Two Blue Devils Selected in First Round of MLB Draft

DURHAM, N.C. – On Wednesday, June 10, Duke University had two players selected in the first round of the 2020 Major League Baseball First-Year Player Draft. Duke junior right-hander Bryce Jarvis was drafted with the No. 18 overall pick by the Arizona Diamondbacks in the first round on Wednesday evening. Jarvis becomes the highest pick in Blue Devil history in the first-year player draft and joins former Duke standout Marcus Stroman as the second player in program history to be taken in the first round.

With Jarvis’ selection, Duke has had a player taken in the top five rounds in six of the last seven drafts, as he becomes the 15th player in school history to be taken in the top five rounds. Additionally, Jarvis is the 27th player to be drafted under head coach Chris Pollard.

Jarvis made the decision to return to Durham for his junior season after being taken by the New York Yankees in the 37th round of the 2019 MLB Draft, asserting himself as one of the best arms in the country. The Duke right-hander was tabbed as a Preseason All-American by both D1Baseball and National Collegiate Baseball Writers Association entering the spring, while also being named to the USA Golden Spikes Award Watch List.

This season, Jarvis was spectacular as the team’s Friday night ace. The Franklin, Tenn., native was tabbed as the ACC Pitcher of the Week twice this season, highlighted by his perfect game against Cornell on Feb. 21. He notched a career-high 15 strikeouts in the matchup on just 94 pitches of work. The outing marked the 31st perfect game in NCAA Division I history.

The right-hander only allowed one run, seven hits and one walk across his last three starts, totaling 23.0 innings of work with a 0.39 ERA.

Jordan Walker 

The St. Louis Cardinals drafted Duke signee Jordan Walker with the 21st overall pick in the 2020 Major League Draft on Thursday evening.

Walker headlines Duke’s 12-member recruiting class in 2020. The Stone Mountain, Ga., native was recently named the 2020 Gatorade State Baseball Player of the Year for the state of Georgia following his shortened senior season.

Walker batted .457 with four home runs, 15 RBI, and a 1.555 OPS for Decatur HS in 2020 before the season was canceled. The nation’s second-ranked prospect as ranked by Perfect Game, Walker has participated in a variety of major events, including the 2019 Perfect Game All-American Classic and the Major League Baseball High School All-Star Game.

Walker has maintained a 3.98 GPA in the classroom while serving as a member of the National Honor Society. The 6-5 infielder has donated his time as a peer tutor, while also volunteering as a youth baseball coach in his local community.

(Courtesy of Duke Athletics)