Three Duke Blue Devils have come off the board in the 2024 MLB draft, and all of them call the pitcher’s mound home.
One day after the New York Mets drafted southpaw Jonathan Santucci and hours after the Seattle Mariners took Charlie Beilenson, the Kansas City Royals took right-handed reliever Nick Conte in the eighth round.
Duke fans would be forgiven for not expecting Conte as the third Blue Devil off the board. The reliever offers promising upside with his velocity, but he only made 20 appearances across the last four seasons in Durham. He totaled 18.1 innings across his four-year career, 10.0 of which came in 2021.
He (presumably) leaves Durham with a career ERA of 5.89 and a 3-1 record. He trimmed his ERA down to a career-low 4.50 in 2024, striking out eight batters in six innings. He notched his only decision of the season, a win against Miami, back in April, and he only gave up five hits and three walks for the year.
Nick Conte is a Royal!@nconte25 ➡️ @Royals #BlueCollar x #MLBDraft pic.twitter.com/GLRIFpo6kT
— Duke Baseball (@DukeBASE) July 15, 2024
Conte surrendered an opposing batting average of .209 in college, a beneficial addition for a Royals team already within the top 10 in team ERA for the 2024 season.