Ole Miss’ Nick Fortes, Brady Feigl selected on Day 2 of MLB Draft

Published 1:17 pm Tuesday, June 5, 2018

Two more Ole Miss players came off the board on the second day of the Major League Baseball First-Year Player Draft.

After first-rounder Ryan Rolison went 22nd overall to the Colorado Rockies on Monday, Nick Fortes on Tuesday was taken in the fourth round by the Miami Marlins, who selected the Rebels’ junior catcher with the 117th overall pick. One round later, a second piece of Ole Miss’ weekend rotation was taken when Brady Feigl was drafted 243rd overall by the Oakland Athletics.

The draft’s first two days consisted of the top 10 rounds. Rounds 11-40 will take place Wednesday starting at 11 a.m.

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The recommended signing bonus for where Fortes and Feigl were selected will leave both with a decision to make about their future. Fortes’ slot value is $474,000, according to MLB.com, while the value for Feigl’s pick is $368,200.

After splitting time with Cooper Johnson last season, Fortes’ stock soared with a career year in his first as the Rebels’ full-time catcher. He started all 65 games this season and hit .319 while posting career-bests in home runs (11), RBIs (49), slugging percentage (.519) and on-base percentage (.435). He also threw out 13 of 32 base stealers.

Ole Miss Brady Feigl pitches against Auburn at Oxford-University Stadium in Oxford, Miss. on Friday, May 11, 2018. (Bruce Newman, Oxford Eagle via AP)

A fourth-year junior, Feigl was taken in the 35th round of last year’s draft by the Los Angeles Angels of Anaheim but returned to school and improved his stock in his first full season in the rotation, going 8-5 with a 4.01 earned run average in 16 starts this season. The right-hander allowed 91 hits, struck out 93 and walked just 26 in 91 2/3 innings.

In his last four starts, Feigl allowed nine earned runs, struck out 29 and walked four in 24 1/3 innings.

Other players who would could hear their name called Wednesday include Ryan Olenek, James McArthur, Parker Caracci and Will Golsan.