Entering this year, only one Duke player had ever been selected in the first round of the MLB Draft: Marcus Stroman in 2012. But Wednesday night, junior pitcher Bryce Jarvis joined Stroman in the exclusive first-round club.
The Arizona Diamondbacks selected Jarvis with the 18th overall pick of the 2020 MLB Draft. Jarvis becomes the highest-drafted player in Blue Devil history, four spots ahead of where Stroman was drafted eight years ago.
Despite the history involved, this selection comes at no surprise to the baseball world, as Jarvis skyrocketed his draft stock in the four games he started this shortened season.
His minuscule 0.67 ERA, including standout performances such as a perfect game against Cornell and a seven-inning shutout against Florida State, only heightened the praise he began to receive after his breakout postseason performance a year ago.
In his three years as a Blue Devil, Jarvis dazzled and embodied the blue-collar spirit of the squad. His career ERA of 2.81 is nothing short of impressive, and his 201 career strikeouts in 150.1 innings pitched will be difficult to replace.
The future is bright for Jarvis, who has found his way into the spotlight in recent months. With recognition from the well-respected pitching Twitter account @PitchingNinja and Stroman, Jarvis has built a fan base that is eager to watch him at the next level.
His four-pitch arsenal and major-league velocity makes Jarvis attractive for the Diamondbacks. He will need to whittle down his base on balls, but he possesses the tools to be successful as a professional. After a season like the one he just had, it will be exciting to see just how high his ceiling is.
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Jake Piazza is a Trinity senior and was sports editor of The Chronicle's 117th volume.