Rays take 5 pitchers on Day 2 of MLB draft, led by Oklahoma State’s Trevor Martin
After opening the MLB draft by taking four position players, the Rays on Monday selected pitchers with five of their eight second-day picks.
Oklahoma State right-hander Trevor Martin led the way in the third round. John F. Kennedy Catholic (N.Y.) High School’s Gary Gill Hill, Kentucky’s Sean Harney, North Carolina State’s Chris Villaman and Hawaii’s Cade Halemanu were the other four pitchers, Villaman the lone left-hander.
Martin appeared in 30 games for the Cowboys this past season, including 25 out of the bullpen. But Rays senior director of amateur scouting Rob Metzler said the organization views him as a starting pitching prospect.
“Really like the delivery, really like the fastball life and good slider emerging,” Metzler said.
Martin finished with a 4-3 record and 4.75 ERA, while recording a team-high nine saves. His 6-foot-3, 238-pound frame helps make him attractive as a potential starter, too, Metzler said. In his final appearance of the season, Martin threw 6-2/3 innings of relief and struck out 16 against Missouri State, helping Oklahoma State erase a 12-run deficit and advance to the Stillwater Regional final.
With Gill Hill, Metzler said that area scout Zach Clark identified the 17-year-old early, allowing the Rays to get multiple cross-check looks. Gill Hill’s velocity sat in the high-80s during those first impressions, but Metzler said his velocity and arm speed have followed as he became stronger this past year. That’s allowed his secondary pitches — a changeup and a slider — to improve, too.
Gill Hill is the youngest player drafted by the Rays since Taj Bradley in 2017, according to the team. He originally committed to Fairleigh Dickinson before reopening his recruitment and ultimately selecting Wake Forest instead.
“We think he has a really good chance to develop into something special with us,” Metzler said.
The Rays selected their third pitcher in the eighth round, taking Harney from Kentucky. He played for UMass during his first three seasons before transferring to the Wildcats for his senior and graduate years in 2021 and 2022. He appeared in 16 games this season, striking out 65 batters and walking 17 while operating out of the swing role, flipping between the starting rotation and bullpen.
Metzler said the Rays were impressed by Harney’s slider and secondary mix. They envision Villaman as a relief prospect with a strong swing-and-miss fastball and Halemanu as a prospect with strong arm strength, velocity that can reach 95-96 mph and a changeup that is his best secondary pitch.
The Rays also nabbed Vanderbilt catcher Dominic Keegan in the fourth round. Metzler said they had interest in Keegan last year before the Yankees drafted him in the 19th round. He returned to school, where he progressed with the bat and spent more time behind the plate. CJ Rodriguez handled the catching duties during Keegan’s first seasons with the Commodores, forcing Keegan to play first base.
Keegan accumulated 29 home runs and 124 RBIs during his last two seasons at Vanderbilt, building on what was “already a powerful swing,” Metzler said.
“Incredibly strong, and offensively, it’s a good profile as well,” Metzler said. “We were pretty excited about that one there.”
The Rays rounded out their Day 2 group with Arkansas shortstop Jalen Battles in the fifth round and Oklahoma first baseman Blake Robertson in the seventh. Both were drafted in 2019 (Battles by the Phillies in the 34th round and Robertson by the Twins in the 26th) but opted for the college route. Battles returned to McLennan Community College in Waco, Texas, and spent another season there before moving to Arkansas. Robertson started his career at Oklahoma State (he didn’t appear in a game), then transferred to Cowley Community College in Arkansas City, Kansas, before ultimately joining the Sooners.
Robertson’s control of the strike zone impressed the Rays, Metzler said, and he thinks Robertson’s power eventually will result in more home runs than doubles. His patience at the plate, allowing for deeper counts and more competitive at-bats, reflects a “good offensive ingredient.” He averaged about a walk drawn per game this season and tied for the NCAA lead with 68.
“Typically, hitters with patient approaches who see pitches and get deep in at-bats, that’s often transferrable,” Metzler said.
Rays draft picks
Round No. Pos. Player/School
1 29 1B Xavier Isaac, East Forsyth (NC) High
2 65 OF Brock Jones, Stanford
CB-B* 70 SS Chandler Simpson, Georgia Tech
CB-B* 71 OF Ryan Cermak, Illinois State
3 104 RHP Trevor Martin, Oklahoma State
4 134 C Dominic Keegan, Vanderbilt
5 164 SS Jalen Battles, Arkansas
6 194 RHP Gary Gill Hill, John F. Kennedy Catholic (N.Y.) High
7 224 1B Blake Robertson, Oklahoma
8 254 RHP Sean Harney, Kentucky
9 284 LHP Chris Villaman, NC State
10 314 RHP Cade Halemanu, Hawaii
* competitive balance Round B
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