Baseball America has the MLB Draft’s 50th overall pick’s slot value at $1.93 million. Not even that much money could deter right-handed pitcher Angel Cervantes from joining John Savage’s UCLA program.
Cervantes was taken in the second round by the Pittsburgh Pirates, but Cervantes announced on Twitter on Wednesday that he was going to fulfill his commitment to the Bruins rather than turn pro.
UCLA star infielder and likely top pick in the 2026 MLB draft, Roch Cholowsky, seemed pleased with the news, posting a photo of himself and Cervantes on Twitter with the simple caption of “Got em!”
Cervantes still has the July 28 deadline to potentially change his mind and join the Pirates organization, but it seems the 17-year old is content to spend some time with the Bruins. Cervantes is still developing, but stands at 6-3 and has touched 95 MPH with his fastball. His calling card is his changeup.
“Cervantes has an intriguing combination of repertoire and feel for pitching, with projection pointing to more in the tank as he matures. He has a chance to have three or four at least above-average offerings.” MLB.com says for Cervantes’ scouting report. “His fastball is typically in the 90-93 mph range, but it’s a four-seamer with excellent carry and ride with good spin up in the zone. His best pitch is a ‘bugs bunny’ changeup with tremendous depth that gets a ton of swing-and-miss. His breaking stuff — and he has distinct shape for a separate curve and slider — is a little behind, but he routinely registers very high spin rates on them.”
While it’s understandable why Cervantes isn’t jumping at the idea of joining the Pirates, he’s taking a risk by turning down Pittsburgh’s offer to instead play at UCLA, where he could see his stock rise or fall by the time he’s draft eligible again in 2028.
This article originally appeared on UCLA Wire: UCLA baseball commit will play for Bruins after being selected in second round by Pirates
Reporting by Dylan McNeill, UCLA Wire / UCLA Wire
USA TODAY Network via Reuters Connect
