Brewers select LHP Ethan Small No. 28 overall
The Milwaukee Brewers selected Mississippi State left-handed pitcher Ethan Small with the 28th pick in the 2019 MLB draft on Monday night.
A junior, Small has gone 9-2 in 16 starts this season for the Bulldogs, posting a 1.88 ERA and striking out a whopping 160 batters in 96 innings.
At the end of the regular season, Small ranked third in the Southeastern Conference in ERA and ranked among Division I pitchers in WHIP (2nd, 0.80) and ERA (13th). He was named the SEC's 2019 Pitcher of the Year for his efforts.
The Bulldogs are still vying for a national championship after advancing to the NCAA Super Regionals with a win over the University of Miami on Sunday.
The 6-foot-3 lefty, who missed the 2017 season recovering from Tommy John surgery, has recorded double-digit strikeouts in 11 starts.
Small was a 26th-round selection by the Arizona Diamondbacks last year, but declined to sign.
This is the first time the Brewers have selected a pitcher in the first round since Nathan Kirby in 2015.
In the second round, Milwaukee took another pitcher, left-hander Antoine Kelly of Wabash Valley College. Kelly went 9-0 with a 1.88 ERA and 112 strikeouts in 2019. He was selected in the 13th round in last year's draft by San Diego.
