Grady Emerson likely won’t be headed to Austin. The star North Texas infielder committed to play for Texas baseball, but he now has the opportunity to sign for millions as a top pick in the MLB draft.
The Tampa Bay Rays made him the second overall pick Saturday in Philadelphia. The Fort Worth Christian prospect recorded a .532 batting average and a 1.013 OPS as a senior and was projected to be taken in the top three of the MLB draft.
MLB’s Pipeline scouting service gave him an overall scouting grade of 65 for his advanced approach at the plate, mature decision-making and polished all-around game. ESPN ranked him second among its top 250 draft prospects. He was a top-five D1Baseball prospect at the time of his commitment, as well.
He originally committed to TCU but changed to Texas.
The MLB draft’s first four rounds are Saturday, and finishes on Sunday with rounds 5-20.