By Terry Boehmker
NKyTribune sports reporter
Highlands baseball player Drew Rom said he plans to sign a minor league contract with the Baltimore Orioles on Monday at the club’s front office.
Drew Rom, who hit a home run in his final at-bat as a high school baseball player, said he plans to sign with the Baltimore Orioles on Monday. (Photo by Dale Dawn)
The left-handed pitcher, who was named Mr. Kentucky Baseball this season, was a fourth-round pick by the Orioles in the Major League Baseball entry draft earlier this month. He decided to sign with the club instead of attending the University of Michigan on a baseball scholarship.
“I just always wanted to play professional baseball and chase my dream,” Rom said Saturday after Highlands lost in the final game of the state high school tournament. “This just gives me more time to develop and get through the minor leagues faster.”
Rom was the 115th pick overall in the entry level draft. A contract for that pick is worth more than $400,000, according to MLB.com.
“The money is definitely another factor to it, but overall I just want to play baseball,” said Rom, who expects to be assigned to the Orioles’ rookie league team in Florida.
Last February, Rom was invited to a showcase in Chicago that gives professional baseball scouts a chance to evaluate draft-eligible high school prospects. After that showcase, he was considered the top pitching prospect in Kentucky, according to his scouting profile on Prep Baseball Report.
Rom completed his senior season at Highlands with a 10-6 record after posting wins in the 9th Region championship game and first two rounds of the state tournament. He had 135 strikeouts in 80 innings on the mound this spring.
