Sam Praytor Taken in Sixth Round 2021 MLB Draft

TUSCALOOSA, Ala. — Sam Praytor was selected by the Miami Marlins with the 179th overall pick in the sixth round of the 2021 MLB Draft.

The redshirt junior catcher is the second Alabama player taken in the round, joining teammate Chase Lee who was drafted by the Texas Rangers, and fourth player overall under head coach Brad Bohannon and Co.

6 (179): @Marlins select Alabama (AL) C Sam Praytor. https://t.co/SwCcuhgipT #MLBDraft
— MLB Draft Tracker (@MLBDraftTracker) July 12, 2021

Praytor arrived to Alabama as the state's top catcher, according to Perfect Game, and contributed early by pacing the team in walks (21), adding a .430 on-base percentage as a freshman during conference play.

In his second and third-year campaigns, 2019 and 2020, the signal caller suffered a season-ending injury in the first game of year two and saw time in 16 games of an abbreviated 2020 schedule.

A First Team All-SEC member in 2021, Praytor was one of the key pieces of a Crimson Tide group that made it to the NCAA Regionals earlier this summer.

He earned Third Team All-American honors by Collegiate Baseball News, starting 54 of 58 total games behind the plate and four others as designated hitter, compiling a .277 batting average with 12 doubles and a team-high 14 home runs in 2021.

Alabama's team leader in RBIs was also Praytor (48), with 23 during SEC play, and he finished with a .573 slugging percentage in-conference.

The Helena, Alabama, native produced three noteworthy hitting streaks as a redshirt junior, including an 11-game streak from February 23-March 10. It was a career-best.

Prior to the Crimson Tide's berth in the NCAA Tournament this summer, Praytor earned a degree in consumer sciences.