Colorado Rockies pick up Oregon’s Cullen Kafka in the ninth round

The Colorado Rockies take Oregon pitcher Cullen Kafka in the ninth round of the 2021 MLB draft.

Selecting an Oregon Duck worked out for the Colorado Rockies once before, so they decided to go to the well again.

Starting pitcher Cullen Kafka was picked in the ninth round of the MLB draft Monday afternoon. The Rockies picked former Oregon hurler Tyler Anderson in the first round in 2011. Anderson was able to make his debut in 2016 and is still pitching in 2021 in Pittsburgh

Kafka was the Ducks’ No. 2 starter behind Ahlstrom where he went 5-3 with an earned run average of 3.00. The junior from Walnut Creek, Calif. struck out 84 batters in 78 innings.

The last part of the 2021 season didn’t go so well for Kafka as he failed to get out of the fifth inning in his last three starts against Stanford, California and Central Connecticut.

Although the estimated value of his selection is $158,000, Kafka might choose to return to Oregon. With the NIL, Kafka can make money with his name and likeness. He would also be Oregon’s No. 1 starter heading into the 2022 season. And Colorado isn’t exactly the most pitcher-friendly place to play with the high altitude of Denver.

It will be interesting to see what Kafka chooses to do in the coming weeks ahead.