Drew Rasmussen Drafted By The Tampa Bay Rays In The First Round

The Tampa Bay Rays have selected Oregon State right handed pitcher Drew Rasmussen with the 31st overall pick in the 1st round of the 2017 MLB draft

The man behind the only perfect game in OSU history, a 103 pitch effort against Washington State during his freshman campaign, has been selected by the Tampa Bay Rays in the competitive balance portion of the 1st round of the MLB Draft. Prior to his freshman season Rasmussen was drafted by the Arizona Diamondbacks in the 39th round of the 2014 MLB draft.

The pitcher out of Spokane who missed most of last season and the first part of this season while recovering from Tommy-John has been nearly impossible for opposing batters to figure out this season. Following his mid-season return Rasmussen has posted a 3-0 record with an ERA of just 0.83. The Rays were obviously not too concerned with his injury issues and the fact that he left his last start early using an early pick on him. If Rasmussen can stay healthy Tampa Bay may have found themselves one of the best bargains of the MLB draft, as many had projected him to be an early first round lock before his injury woes. While the 6-1 righty may not be the prototypical height for a power pitcher, the big bodied Rasmussen possess a power arm that can hit upwards of 97 mph on the radar gun, while maintaining great control of the zone with an ever improving slider and a changeup that keeps hitters guessing.

Oregon State Athletics

If Rasmussen does opt to sign with Tampa Bay he will be foregoing his final two seasons of eligibility in Corvallis. Assuming he does in fact sign, Rasmussen will always have a special place in Beaver nations heart for his perfect game, and his leadership and resiliency through hardship.