Virginia Tech Pitcher Inks Deal With the Yankees
Five Virginia Tech players were drafted in the 2024 MLB Draft. Carson Demartini was the first Hokie taken, drafted in the fourth round to the Philadelphia Phillies organization, with four other Virginia Tech players to follow him.
Wyatt Parliament was taken in the seventh round by the Yankees, Eddie Micheletti was drafted up north by the Blue Jays in the eighth round, Jordan Little was the second Virginia Tech pitcher off the board and was chosen by the Reds in round fifteen, and infielder Christian Martin was taken in the eighteenth round by the Cardinals.
There were five Hokies drafted in the 2023 MLB Draft as well, Brady Kirtner was one of them.
In the 2023 MLB Draft, the New York Mets selected Kirtner in the twelfth round, at the 366th overall pick in the draft. Kirtner would decide not to sign with the Mets, and returned to Virginia Tech for another season of baseball. Brady Kirtner had pretty good numbers in 2023, including no home runs allowed in the entire season, a 1.42 WHIP, and an impressive 12.8 strikeouts per nine innings.
He finished the 2023 season with 25.1 innings pitched and a 4.62 ERA, and hoped to improve on those numbers in 2024 and get those numbers higher so he could be drafted at a higher slot.
Only some of that statement ended up being true. Kirtner's final pitching stats in 2024 were: 37.2 IP, 4.30 ERA, 1.65 WHIP, 0.7 HR/9, and a 8.8 K/9. Kirtner did play more in 2024, starting to be relied on as a multiple inning reliever. This might've been what caused some of his numbers to fall. Some numbers were better though, with the ERA being roughly .3 points lower than 2024.
A lot of the bigger numbers took a hit though. Kirtner's impressive 12.8 K/9 dropped down to a career low 8.8 K/9 in 2024. This was probably the deciding factor in Kirtner not being selected in the draft portion. The WHIP also took a hit (1.42 WHIP in 2023, 1.65 WHIP in 2024), and probably discouraged some teams from drafting him.
The Yankees must think they can get Kirtner back to his prime campaign. On Monday, it was announced that Kirtner had signed an un-drafted free agent deal with the historic franchise.
Hopefully, Kirtner can make his way through the ranks of the organization, and be able to make an impact at the major league level, until then we wish Brady the best on his future endeavors.
RJ Schafer joined the On SI team in 2024, contributing to the coverage of Major League Baseball, Collegiate Basketball, and Collegiate Football at https://www.si.com/college/virginiatech/. Prior to this, RJ built a strong portfolio covering Georgia Tech and the Tigers for the Bleav Network. With a solid background in sports journalism, RJ has conducted interviews with both collegiate and professional athletes, enhancing the depth and authenticity of his reporting. RJ's extensive experience in the sports industry has equipped him with a keen understanding of the dynamics and intricacies of both collegiate and professional sports. His work is focused on providing insightful analysis and comprehensive coverage, making him a trusted voice in the sports community.