:format(webp)/cdn.vox-cdn.com/uploads/chorus_image/image/69577615/1233934704.0.jpg)
Baseball recruiting is a different beast at the collegiate level simply because schools are also competing with pro teams for the best talent. TCU has been burned by this as frequently as any team - just look at this list of commits who never made it to campus because of the MLB Draft.
TCU Recruits Drafted Out of High School
| Name | Year | Draft Round | MLB Team |
|---|---|---|---|
| Name | Year | Draft Round | MLB Team |
| Carter Baumler | 2020 | 5 | Baltimore Orioles |
| Quinn Priester | 2019 | 1 | Pittsburgh Pirates |
| Cole Winn | 2018 | 1 | Texas Rangers |
| Alek Thomas | 2018 | 2 | Arizona Diamondbacks |
| Mateo Gil | 2018 | 3 | St. Louis Cardinals |
| Adam Kloffenstein | 2018 | 3 | Toronto Blue Jays |
| Shane Baz | 2017 | 1 | Pittsburgh Pirates |
| Jacob Gonzalez | 2017 | 2 | San Francisco Giants |
| Tyler Freeman | 2017 | 2 | Cleveland Indians |
2021 was no different for the Frogs, with one of their top recruits getting scooped up by a pro team. The Baltimore Orioles scooped up Aledo catcher Creed Willems in the 8th round.
Rated by Perfect Game as the No. 130 recruit and No. 9 catcher overall in this class (and the No. 13 player overall in Texas), Willems will now decide between a ~$187,700 signing bonus with Baltimore or a minimum of two years at TCU. If you’re curious about which way most recruits lean, check this stat out:
Rule of thumb -- if they get picked today, they're signing. Only 2 of 317 in top 10 rds in 2019 didn't sign, only 4 of 314 in 2018. https://t.co/AKUQ4V6by1 https://t.co/g3TyfpDl0P
— Jim Callis (@jimcallisMLB) July 12, 2021
Sure - Willems could buck the trend and come to Fort Worth (and TCU fans should celebrate big time if that happens), but we also can’t blame him if he takes the money and the change to play in the pros.
Fortunately for the Frogs, unlike the 2017 and 2018 seasons, Willems was the only Frog recruit to be drafted. Several other recruits - specifically Thomas Dilandri and Caedmon Parker - weren’t drafted despite being top 100 prospects heading into the week. While Dilandri never came out and said he was fully intending on going to TCU, Parker withdrew from the draft and reaffirmed his commitment to the Frogs.
After lots of prayer and conversation, I am able to announce my withdrawal from the 2021 MLB Draft and I will be attending TCU in the fall! Go Frogs! ⬆️ pic.twitter.com/i4Xu9KtZTh
— Caedmon Parker (@caedmonparker21) July 11, 2021
Other top recruits in the 2021 class like Gray Thomas and Hunter Teplanszky will make it to campus as well, assuring that the majority (if not all, depending on Willems’ decision) of TCU’s Top 15 recruiting class will be in Fort Worth next season.
To view TCU’s full class, check out the list at Perfect Game.