The Arizona Diamondbacks selected Maryland right-hander Brian Shaffer in the sixth round of the 2017 MLB Draft on Tuesday afternoon. Shaffer was the 172nd overall pick and the second Terps player drafted, after shortstop Kevin Smith.
Despite struggling in two postseason outings, Shaffer emerged as Maryland’s most consistent pitcher in 2017. He ended the season with a 2.66 ERA over 108.1 innings pitched, limiting opposing hitters to a .223 average.
The Pylesville native was named the Big Ten Pitcher of the Year and was a semifinalist for the Golden Spikes Award, given to the best amateur player in the country.
Shaffer joined the back end of Maryland’s rotation in the latter stages of his freshman season and earned the second-most wins in the Big Ten as a sophomore in College Park. This year, he took over for right-hander Mike Shawaryn as Maryland’s Friday night starter.
Because Shaffer possesses a fastball, slider and changeup and has good command, analysts projected he would be selected in the first 10 rounds. Perfect Game’s Brian Sakowski said Shaffer could emerge as a back-of-the-rotation starter in the major leagues.
