A Duke position player finally found his way onto an MLB team during the 2024 draft cycle.
After five Blue Devils pitchers got drafted earlier this week, catcher Alex Stone signed with the Toronto Blue Jays as an undrafted free agent on Friday to begin his professional career.
Stone, the All-ACC Second Team catcher and a member of the All-ACC Tournament team after Duke’s title run, finished his senior season with 13 home runs and 59 runs batted in. He batted .312, the second-best average of his career, and cranked out a personal-best 19 doubles.
During the Blue Devils’ blitz to the conference tournament title, Stone hit two home runs and drove in three runs. His 59 RBIs finished as the most on the team (tied with two other teammates), and he was one of five Duke bats with 10 doubles, 10 home runs, and 50 RBIs last season.
Across his four-year, 172-game Duke career, Stone tallied 40 home runs and 138 RBIs. He finished his career with a .295 batting average and a .552 slugging percentage, and his on-base percentage ended at .357.
Blue Devil to a Blue Jay
Alex Stone has signed a free agent deal with the @BlueJays! pic.twitter.com/WKUYlOYLAU
— Duke Baseball (@DukeBASE) July 19, 2024
Jonathan Santucci, Duke’s ace southpaw, led the way among Duke’s draft picks when the New York Mets took him in the second round. Closer Charlie Beilenson, another All-ACC selection, also notably went in the fifth round to the Seattle Mariners.