Dos Pueblos High ace Gabe Speier was taken by the Boston Red Sox in the 19th round of the Major League Baseball First-Year Player Draft on Saturday.
The left-handed Speier, the Channel League MVP and a UCSB commit, led the Chargers to a second straight league title. In the regular season, he went 5-0 with 87 strikeouts in 56.1 innings.
MLB.com says Speier “has a solid four-pitch mix, including a 90 mph fastball and a potentially above average slider.”
Speier was one of four local players picked on the final day of the three-day, 40-round draft. UCSB sophomore first baseman Tyler Kuresa was the highest pick of the day, going in the 14th round to the Atlanta Braves. He batted .296 with a team-leading five homers, 16 doubles and three triples. He had 46 RBIs.
UCSB right-hander Jared Wilson, a 6-4 senior, was drafted by the Minnesota Twins in the 19th round.
Cal Poly senior second baseman Denver Chavez, a Santa Barbara High alum, was picked by the Arizona Diamondbacks in the 30th round. Chavez had a team-leading .357 batting average and a fielding percentage of .975.
