Five baseball players with strong area ties were selected in the 2024 Major League Baseball Draft held Sunday through Tuesday.
On Monday, the draft’s second day, the Los Angeles Dodgers headlined area selections by picking Central Bucks East third baseman Chase Harlan, who graduated in June, in the third round.
Two rounds later, the Houston Astros selected Liberty pitcher Cole Hertzler. Hertzler, the 163rd overall pick, was a two-way standout for the 2022 Quakertown Blazers. Hertzler’s recommended slot bonus was $396,000.
An ACBL All-Star, the 6-foot-4, 235-pound Hertzler had a 2.59 ERA and 24 strikeouts in 17.1 innings. As a hitter, Hertzler hit .271 with five homers, seven doubles and 28 RBIs in 37 games.
Hertzler, a Boyertown product, made the Conference USA second team and all-tournament team this spring. He had a 5-6 record with a 4.46 ERA over 76 2/3 innings. Hertzler’s 89 strikeouts led Liberty.
Two right-handed pitchers – Bensalem’s Matt McShane and Chalfont’s Alex Bouchard – were selected on Tuesday in Day 3 of the draft.
The Pittsburgh Pirates drafted the 6-foot-4 McShane, a rising senior at St. Joseph’s, in the 13th round with the 384th pick. A Collegiate Baseball Newspaper Freshman All-American, McShane made 20 appearances for the Hawks this spring. He struck out 57 in 43.1 innings, holding batters to a .224 average against.
The 6-foot-3 Bouchard was selected by the Boston Red Sox in the 14th round 33 picks later. Bouchard, who played at Germantown Academy, transferred into Lehigh after a freshman season at Dickinson. The rising senior pitched two seasons for the Mountain Hawks. Although limited to just two starts this year, Bouchard fanned 11 in 6.2 innings.
In the 19th round with the 582nd pick, the Phillies selected lefty Erik Ritchie, a rising senior at East Carolina. Ritchie, who was born in Sellersville and won a state title at Souderton, struck out 33 in 29.2 innings and held opposing hitters to a .200 average this spring.
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