Jacob Wallace to Colorado Rockies w/ pick #100 (3rd Round)

[huskymedic]

 

[huskymedic]

 

[businesslawyer]

We've seen what a future major league reliever looks like. Wallace leaves UConn miles -- miles -- ahead of where any of them were when they left. I know that college talent isn't a direct predictor of professional -- much less major league -- success, but Wally was just absolutely unreal this year.

 

[CL82]

Absolutely look forward to watching his career unfold. With his velocity and control I expect to see him in the big leagues sooner rather than later.

 

[huskymedic]

Absolutely look forward to watching his career unfold. With his velocity and control I expect to see him in the big league sooner rather than later.

You may see him in Hartford @ DDP even sooner....

 

[Pudge]

I expect Jacob Wallace to have a quick ascendance to the MLB level ... all things cross your fingers.

 

[Dream Jobbed 2.0]

You may see him in Hartford @ DDP even sooner....

I was just about to say we’ll see him back in CT next year.

 

[gtcam]

Congrats JW
In my book you are a 1st rounder
Hope to see you in Hartford ASAP!!!!
Thanks for the GREAT memories

 

[huskymedic]

MLB Draft: Rockies take UConn’s Jacob Wallace in 3rd Round

>>“I’m just happy to have the honor to be drafted and have the season I did,” Wallace told the Courant, as he rode on the bus with coach Jim Penders and teammates from the airport back to campus on Tuesday. “I’m happy I ended up there, a few familiar faces in the bullpen.”<<

>>The “slot value,” or approximate signing bonus MLB assigns to the 100th pick is $581,600. If and when Wallace signs, the usual starting place for a college draftee in the Rockies’ system is Boise of the Northwest League.

“I’ve heard it’s a grind, but that’s what I’m used to being a UConn Husky,” Wallace said, “… I’m ready for it.”<<

 

[Scrutiner]

This is great for Wallace and UConn. My hope has been that some of the "stars" of Connecticut, like those who committed to Duke, Virginia and NC State this year, and others in the future, will see how well Penders and his staff have developed players like Wallace and go to UConn. Wallace, as I understand it, was a walk-on and here he goes third round and #100. That ought to help recruiting along with Springer and the many others who've been drafted and made the majors in the last ten years.

 

[uconnbaseball]

UConn has won their fair share of battles for top in state talent as well, to be fair. Penders aint Edsall

This is great for Wallace and UConn. My hope has been that some of the "stars" of Connecticut, like those who committed to Duke, Virginia and NC State this year, and others in the future, will see how well Penders and his staff have developed players like Wallace and go to UConn. Wallace, as I understand it, was a walk-on and here he goes third round and #100. That ought to help recruiting along with Springer and the many others who've been drafted and made the majors in the last ten years.

 

[huskymedic]

This is great for Wallace and UConn. My hope has been that some of the "stars" of Connecticut, like those who committed to Duke, Virginia and NC State this year, and others in the future...

Some of those "stars" are intentionally not recruited hard because they don't fit the UConn mold. Penders doesn't lose many in-state kids he really wants. IMO - The new facilities will help more overall than where Wallace was drafted.

 

[huskymedic]

 

[Pudge]

UConn has won their fair share of battles for top in state talent as well, to be fair. Penders aint Edsall

It simply is not fair to contrast College Football to College Baseball. It is as simple as comparing 100,000 at the Big House to 2500 at a lot of bigger CBB schools attendance. It is hard to fight gravity

 

[huskymedic]

 

[powerplay]

I'm not an expert, but any chance he comes back for his senior year? Wasn't sure if baseball was like hockey.

 

[navery12]

I'm not an expert, but any chance he comes back for his senior year? Wasn't sure if baseball was like hockey.

3rd round is pretty much the ceiling for a RP so he'll be gone

 

[huskymedic]

I'm not an expert, but any chance he comes back for his senior year? Wasn't sure if baseball was like hockey.

Anything is possible but...

"The “slot value,” or approximate signing bonus MLB assigns to the 100th pick is $581,600".

Pitchers only have so many "bullets in their gun". What would he gain from a professional development perspective by coming back to school for another year > a chance to have a better year (if even possible) and maybe go higher in the draft next year for more money? One tweaked tendon/ligament and...

He has nothing left to prove to any future employer...

 

[scotty0330]

We've seen what a future major league reliever looks like. Wallace leaves UConn miles -- miles -- ahead of where any of them were when they left. I know that college talent isn't a direct predictor of professional -- much less major league -- success, but Wally was just absolutely unreal this year.

The string of closers this program has generated in last handful of years is incredible. Each year they also have gotten progressively better with Wallace being the most dominant of them all.

 

[Palatine]

A week ago he was the #142 prospect in the draft. Some of that jump to being drafted #100 has to be his regional performance.

 

[businesslawyer]

The string of closers this program has generated in last handful of years is incredible. Each year they also have gotten progressively better with Wallace being the most dominant of them all.

100%. I know Wurster was a RS Frosh this year, and not a true frosh, but he was better this year (not with more "stuff' and Ks but better in terms of numbers) than Wally was last year. It will be interesting to see how much he can improve for next year.

 

[dbmill]

With Wallace going in the third round today, this is the fourth year in a row that a UConn pitcher has gone in the top 6 rounds of the draft. Not bad at all.

2019 - Wallace - 3rd round
2018 - Cate - 2nd round
2017 - Montgomerie - 6th round
2016 - Kay - 1st round

 

[dbmill]

Fourth year in a row that UConn's closer was taken in the draft:

2019 - Wallace - 3rd round
2018 - Poulin - 11th round
2017 - Russell - 16th round
2016 - Ruotolo - 27th round

I like that trend of draft rounds going up each year. Assuming that next season's closer is Caleb Wurster, we'll see if he can make it five years in a row. It wouldn't surprise me if he does.

 

[dbmill]

This is great for Wallace and UConn. My hope has been that some of the "stars" of Connecticut, like those who committed to Duke, Virginia and NC State this year, and others in the future, will see how well Penders and his staff have developed players like Wallace and go to UConn. Wallace, as I understand it, was a walk-on and here he goes third round and #100. That ought to help recruiting along with Springer and the many others who've been drafted and made the majors in the last ten years.

Yes, Jacob Wallace was a non-scholarship player or walk on in his initial year at UConn. Still, Wallace is hardly the first UConn baseball player who was initially a walk on to end up getting drafted. Before this draft, 47 players have been drafted during Penders tenure as coach at UConn. Of these players, 10 were non scholarship players at least in their first year at Storrs. The UConn baseball website has the list of players drafted during the Penders era, and they highlight those were initially walk ons, including some big names:

2017 - John Russell - 16th round
2017 - Doug Domnarski - 27th round
2016 - Jack Sundberg - 26th round
2016 - Bobby Melley - 34th round
2011 - Nick Ahmed - 2nd round
2011 - Mike Nemeth - 21st round
2011 - Doug Elliot - - 35th round
2009 - John Folino - 27th round
2009 - Harold Brantley, Jr. - 30th round
2008 - John Folino - 49th round
2006 - Tim Norton - 7th round

In addition, there were two more initial walk on players who were not drafted but signed free agent contracts after the draft:

2014 - Anthony Marzi
2012 - Ryan Fuller

 

[Dream Jobbed 2.0]

He struck out nearly the entire lineup of the 9th best team in the country in succession. He has nothing to gain coming back as much as we may want him to.