With the 24th pick in the 2019 MLB amateur draft, the Cleveland Indians selected Daniel Espino, a right-handed pitcher from the Georgia Premier Academy in Statesboro, Ga.
Espino is a Panama native who moved to the United States two years ago to further his baseball career. His arsenal is highlighted by an electric fastball that regularly sits in the upper 90s and was given a 70 grade by scouts at MLB Pipeline.
Drafted!!! #MLBDraft @Indians pic.twitter.com/QrEYERvQDO
— MLB Network (@MLBNetwork) June 4, 2019
Bio
Age: 18
Position: RHP
Height/Weight: 6-foot-2, 200 lbs
Bats/Throws: R/R
School: Georgia Premier Academy (Statesboro, Ga.)
NCAA commit: Louisiana State
Pick value (No. 24): $2,831,300
MLB.com money quote: "Espino usually works at 94-97 mph and has reached triple digits with his fastball. He can overpower hitters with sheer velocity, gets good riding action on his four-seamer and can show heavy sink on a two-seamer. Opponents can't afford to sit on his heater because he has a pair of power breaking pitches, with his sharp low-80s slider currently grading better than his upper-70s curveball with good depth."
2019 stats (as of May 29)
| IP (G) | W | ERA | K/BB | OPP. AVG |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 44 (9) | 9 | 0.32 | 109/9 | .068 |
Take a look ...
Hey @Indians fans, @BauerOutage introduces you to your team's first-round pick, Daniel Espino.
— MLB Network (@MLBNetwork) June 4, 2019
And he reminds Trevor of someone he knows... #MLBDraft pic.twitter.com/iDBs5VKSQJ
