Redbirds draft college pitcher in first round

ST. LOUIS -- The St. Louis Cardinals took a right-handed pitcher with the last pick in the first round of Tuesday's draft, then a pair of U.S. National teammates from Miami.

Adam Ottavino, a 6-foot-5 right-hander from Northeastern University who struck out 120 hitters in 93 2/3 innings this season, was the team's top selection in the opening round of the two-day draft.

Christopher Perez, 20, a right-handed pitcher, was the 42nd pick overall with a sandwich pick after the first round. His University of Miami teammate and outfielder, Jonathan Jay, 21, was the team's fourth selection in the second round.

Ottavino, a 20-year-old junior at the Boston school, was 4-5 with a 2.98 ERA for the Huskies. For his career, he's 13-13 with a 3.09 ERA, 290 strikeouts and 116 walks in 253 1/3 innings.

"To draft a pitcher like this who graded out very well across the board with us is a big plus for our organization," general manager Walt Jocketty said.

The Cardinals picked last because they're coming off their second straight 100-win season.

Ottavino, a native of Brooklyn, N.Y., was named to the first team all-Colonial Athletic Association this season and threw a no-hitter with 14 strikeouts on April 7 against James Mason. He had 12 strikeouts and allowed just two hits in a 2-1 loss to then-No. 1 Georgia Tech on March 7.

"He's a big guy. He's definitely got some upside left in him," said Jeff Luhnow, vice president of player procurement. "We've been following him since his first game this year. He's the type of guy who has the ability to touch 96 [mph]."

Ottavino had a strong showing in the Cape Cod League last summer, when he was 2-2 with a 1.76 ERA.

"I've been speechless all day," Ottavino said. "Being picked by the Cardinals certainly wasn't a disappointment at all."

Ottavino said he talked to a lot of teams, but was most aggressively scouted by the Cardinals and the Boston Red Sox.

Both Jay and Perez spent the summer on the U.S. national team. Jay led the Hurricanes with a .355 batting average and had five homers.

"I expect him to go out and hit right away in the minor leagues," Luhnow said.

Perez could be a closer and was drafted for the movement on his slider and fastball, Luhnow said. Perez had a 1.74 ERA and was 3-1 in his junior season at Miami.

"We feel pretty comfortable that he's the kind of pitcher who can throw strikes. He has a curve ball also which he's developing," Luhnow said.

Last season, the Cardinals took six high school players among their top 10 picks. On Tuesday, their only youngster drafted in the top 10 was right-handed pitcher Matthew North, 18, out of Deer Valley High School in Antioch, Calif. The Cardinals took just four high schoolers in the first day of the draft, including St. Louis native Travis Mitchell, 18, a center fielder from Parkway Central High School.

The Cardinals picked seven outfielders, four infielders and a catcher. They also got nine pitchers Tuesday, including Edward Degerman, a right-hander for Rice University, which is in the NCAA Super Regionals.