Texas Rangers pick Clemson baseball signee Brock Porter in 2022 MLB Draft
Brock Porter, a high school pitcher from Michigan, was one of the last big recruiting victories for Monte Lee before he was fired as Clemson baseball coach.
Porter, who has a fastball that hits 100 mph, was a fourth-round pick Monday by the Texas Rangers in the 2022 MLB Draft, going No. 109 overall.
He committed to the Tigers when they were under the direction of Lee, who was fired May 31 after six seasons and replaced with Michigan coach Erik Bakich.
Porter didn't have Michigan among his top choices. He said he also considered Duke, Miami and Tennessee before picking Clemson.
"That's been my dream school," Porter said in a 2019 story by The Clemson Insider. "I absolutely love it there. ... I just love the campus overall. I thought it was sweet and the baseball facilities are really neat. The coaching staff is unbelievable there, and it was really good to talk to them and see what they’re like. I just love the whole atmosphere, the whole place with all the people around… They’re all really good people, and everything was great."
Instead, Porter is expected to agree to a pro contract and skip college.
The 6-foot-4 right-hander from St. Mary's Prep in Orchard Lake, Michigan, is a 19-year-old who
was named Gatorade National Player of the Year after going 9-0 with three no-hitters and a 0.41 ERA. He has led St. Mary's to three consecutive state championships. In his last two years, he allowed only two extra-base hits in 109 innings and struck out more than half of the batters faced.
After a no-hitter in the state semifinals, Porter said Clemson hiring Bakich would not affect the decision of whether to turn pro.
"I heard he's a great coach and he's really good with player development," Porter said. "Hopefully, it makes us a lot better and, hopefully, wins the national championship."
Before last year's draft, Lee had commitments from three highly regarded prep standouts. Will Taylor from Dutch Fork High was a projected first-round pick until he let it be known that he wanted to be a two-sport athlete at Clemson, playing quarterback and wide receiver in addition to being an outfielder in baseball. The Texas Rangers took him in the 19th round. Also, catcher Joe Mack went in the first round to the Miami Marlins and outfielder/pitcher Bubba Chandler in the third round to the Pittsburgh Pirates.
Read more Clemson baseball news
ERIK BAKICH: What new Clemson coach said about roster, recruiting, Michigan and more
HUMBLE BEGINNING: Erik Bakich's path started with promises to dying mentor
REPAIRING A RELATIONSHIP: Going back to Jack Leggett coaching tree was an olive branch
Todd Shanesy covers Clemson athletics for the USA Today network.
This article originally appeared on Greenville News: Clemson signee Brock Porter to Texas Rangers in MLB Draft fourth round
