At the beginning of the second day of the MLB Draft, MLBNetwork showed a graphic of which pitchers had the best traits in the draft. Notre Dame pitcher Joe Boyle was given the designation of having the best fastball in the draft, but that doesn’t always equate to being drafted highly.
Day 2 of MLB Draft should be De La Salle right-hander Ben Hernandez’ day. Ranked 73rd on MLB Pipeline prospect list. Stellar changeup. pic.twitter.com/6OHO8v6Una
— Daryl Van Schouwen (@CST_soxvan) June 11, 2020
Boyle had to wait until the final round, the fifth, to hear his name called by the Cincinnati Reds, the 143rd overall pick. His pick value was estimated by MLB.com at $382,700 and the fourth-year junior has the option of returning to school.
Congratulations to Joe Boyle, who became Notre Dame's 120th @MLBDraft pick and selected by the @Reds in the 5th round!
We are so proud of you @joeboylejoe1314!#GoIrish #IrishInMLB pic.twitter.com/BRpifXZ5UP
— Notre Dame Baseball (@NDBaseball) June 12, 2020
It remains to be seen if Boyle will sign or stay in South Bend as the 6’7” and 240-pound pitcher has a life-changing decision to make. Although the draft was truncated this season, normally the draft consists of 40 rounds, getting drafted in the first 5 rounds is still an impressive feat. At his point in time, if I had to guess, Boyle will sign with the Reds and start his professional career when the minor leagues resume play.