By Sean Duncan
Executive Director

For Illinois high school players, the 2014 MLB Amateur Draft was considered a significant disappointment. With so much hype and high-level Illinois talent heading into the spring, you might be asking why only 12 high school players were taken, with the highest draft being Simeon Lucas (Grant HS), in the seventh round, by the Cleveland Indians?

The answer is simple: Signability.

Most of the high-level Illinois high school draft prospects had a very high asking price to sign, and therefore priced themselves out of their slotted round. When it comes to the draft, talent is only half of the equation; signability is the other significant factor of when, or if, players get drafted. In Illinois, and especially in the Chicagoland area, it has been a growing trend of players seeking large signing bonuses, thereby signaling that they would prefer to go to college if their asking price isn’t met. Last year, Matt Brill (Moline HS) was the first high school taken in the 24^th round.

With all that said, Illinois had a solid showing overall in the draft thanks to the collegiate players taken. In all, 50 players were taken from Illinois, including two players selected in the second round.  Louisville closer Nick Burdi (Downers Grove South HS, 2011) was the first Illinois player taken, 46^th overall, by the Minnesota Twins – the same club that drafted the flame-thrower out of high school in the 24^th round.

1B Sam Travis (Providence Catholic HS), who earned PBR Player of the Year honors in 2011, was taken 67 overall by the Red Sox after three decorated years at Indiana University.  Travis was drafted out of high school in the 40^th round by the Reds.

A look at some other 2014 draft highlights:

+ The Toronto Blue Jays drafted three Illinois prep prospects, including Lemont HS teammates LHP Jake Latz (11^th Round), C Mike Papierski (16^th Round), and RHP Tanner Houck (Collinsville HS, 12^th Round).

+ Illinois State saw four current players and one recruit drafted. The highest Redbird taken was RHP Jeremy Rhoades (Wheaton-Warrenville South HS, 2011), in the fourth round by the Angels. RHP Brock Stewart (Normal West HS, 2011) went in the sixth round to the Dodgers; LHP Dylan Craig (Murphysboro HS, 2011) went in the 12^th round by the Rockies); and INF Paul DeJong (Antioch HS, 2011)went in the 39^th round by the Pirates. Additionally, Illinois State’s top recruit, C Simeon Lucas, was also drafted in the seventh round and has reportedly agreed to terms and will sign.

+ Illinois’ vaunted catching crop played out like this: Lucas went in the seventh round. Mitch Trees (Springfield Sacred Heart-Griffin HS) went in the 11^th round by the Reds; Papierski in the 16^th round; and Evan Skoug (Libertyville HS) in the 34^th round by the Nationals.

+ Three players from Providence Catholic HS were drafted. Travis led the way, and his 2011 teammate, LHP Matt Trowbridge, was taken in the 13^th round by the Orioles out of Central Michigan University.  RHP Jake Godfrey, who’s one of the top prospects in the 2014 class, was drafted in the 21^st round by the Braves.

+ OF Mark Payton (St. Rita HS, 2010) was drafted for the third time, this time in the seventh round by the Yankees. Payton, who broke the NCAA record for most consecutive games having reached base, was also drafted in the 16^th round and 31^st rounds previously.

Below is a complete list of Illinois players selected in the 2014 MLB Amateur Draft:

RD	PICK	PLAYER	SCHOOL
2	46	Burdi, Nick	Louisville (Downers South HS)
2	67	Travis, Sam	Indiana (Providence HS)
4	119	Rhoades, Jeremy	Illinois State (Wheaton South HS)
5	148	Coonrod, Samuel	Southern Illinois (Carrollton HS)
5	156	Benjamin, Wes	Kansas (St. Charles East HS)
6	189	Stewart, Brock	Illinois State (Normal West HS)
7	212	Payton, Mark	Texas (St. Rita HS)
7	218	Lucas, Simeon	Grant Community HS
9	260	Murphy, Max	Bradley University
11	324	Latz, Jake	Lemont HS
11	332	Borens, Matthew	Eastern Illinois (Peotone HS)
11	335	Trees, Mitch	Sacred Heart Griffin HS
12	353	Craig, Dylan	Illinois State (Murphysboro HS)
12	354	Houck, Tanner	Collinsville HS
12	358	Henning, Jameson	Western Illinois
12	372	Willman, Tyler	Western Illinois
13	391	Trowbridge, Matt	Central Michigan (Providence HS)
13	393	Stout, Eric	Butler (St. Francis HS)
15	456	Filomeno, Joe	Louisville (St. Rita HS)
15	460	Gerber, Michael	Creighton (Neuqua Valley HS)
16	474	Papierski, Michael	Lemont HS
16	491	Street, Sam	Texas Pan American
19	566	Hirsch, Zach	Nebraska (St. Charles North HS)
19	570	Savas, Daniel	Illinois State (Willowbrook HS)
21	619	White, Charles	Maryland (Naperville North HS)
21	643	Godfrey, Jake	Providence Catholic HS
22	652	Powers, Ryan	Miami University (Nazareth HS)
22	653	Bumpers, Sam	Lamar University (Bradley HS)
23	678	Hollenbeck, Michael	Illinois State (Joliet Township HS)
23	696	Day, Darius	Simeon HS
24	733	Reiher, Kevin	Prairie St College (Eisenhower HS)
26	790	Fischer, Jack	Wake Forest (St. Ignatius HS)
27	807	Fitzgerald, Michael	Indiana State (Rochester HS)
29	869	Klonowski, Alex	Northern Illinois University
29	877	Michelson, Tomas	University of Illinois at Chicago
29	880	Butler, Jacob	St. Francis (Minooka HS)
30	899	Muck, Ronnie	University of Illinois (Maine South HS)
31	934	Johns, Samuel	Evansville
33	979	Bass, Brad	Lincoln-Way Central HS
33	1001	Lewis, Zach	Wabash Valley College (St. Laurence HS)
34	1023	Eaton, Todd	Southern Illinois (Greenville HS)
34	1024	Skoug, Evan	Libertyville HS
37	1102	Rogalla, Rags	Oak Park-River Forest HS
37	1111	Hart, Hunter	St. Joseph Ogden HS
37	1119	Kowalczyk, Karch	Valparaiso (LaSalle-Peru HS)
37	1121	Holtmann, Bryant	Florida State (Mater Dei Breese HS)
38	1128	Justiniano, Anthony	Clemente HS
38	1151	DeJong, Paul	Illinois State (Antioch HS)
39	1158	Davison, James	Morgan Park HS
39	1185	Ruchim, Kyle	Northwestern (Stevenson HS)