San Francisco Giants select Rock Bridge alum, Mizzou pitcher Spencer Miles in MLB Draft

Chris Kwiecinski, Columbia Daily Tribune
·2 min read
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Missouri pitcher Spencer Miles (8) throws against Vanderbilt during the first inning at Hawkins Field in Nashville, Tenn., Friday, March 18, 2022.
Missouri pitcher Spencer Miles (8) throws against Vanderbilt during the first inning at Hawkins Field in Nashville, Tenn., Friday, March 18, 2022.

The first Missouri baseball player taken in the MLB Draft is also a Columbia native.

Spencer Miles was selected by the San Francisco Giants on Monday in the fourth round with the No. 136 overall pick in the 2022 MLB Draft.

The Rock Bridge alum and Tigers pitcher improved his ERA and win-loss record while throwing more innings in his second season as a starter for MU.

According to MLB.com's draft tracker, Miles' selection carries an approximate monetary value of $431,000 if he signs with the club.

Miles entered the 2022 college season coming off a difficult 2021. He was thrown into the starting rotation due to injuries and finished with a 2-6 record and an ERA of 7.01.

In 2022, Miles improved by leaps and bounds.

He finished with a 5-5 overall record and dropped his ERA to 6.20. His best game of the season came against Georgia, where Miles pitched seven innings of work, allowed two earned runs, walked one batter and struck out 12 Bulldogs.

Miles struck out 67 batters in 2022. In 2021, he struck out 44.

More: Tigers notebook: Familiar face returns to Mizzou as women's golf assistant

Miles came to Missouri after a stellar career a few miles south on Providence Road.

During his senior season at Rock Bridge in 2019, Miles helped guide the Bruins to a program-record 29 wins and berth in the MSHSAA quarterfinals.

Miles was brilliant in the quarterfinals game, getting the start and allowing just one earned run in seven innings pitched.

Miles chose to pitch collegiately at Missouri over Saint Louis.

Now, Miles has become the first draft pick in Rock Bridge history in being selected to become part of the Giants' organization.

He's also part of the 2022 Giants draft class that's almost exclusively pitchers. San Francisco has selected Gonzaga's William Kempner, East Carolina's Carson Whisenhunt and Notre Dame's Laim Simon.

In the first round, the Giants selected Connecticut's Reggie Crawford, who can also pitch but is listed as a two-way player on MLB.com.

Chris Kwiecinski is the sports editor for the Columbia Daily Tribune, overseeing University of Missouri and Boone County sports coverage. Follow him on Twitter @OchoK_ and contact him at CKwiecinsk@gannett.com or 573-815-1857.

This article originally appeared on Columbia Daily Tribune: Rock Bridge alum, Mizzou pitcher Spencer Miles selected in MLB Draft