Jonathan Santucci is off to The Big Apple.
Leominster native and Phillips Andover graduate Jonathan Santucci was selected 46th overall by the New York Mets in the second round of the 2024 Major League Baseball amateur draft on Sunday night.
Santucci was a two-way star at Phillips before transitioning into a dominant left-handed pitcher over the last three years at Duke. Santucci will now enter negotiations with the Mets over his signing bonus. The designated value of the 46th overall pick is $2.03 million.
“I had a good feeling it would be the Mets,” Santucci said. “They were really interested in the combine and I had a great interview with them. The draft is very unpredictable and you don’t know how sometimes it is going to play out but I am super excited.”
Kevin Graber, who coached Santucci for four years at Phillips Andover before transitioning into a managerial role for the Chicago Cubs at the minor league level, offered insight on the Mets’ new prospect.
“The Mets are getting a steal in the second round,” said Graber. “Left-handed pitching is at a premium in Major League Baseball, and Jonathan brings a mid- to upper-90s fastball as part of a three-pitch mix that will hopefully afford him an opportunity to advance quickly.”
Santucci’s selection represents the second consecutive year in which a Phillips alum has been taken on the first day of the draft. Last year, Thomas White was chosen by the Miami Marlins with the 35th overall pick.
Santucci blossomed his freshman year at Duke, striking out 58 in 41 innings of work. After an injury-ridden sophomore year, he was bound for a standout junior campaign as he struck out 90 batters in 58 innings and was named to the NCAA’s Golden Spikes Midseason Watch List. Santucci’s year, however, was once again nagged by injuries as he missed three weeks with a rib injury. The southpaw’s fastball hovers between 94 and 96 mph to go with a wipe-out slider and above average changeup.
Elsewhere in the MLB Draft, Wakefield native and Phillips Andover alum Jack Penney was selected in the fifth round by the Detroit Tigers. Penney spent the last three years at Notre Dame. During his sophomore campaign, Penney collected 41 hits and 10 home runs. He helped lead the Fighting Irish to the College World Series in 2022.
Former North Attleboro standout and current Northeastern University right-hander Dennis Colleran realized his professional baseball dreams as he was selected in the seventh round by the Kansas City Royals. Colleran is known for his four-seam fastball that touches 99 mph. At the Major League Baseball Draft Combine in June, Colleran featured nine pitches that all registered at least 97 miles per hour.
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