As the third Iowa baseball player chosen in the 2025 MLB draft following teammates Cade Obermueller, Daniel Wright, and Aaron Savary, Hawkeyes pitcher Anthony Watts has been selected by the St. Louis Cardinals.
Just 15 spots after the Cleveland Guardians selected Savary in the 13th round, St. Louis used the No. 420 overall pick to select Watts in the 14th round on Monday from Atlanta, GA.
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The 6-foot-4, 175-pound right-handed native of Clive, Iowa, was primarily used as a relief pitcher out of the Hawkeyes’ bullpen this past spring, posting a 4-4 record with a 4.72 ERA in 40 innings through 24 appearances. Watts also finished the season with 45 strikeouts, a career-low 19 base-on-balls, 27 hits allowed, and two saves.
Watts’ selection now increases the number of Hawkeye players drafted under head coach Rick Heller to 37.
Watts joined the program before the 2023-24 campaign following one season with Creighton, which gives him one year of NCAA eligibility remaining.
Similar to Savary, MLB.com does not list an approximate pick value for Watts. However, he could elect to return to the Hawkeyes for a senior season by not signing with the Cardinals.
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If Watts were to sign a professional contract with St. Louis, he would finish his three-year college baseball career with an 8-8 record and a 4.33 ERA on 129 innings pitched through 11 starts in 59 appearances to go along with 129 strikeouts and three games saved.
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This article originally appeared on Hawkeyes Wire: Iowa baseball pitcher Anthony Watts selected by Cardinals in MLB Draft