Wolfpack First Round MLB Draft Tradition Continues With Bailey
As the top rated catcher in this year's abbreviated Major League Baseball draft, it was never a matter of if Patrick Bailey would go in the first round Wednesday night.
Rather, it's how early he'd go and which team would take him.
As it turned out, the switch hitting Wolfpack star -- who led the team with six home runs, including three grand slams, while hitting .296 with 20 RBI in the 17 games that were played this season -- went to the San Francisco Giants with the No. 13 overall pick.
There's also a possibility that Bailey's batterymate Nick Swiney could also sneak into the first round.
If that happens, it will mark only the second time in school history that the Wolfpack has had two first round picks in the same draft.
No matter what, Bailey's selection continued a growing first round tradition that includes nine other players, including three in the past six years.
They are:
- Ron Evans#, 3B, Boston Red Sox, 1975
- Dan Plesac, LHP, Milwaukee Brewers, 1983
- Greg Briley#, 2B, Seattle Mariners, 1986
- Corey Lee, LHP, Texas Rangers, 1996
- Joey Devine, LHP, Atlanta Braves, 2005
- Andrew Brackman, RHP, New York Yankees, 2007
- Carlos Rodon, LHP, Chicago White Sox, 2014
- Trea Turner, SS, San Diego Padres, 2014
- Will Wilson, SS, Los Angeles Angels, 2019
# Secondary phase
Other than Wilson, who has yet to play a full season of professional ball, all of State's other previous first round picks eventually made it to the Major Leagues. Turner became a World Series champion last October as a member of the Washington Nationals.
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