Two former Mustangs, right-handed pitchers David Rodriguez and William Watson, were drafted by Major League baseball teams in the 2023 MLB draft.
Rodriguez was drafted by the Atlanta Braves in the 15th round, and Watson was drafted by the Seattle Mariners in the 20th round.
Watson is known for his high velocity with a fastball that ranges from 91-95 miles per hour and a slider. He struck out 82 batters in 57.2 innings, appeared in 19 games for Delta, and had a record of 5 wins and 1 loss.
He chose to go to college at USC and will be pitching in the PAC-12 this year to try to get drafted higher next year.
Rodriguez is known for his good control, low 90s fastball, good slider, and a changeup. He struck out 124 batters, only had 13 walks, and pitched 102 innings. He also was the starting pitcher for 16 games with a record of 13 wins and 2 losses.
Despite committing to Ohio State University, Rodriguez will be pitching in the Atlanta Braves minor league organization.
Rodriguez said he enjoyed his time at Delta.
“My time at Delta was awesome, I loved every second of it. I got the chance to be around an amazing group of guys for two years in a row and wouldn’t have wanted to be anywhere else.”
Rodriguez also praised Head Coach Reed Peters as well
“Coach Peters helped a ton on the field and off, we have a class every fall where we just strictly go over the mental aspect of the game and just how a mentality, in general, can drastically affect your outlook on life”.” he said.
Peters enjoyed coaching Watson and Rodriguez.
“Having two guys that have the ability to pitch at the professional level is always important to have at this level,” Peters said. “I think it was the right move for Rodriguez to pitch professionally and he is a big-time competitor although he doesn’t throw as hard as Watson he has great command.”