Ethan Petry MLB draft: Top 3 landing spots for South Carolina outfielder ft. Chicago White Sox
Ethan Petry was recently diagnosed with a hairline fracture, which kept him from starting against NC State during the regionals. How much this will affect his next season remains unclear for now, considering his school is already out of the NCAA baseball tournament and the true extent of the injury is unknown.
Here's how Gamecocks head coach Mark Kingston described the injury on ESPN+:
“It was not possible he could play tonight, he’s got a hairline fracture right above his pinky. He’s not able to feel like he can swing the bat at a level to allow him to play. We will wake up [Sunday] and re-evaluate, but he was not ready to go tonight.
Petry is one of the revelations of the 2024 South Carolina season, with him batting for .306, with 21 homers (most in the team) and 53 RBIs. Which MLB teams could use his offensive talents? For the moment none, as the player doesn't fulfill the rules to participate in the MLB draft (He isn't above 21 or has finished his third season).
However, he is already projected to be the No. 2 overall pick of the 2025 draft by some outlets like Perfect Game.
With that in mind, here are three potential MLB landing spots for Ethan Petry.
3 potential landing spots for Ethan Petry
#3. Colorado Rockies
Colorado is ranked as the fifth-worst offense in the MLB, and they trail at the bottom of the National League West with a 21-39 record. Pair that with the meager resources the franchise has always seemed to have, the draft could be the place where the Colorado Rockies find the solution to their troubles.
#2. Miami Marlins
The Miami Marlins recently lost Luis Arraez to the San Diego Padres, and have ever since been looking for a lead-off hitter to properly replace him. On top of that, the Marlins arguably have one of the worst farm systems in the MLB and have no-hitter coming through the pipeline. They're also at the bottom of the National League East with a 21-40 record.
#1. Chicago White Sox
If any team is looking for a way to revive their offensive performance, it has to be the Chicago White Sox. They're ranked as the worst offense in the MLB, with only 44 home runs so far (Petry almost has half of those in his college season), and a disappointing .215 batting average. They're at the bottom of the American League Central with a 15-45 record and are prime candidates to get a top pick in next year's draft, and hence a chance to get Ethan Petry.