210-215 pounds by the time he turns 20.<\/p>\n

To get stronger, Emerson has been working out in the same gym as two-time NFL Defensive Player of the Year Myles Garrett<\/a>.<\/p>\n

\u201cIt\u2019s unreal having that dude in the weight room because you get to see what it’s like,\u201d Emerson said. \u201cNo matter how many plates I throw on, it feels like he has three more plates.\u201d<\/p>\n

Four days after the MLB Draft, Emerson attended the ESPY Awards in New York City. Emerson received the nation\u2019s top high school sports honor, the Gatorade Best Male Player of the Year Award, from NBA champion Jayson Tatum and seven-time Olympic gold medalist Allyson Felix.<\/p>\n

\u201cWe ran into Mike Tyson afterwards and I got to see him take photos and realizing you’re kind of on that level now was a huge thing for me,\u201d Emerson said. \u201cIt showed the hard work that I’ve put in.\u201d<\/p>\n

Emerson committed to play baseball at the University of Texas before he was drafted and still plans on taking online classes as he works his way up the minor leagues.<\/p>\n

Now he is set to report to Port Charlotte, Florida, to begin his career with the Rays.<\/p>\n

\u201cThey’re going to get a kid who’s hits the ball hard most of the time,\u201d said Emerson, who compared his game to Kansas City Royals shortstop Bobby Witt Jr. \u201cAnd from the defensive standpoint, I pride myself as a shortstop. I think I can stick there in the big leagues and for the rest of my career.\u201d<\/p>\n

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