DJ Newman could be special.
When players are drafted into MLB now, their position can be designated as a two-way player.
Only three such players were drafted in the 20 round of the 2025 MLB Draft. The third and final one was taken by the Houston Astros.
His name is DJ Newman.
Newman's future truly has plenty still to be determined. The Bowling Green star is committed as a transfer to Tennessee.
The Astros took him in the 15th round, which smells more like an uncertainty around signing him away from his Volunteers commitment than anything else.
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There's also the matter of how much money you give a guy who currently has two positions.
Over three seasons at BGSU, Newman hit .388 with 20 doubles and 15 home runs. On the mound, he had a 3.60 ERA and 91 strikeouts in 85 innings pitched.
A native of Archbold, Ohio, Newman was one of the best freshmen in the country in 2023, was strong again in a historic season for BGSU in 2024 and then battled injuries this spring.
The Astros wouldn't have used a pick on him at all if they felt Newman wasn't signable. But it seems like some work will have to be done to get him to skip Knoxville and start his potentially dynamic professional career now in Houston's organization.
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Category: Baseball
