Alabama Baseball Closes Out Final Day of the 2021 MLB Draft with Two Players Selected
TUSCALOOSA, Ala. — Alabama baseball pitcher Tyler Ras and signee pitcher Luke Holman found new MLB homes on Tuesday, the final day of the 2021 MLB Draft.
Ras was the No. 410 pick overall (14th Round) and was taken by the Colorado Rockies. He was the final Crimson Tide player from the 2021 roster to be drafted.
Holman, a 6-4, 190-pound Crimson Tide signee from Sinking Spring, Pennsylvania was taken at pick No. 602 in the draft's 20th and final round by the Toronto Blue Jays.
While it is currently not known whether Holman will join his new pro team, he still has the ability to maintain his commitment to the Crimson Tide and join the program for the 2022 season.
At this year's draft, a grand total of five players from Alabama's 2021 roster and two signees were drafted. The Crimson Tide’s five total selections in the draft increased Alabama’s all-time draft pick total to 164 (154 players) since the event began in 1966. The Crimson Tide has now had at least one player selected in 43 consecutive years dating back to 1979 and 50 of the 56 MLB drafts overall.
More recently, Alabama has seen 56 players selected in the last 12 years and 91 total across the last 22 drafts dating back to 2000.
Here is Holman's scouting report courtesy of MLB.com and a list of Tyler Ras' accomplishment with the Crimson Tide, courtesy of Alabama Athletics:
Luke Holman (RHP)
"Craig Holman spent eight years pitching in the Phillies’ farm system after being taken in the 22nd round of the 1991 Draft, but never made it to the big leagues. He’s hoping for better things from his son, Luke, who beat anaplastic large cell lymphoma as a child and was getting large crowds of scouts at his starts this spring.
"As part of a bumper crop of high school talent in Eastern Pennsylvania, scouts flocked to watch Holman while getting to double up by seeing outfielder Benny Montgomery or fellow right-hander Michael Morales. Holman has made the most of the attention, showing off his size, projection and stuff fairly consistently. The projectability is the main thing with a 6-foot-4 frame that should be able to add strength. That could mean more consistent velocity for a fastball in the 90-94 mph range, thrown with good spin rates.
"Holman also can really spin his breaking ball, a pitch he typically throws in the mid-70s that flashes plus at times. He can mix in a decent changeup occasionally as well. Holman’s athleticism on the mound is another asset that should help him repeat his delivery and throw strikes. A team that likes prep arms with some ceiling could take Holman early enough to keep him from heading to the University of Alabama."
Tyler Ras (RHP)
- Played in a combined 64 games during his three seasons in Tuscaloosa, seeing time as a position player and on the mound his first two years before committing to pitching in 2021
- Worked in 22 games with 10 starts in the field as a freshman while adding 15 appearances on the mound, including 10 starts
- Totaled five appearances off the bench while adding six outings on the mound with one start during the pandemic-shortened 2020 season
- Returned for his junior campaign where he stepped into the Friday night starter role, providing UA with a chance to win each time out
- Tied for the team lead in wins as part of his 7-5 record and owned a 5.38 ERA (50 ER/83.2 IP) as a starter
- Finished second among Tide pitchers with 86.2 innings of work, tossing 5.0-plus innings in 11 of his 15 starts and posting eight quality starts
- Struck out 59 compared to 24 walks as a junior and allowed three or fewer runs in eight starts, including five starts with one or zero runs allowed
- His impressive defensive efforts on the mound earned him a spot on the SEC All-Defensive Team and a finalist nod for an ABCA/Rawlings Gold Glove at the completion of the 2021 regular season
