‘I almost blacked out.’ Padres select Southern Miss lefty Ryan Och in MLB Draft
The San Diego Padres drafted Southern Miss sophomore left-handed reliever Ryan Och in the seventh round of the MLB Draft on Monday, and he’s already made the decision to follow his dream of becoming a pro baseball player.
Och, who was the No. 220 pick overall, became the second Golden Eagle to be drafted on Monday after Reed Trimble was selected by the Baltimore Orioles in the competitive balance round between Rounds 2 and 3.
Just prior to being drafted, Och received a call from his advisor and then the Padres.
Och heard what he’d hoped to hear from the Padres on a potential contract offer, and his name was announced about 30 seconds later.
“I almost kind of blacked out, everything happened so quick,” he said. “I’d say I’m on cloud nine. Everything feels kind of surreal. I’m kind of taking it all in.”
The slot value for the Padres’ No. 220 pick is $197,300.
The lefty had two years of eligibility remaining at Southern Miss, but the opportunity to join one of the hottest franchises in the big leagues was tough to pass up.
“Everything I experienced at Southern Miss was extremely positive,” Och said. “I loved going to school here, getting my degree was awesome too. It’s just a place that’s not like a lot of places. It has a special place in my heart.”
Och said he spoke with more than 15 teams prior to the draft and worked out for the Kansas City Royals.
Och put together one of the nation’s best performances out of the bullpen in 2021. He was 8-0 with a 1.27 ERA in 35 ⅓ innings, striking out 59 and walking 12.
The Minnesota native closed out the season strong against Florida State in the Oxford Regional, striking out 11 and walking two in 4 ⅔ innings out of the bullpen. He struck out 11 batters and walked two.
His fastball usually stays around 92-94 miles per hour, but it’s the arm-side run on the pitch that makes him especially tough to hit for both right- and left-handed batters.
Och said that MLB team officials were impressed by the movement on his fastball.
“It’s just the deception with my motion and my fastball having life. Those were the two big ones,” Och said.
Indians draft Southern Miss RHP Hunter Stanley
Southern Miss senior right-handed pitcher Hunter Stanley was selected in the 11th round of the MLB Draft by the Cleveland Indians on Tuesday.
Stanley made a successful transition from the bullpen to the starting rotation during the 2021 campaign. He was 6-4 with a 2.56 ERA in 16 games, striking out 127 and walking 19 in 102 innings.
He was 13-6 with over 53 appearances as a Golden Eagle.
This story was originally published July 12, 2021 at 3:54 PM.
