Aggies Ace Nathan Dettmer Selected By Oakland Athletics In Fifth Round
Nathan Dettmer is head to the pros.
The Oakland Athletics fortified the future of their pitching staff by taking the Texas A&M right-hander with the 139th pick in the fifth round of the 2023 MLB Draft Monday afternoon. According to reports from the Bryan-College Station Eagle, Dettmer is expected to sign with the team, thus ending his time at Blue Bell Park.
The Ace of the program for two seasons under Jim Schlossnagle, Dettmer served as the primary Friday starter in both 2022 and 2023. This past season, he was the only consistent weekend starter in the rotation, recording a team-high 17 starts.
Dettmer regressed statistically a year removed from the Aggies' run to the College World Series semifinal in 2022. He finished with a 1-4 record while posting a career-high 6.32 ERA. In 72.2 innings pitched, Dettmer recorded 65 strikeouts to 42 walks and was credited with one quality start (six innings pitched) in his final 12 appearances.
Dettmer's best season came during his sophomore year, when he posted a 6-3 record with a 4.99 ERA in 19 starts. He was named SEC Pitcher of the Week twice that year following exceptional outings against Georgia (8.0 IP, 1 R, 0 ER, 9 K) and Vanderbilt (7.0 IP, 2 H, 1 R, 1 ER, 6 K).
Arguably Dettmer's best start came against Notre Dame in an elimination game at the College World Series, where his 90-plus MPH fastball took control. Across seven scoreless innings, he allowed three hits against zero walks and struck out six batters en route to a 5-1 victory.
In three seasons with the program, the San Antonio native posted a 10-9 record with a 5.27 ERA, 196 strikeouts and 94 walks in 220.1 career innings. He was credited with 48 starts and five appearances out of the bullpen.
Dettmer will now join former A&M teammate Micah Dallas in Okland's farm system, hoping to one day reach the majors. Dallas, who spent one season with the Aggies after transferring from Texas Tech in 2022, was selected in the eighth round of the 2022 draft following a career year.
With Dettmer gone, the Aggies will now need to find a new ace to kick off the weekend series. They'll have options in young players such as left-handed freshmen Shane Sdao and Justin Lamkin, along with veterans like junior left-hander Evan Aschenbeck and sophomore right-hander Chris Cortez.
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