Nicky Becker was the 11th Don Bosco player drafted directly out of high school and the first since pitcher and former teammate Caden Dana.
Nicky Becker set a few personal and team goals at the start of the year.
First, the Don Bosco senior set his sights on the Ironmen winning a Bergen County Tournament title. Then he took aim at winning a state title. Lastly, Becker wanted to be in a good position heading into the Major League Baseball Amateur Draft in mid-July.
On July 13, the Thiells, New York resident and recent Don Bosco graduate was able to check all three boxes and put an exclamation on his high school career when he was selected by the Seattle Mariners with the No. 14 pick of the second round of the 2025 MLB Draft.
Becker, a University of Virginia commit, was the No. 57 overall pick after entering the draft ranked as the No. 51 ranked prospect by MLB.com. He was the 26th high school player taken overall in a draft that was dominated by prep players in the opening round, specifically shortstops. The slot value of the 57th pick is projected at $1,636,800. Slot values rose by 4.8 percent compared to a year ago, paralleling the growth in MLB revenues.
Becker is the 11th Don Bosco player drafted directly out of high school and the first since pitcher and former teammate Caden Dana was picked by the Los Angeles Angels in the 11th round in 2022. He is the area's highest drafted high school player this century since Rob Kaminsky of St. Joseph went in the first round by the St. Louis Cardinals in 2013 with the 28th pick overall.
Last month the shortstop closed out an impressive senior campaign. In 26 games this season, the three-year starter batted .394 with 26 hits, 27 RBIs, 25 runs, 13 extra-base hits, 16 walks, and 15 stolen bases in leading the Ironmen to a 26-2 record, a Bergen County and Non-Public A state title. The Ramsey parochial school finished as high as No. 17 in the final national prep rankings.
Becker was named New Jersey Gatorade Player of the Year this past June, becoming the second Don Bosco player in the last four years to receive the honor. The 6-foot-4, 195-pound senior joins former teammate Dana, who earned the award in 2022. He was also named NorthJersey and The Record Player of the Year at last month's North Jersey High School Sports Awards show.
For his career, he collected 87 hits, 75 RBIs, 93 runs, 34 extra-base hits, 6 home runs, 54 walks, 57 stolen bases and a .405 lifetime batting average in leading Don Bosco to two Bergen County Tournament and two Non-Public A state titles since 2023.
He signed with Virginia in late fall 2024 after verbally committing to the Cavaliers as a freshman. Becker is the brother of potential 2026 1st round pick, shortstop Eric Becker, who graduated from Don Bosco in 2023.
In a recent published scouting report, Tyler Henninger, national scouting coordinator with Perfect Game USA, had this to say about Becker ahead of Sunday’s draft
“Becker possesses an enticing mix of present tools and projectability. The shortstop shows good athleticism and the frame has plenty of room to add additional strength. Defensively, Becker has a strong chance to stick at shortstop long term. The arm plays from the left side of the diamond and sound actions allow for the routine plays to be made. At the plate, Becker shows a strong feel to hit with bat-to-ball skills present. The power should only continue to develop and has a chance to wind up an above-average tool long term. It is a well-rounded skill set that checks a lot of boxes when it comes to present tools, projection, and overall makeup.”
This article originally appeared on NorthJersey.com: Nick Becker, Don Bosco grad, selected by Seattle Mariners in MLB Draft
Category: General Sports
