The Tampa Bays selected Nathan Flewelling, a Canadian-born catcher from St. Joseph High School in Alberta, with the 94th pick in the third round of the 2024 MLB draft.
Flewelling is a 17-year-old left-hand hitting catcher who was committed to playing college baseball at Gonzaga before his selection today. The 6 ‘2 ballplayer has incredible talent for his age and a lot of projectability with ample time to develop.
Possessing a sub-two second pop time and a 7.05 sixty time, Flewelling brings a lot of speed to the Rays system. In 2024, for Sylvan Lake of the Western Canadian League, Flewelling flourished in 87 plate attempts, hitting .329 with five homers and an OPS of over 1.000. He will jump immediately into Tampa’s top prospect list and will join catcher Dominic Keegan as the backstop near the top of the farm for the Rays if he does decide to forego his college eligibility.
Flewelling has the chance to be the first Alberta-born position player to be drafted and signed from the area and make it all the way to the MLB. Lefty catchers are hard to come by, and with his talent, Flewelling could be next in the line of homegrown starting catchers for the Rays.
The Chicago Cubs selected Ronny Cruz in the third round and picked him 90th overall. Cruz is a 17-year-old shortstop who was born in the Dominican Republic. He played his high school baseball at Miami Christian School.
Cruz was committed to the University of Miami, but upon selection, he is expected to begin his professional career.
Cruz was selected to the MLB Draft Combine at Chase Field this June. He flashed his athletic ability and defensive tools during the week-long showcase, standing out at shortstop. Cruz also impressed scouts with his 107.9 MPH exit velocity.
Cruz has been on MLB team’s radar for several years now. The Seattle Mariners signed Cruz as an international free agent before he established residency and eligibility for the Rule 4 Draft.
The Chicago Cubs selected prep shortstop Ronny Cruz in the third round. Interesting tidbit on Cruz? He was once a Seattle Mariners international free agent potential signee before establishing residency and eligibility for the Rule 4 Draft.
— Joe Doyle (@JoeDoyleMiLB) July 15, 2024
Cruz was the sixth international-born player to be selected in this year’s draft. He was also the second player not ranked inside the MLB.com top 250 to be taken so far. The Cubs took a chance on a player with high upside to help them in the middle infield.
Photo Credit: Major League Baseball commissioner Robert D. Manfred Jr. announces the pick for the Chicago Cubs during the 2024 MLB Draft. (Photo by Daniel Shirey/MLB Photos via Getty Images)
