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Ben Brutti, South Kingstown’s standout, has been invited to the MLB Draft Combine

bill koch, the providence journal
·2 min read

Ben Brutti has been invited to the West Coast.

South Kingstown’s standout right-hander is among the approximately 250 high school and college players eligible to attend next week’s MLB Draft Combine in San Diego.

Brutti was named the state’s Gatorade Baseball Player of the Year last week thanks to his superb season on the mound with the Rebels. His next step is to share the Petco Park field with some of the top talent in the nation.

Brutti finished his final season in Rhode Island with a 0.46 earned-run average. He allowed 14 hits and struck out 105 in 46 innings with South Kingstown, dominating opponents in almost every outing. Brutti’s top performances included 17 strikeouts and a lone earned run allowed in a 2-1 victory over Portsmouth on May 9.

More: South Kingstown's Ben Brutti is the 2021-22 Gatorade RI Baseball Player of the Year

South Kingstown pitcher Ben Brutti finished his high school season with a 0.46 earned-run average. He allowed 14 hits and struck out 105 in 46 innings and was named the Gatorade Baseball Player of the Year.
South Kingstown pitcher Ben Brutti finished his high school season with a 0.46 earned-run average. He allowed 14 hits and struck out 105 in 46 innings and was named the Gatorade Baseball Player of the Year.

Brutti is committed to South Florida — the 6-foot-3-inch, 200-pounder had his choice among several attractive college options. He emerged on the national scene last winter at the Prep Baseball Report Super 60 showcase in Chicago, hitting 96 mph on the radar gun with his fastball. Brutti showed a tick more velocity this spring and pairs that pitch with what could develop into a wipeout slider.

Brutti was the third Rebels player in recent history to be honored by Gatorade, joining Harrison Barlow (2011) and Sam Kenyon (2017) as the state’s top player. He could have an opportunity to start his professional career later this summer instead of suiting up for the Bulls, who compete in the American Athletic Conference. Liam McGill was the most recent South Kingstown player to reach the minor leagues, signing with Atlanta after a decorated college career at Columbia and Bryant.

More: Here's how South Kingstown's Ben Brutti put on a show for pro baseball scouts on Monday

The 6-foot-3-inch, 200-pound Ben Brutti has already committed to South Florida.
The 6-foot-3-inch, 200-pound Ben Brutti has already committed to South Florida.

The Combine features on-field workouts, strength and conditioning assessments and live games. Prospects also will be able to interview with general managers, scouting directors and other front-office personnel. Former MLB players expected to attend include Padres legend Trevor Hoffman, Torii Hunter, Eric Davis, Mike Cameron, Dante Bichette and Charles Nagy.

It’s unknown what Brutti’s participation level in the event will be. He suffered a left (non-throwing) shoulder injury in an Interscholastic League playoff game against La Salle last week and did not appear for the Rebels in either of their two semifinal matchups with Bishop Hendricken. There are no serious injury concerns that will prevent Brutti from being selected in the draft, which begins on July 17 in Los Angeles.

bkoch@providencejournal.com    

On Twitter: @BillKoch25 

This article originally appeared on The Providence Journal: South Kingstown pitcher Ben Brutti invited to the MLB Draft Combine