Washington Selected by Los Angeles Dodgers in 25th Round of MLB Draft
6/14/2017 5:13:00 PM | Baseball
MLB Draft Tracker | Los Angeles Dodgers | Baseball America Top-500
BETHLEHEM, Pa. – Lehigh baseball's Mark Washington was selected by the Los Angeles Dodgers in the 25th round (pick No. 760) of the 2017 Major League Baseball First-Year Player Draft on Wednesday afternoon. Washington is Lehigh's 12th MLB draft pick dating back to 1971 and the program's fourth selection in the last three drafts.
"I am just really excited to be given this opportunity! With all the things I have been through, to see my dream come true is truly amazing," said Washington. "It was great to spend the day with my dad and share the moment with him when we heard my named called."
"It is certainly an exciting day for Mark and his family. He has worked very hard to get to this point and the result he received today is an opportunity of a lifetime," stated head coach Sean Leary. "It is also an exciting day for our program as a whole, now that we have had draft picks for three-consecutive years. It is definitely a sign of the trajectory our program is on."
The 6-foot-7-inch right-hander was ranked as a top-500 draft prospect among draft eligible players by Baseball America in the latest pre-draft rankings and was the only individual from the Patriot League named to that list. The hard-throwing righty has been pegged as the Patriot League's top draft prospect throughout the 2016-17 academic year as he was named the league's No. 1 prospect by Perfect Game, D1Baseball.com and Baseball America in each publication's preseason outlooks.
Washington tossed just 16.0 innings in six appearances for the Mountain Hawks in 2017 as he was hampered by injuries throughout the spring after completing a stellar summer league tour and an impressive sophomore campaign with the Brown and White. In 2016 with Lehigh, Washington posted a 6-1 record in six starts and finished the season with a 1.80 ERA, which ranks fourth on Lehigh's all-time single-season ERA leaders list. He allowed just nine earned runs to lead all Lehigh starting pitchers in 45.0 innings of work throughout the season. He earned the victory in Lehigh's game-two Patriot League semifinal victory at Holy Cross after allowing just one unearned run on four hits and six strikeouts in 5.2 innings of relief work.
In the summer of 2016, Washington competed for the Valley Blue Sox of the New England Collegiate Baseball League (NECBL) where he faced high-level talent from other NCAA-sanctioned colleges and universities. Washington made nine appearances, including eight starts, through seven regular season appearances, an all-star game appearance and one postseason start. In his 34.2 innings of work, he fanned 22 batters, walked 13 and compiled a 2.86 earned-run average. At the end of the season, Washington was named one of the NECBL's top-10 pro prospects by Baseball America as he was joined on the list by players from some of the nation's top Division I programs, including Vanderbilt, Texas, Virginia and Georgia Tech.
"As for the next step, I need to look at my options and figure out what is best for myself, my family and my career at Lehigh," stated Washington. "My journey has been rocky starting in high school with my mother passing away in 2013 during my junior year. Ever since that day, I have developed a greater appreciation for life and for baseball. I have been motivated to live life to the fullest, be happy and work hard, while baseball has given me an outlet to do something I love doing."
"We are recruiting tremendous young men and high-character individuals that are willing to work and elevate their game. Mark is certainly an example of that," said Leary. "I want to give special credit to coach John Fugett and coach John Bisco for their continued efforts to develop our pitchers into prospects that are ready to move on to the next level."
"Coming to Lehigh presented another challenge, but also another blessing in my life as I was surrounded by awesome teammates and a great coaching staff," said Washington. "I have worked hard to balance the high academic standards Lehigh presents while also carrying on an athletic career. My experience at Lehigh has definitely had a positive impact on my life and helped me become the man and player that I am today."
Washington was just one of two Patriot League players selected in the 2017 MLB Draft as Holy Cross pitcher Brendan King was selected in the 20th round (No. 615 overall) by the Chicago Cubs. The big Lehigh righty is now the seventh LU player to be selected in the top-25 rounds of the current format 40-round MLB Draft, joining former teammates Justin Pacchioli and Mike Garzillo. Washington is Lehigh's sixth player to be drafted by a west division ball club and the fourth selected by a National League franchise.
Lehigh in the MLB Draft
*Drafted in high school prior to attending Lehigh
Â
BETHLEHEM, Pa. – Lehigh baseball's Mark Washington was selected by the Los Angeles Dodgers in the 25th round (pick No. 760) of the 2017 Major League Baseball First-Year Player Draft on Wednesday afternoon. Washington is Lehigh's 12th MLB draft pick dating back to 1971 and the program's fourth selection in the last three drafts.
"I am just really excited to be given this opportunity! With all the things I have been through, to see my dream come true is truly amazing," said Washington. "It was great to spend the day with my dad and share the moment with him when we heard my named called."
"It is certainly an exciting day for Mark and his family. He has worked very hard to get to this point and the result he received today is an opportunity of a lifetime," stated head coach Sean Leary. "It is also an exciting day for our program as a whole, now that we have had draft picks for three-consecutive years. It is definitely a sign of the trajectory our program is on."
The 6-foot-7-inch right-hander was ranked as a top-500 draft prospect among draft eligible players by Baseball America in the latest pre-draft rankings and was the only individual from the Patriot League named to that list. The hard-throwing righty has been pegged as the Patriot League's top draft prospect throughout the 2016-17 academic year as he was named the league's No. 1 prospect by Perfect Game, D1Baseball.com and Baseball America in each publication's preseason outlooks.
Washington tossed just 16.0 innings in six appearances for the Mountain Hawks in 2017 as he was hampered by injuries throughout the spring after completing a stellar summer league tour and an impressive sophomore campaign with the Brown and White. In 2016 with Lehigh, Washington posted a 6-1 record in six starts and finished the season with a 1.80 ERA, which ranks fourth on Lehigh's all-time single-season ERA leaders list. He allowed just nine earned runs to lead all Lehigh starting pitchers in 45.0 innings of work throughout the season. He earned the victory in Lehigh's game-two Patriot League semifinal victory at Holy Cross after allowing just one unearned run on four hits and six strikeouts in 5.2 innings of relief work.
In the summer of 2016, Washington competed for the Valley Blue Sox of the New England Collegiate Baseball League (NECBL) where he faced high-level talent from other NCAA-sanctioned colleges and universities. Washington made nine appearances, including eight starts, through seven regular season appearances, an all-star game appearance and one postseason start. In his 34.2 innings of work, he fanned 22 batters, walked 13 and compiled a 2.86 earned-run average. At the end of the season, Washington was named one of the NECBL's top-10 pro prospects by Baseball America as he was joined on the list by players from some of the nation's top Division I programs, including Vanderbilt, Texas, Virginia and Georgia Tech.
"As for the next step, I need to look at my options and figure out what is best for myself, my family and my career at Lehigh," stated Washington. "My journey has been rocky starting in high school with my mother passing away in 2013 during my junior year. Ever since that day, I have developed a greater appreciation for life and for baseball. I have been motivated to live life to the fullest, be happy and work hard, while baseball has given me an outlet to do something I love doing."
"We are recruiting tremendous young men and high-character individuals that are willing to work and elevate their game. Mark is certainly an example of that," said Leary. "I want to give special credit to coach John Fugett and coach John Bisco for their continued efforts to develop our pitchers into prospects that are ready to move on to the next level."
"Coming to Lehigh presented another challenge, but also another blessing in my life as I was surrounded by awesome teammates and a great coaching staff," said Washington. "I have worked hard to balance the high academic standards Lehigh presents while also carrying on an athletic career. My experience at Lehigh has definitely had a positive impact on my life and helped me become the man and player that I am today."
Washington was just one of two Patriot League players selected in the 2017 MLB Draft as Holy Cross pitcher Brendan King was selected in the 20th round (No. 615 overall) by the Chicago Cubs. The big Lehigh righty is now the seventh LU player to be selected in the top-25 rounds of the current format 40-round MLB Draft, joining former teammates Justin Pacchioli and Mike Garzillo. Washington is Lehigh's sixth player to be drafted by a west division ball club and the fourth selected by a National League franchise.
Lehigh in the MLB Draft
| Year | Name | Round – Team |
|---|---|---|
| 1971 | Rich Revta | 26th Round – Washington Senators |
| 1973 | Frank Zawatski | 19th Round – San Francisco Giants |
| 1975 | Paul Hartzell | 10th Round – California Angels |
| 1977 | Joe Carroll | 20th Round – Texas Rangers |
| 1989 | Dave Norwood | 40th Round – Cleveland Indians |
| 1997 | Ben Talbott | 32nd Round – Anaheim Angels |
| 2002 | Jack Lyons* | 34th Round – Montreal Expos |
| 2006 | Matt McBride | 2nd Round – Cleveland Indians |
| 2015 | Justin Pacchioli | 10th Round – San Diego Padres |
| 2015 | Mike Garzillo | 38th Round – New York Yankees |
| 2016 | Mike Garzillo | 25th Round – Miami Marlins |
| 2017 | Mark Washington | 25th Round – Los Angeles Dodgers |
Â
Players Mentioned
2B
/ Baseball
RHP
/ BaseballBaseball vs. Coppin State
Tuesday, April 29
Baseball vs. Penn
Wednesday, March 19
Baseball vs. UAlbany
Sunday, March 16
Season Preview Baseball
Thursday, February 13
