Iowa City High grad, Iowa pitcher Cade Obermueller drafted by Texas Rangers

CEDAR RAPIDS — Another University of Iowa player taken in the 2024 Major League Baseball Draft. Another Hawkeye who is from the state.

Pitcher Cade Obermueller was selected Tuesday by the Texas Rangers in the 19th round of the 20-round draft. The left-handed pitcher from Iowa City High was the 585th-overall pick.

Five Hawkeyes were drafted, led by pitcher Brody Brecht (Competitive-Balance A round by Colorado). Outfielder Sam Petersen went in the eighth round to the Washington Nationals, pitcher Jack Young in the ninth round by the Chicago White Sox and pitcher Marcus Morgan in the ninth round to the Philadelphia Phillies.

Brecht is from Ankeny, Petersen from Winterset, Young from Pleasant valley and Morgan from Iowa City West.

“We are thrilled for our guys who were selected in the draft,” said Iowa Coach Rick Heller. “It is exciting to see their effort pay off. To have five Iowans hear their names called after representing their home state is special. These guys chose the University of Iowa to develop into players who could extend their careers beyond Iowa City. Through their hard work and dedication, they now have that opportunity. We are proud we had the chance to coach them and are excited to watch their professional careers.“

Obermueller — whose father, Wes, pitched in the major leagues — went 4-3 this season with a 3.93 earned run average in 13 starts. He struck out 73 in 59 2/3 innings.

He was a unique draft-eligible college sophomore.

“He's probably a reliever because of his size and lack of strikes, but he's effective against both left-handers and right-handers,” was an MLB.com scouting report on him. “Obermueller doesn't generate an exceptional amount of swing and misses or chases, yet hitters have difficulty doing damage against him. His low arm slot generates a lot of run and sink on a low-90s fastball that tops out at 96 mph, and also plenty of sweep on a low-80s slider that can be a well-above-average pitch at its best.

“His slider breaks so much that he has difficulty landing it in the zone or getting hitters to fish for it off the plate. Obermueller can flash a solid changeup with sink in the low 80s, though he doesn't use it very often. His stuff was more dynamic in a bullpen role as a freshman, and he may be headed back there as a 5-foot-11, 160-pounder with below-average control. He's very deceptive but he gets out of rhythm in his delivery and hasn't shown the efficiency to project as a starter at the next level.”

Tuesday night, Iowa announced third baseman Raider Tello had signed a contract as a non-drafted free agent with the Phillies. He hit .357 with seven home runs and 60 RBIs in 54 games this season.

Comments: (319)-398-8258, jeff.johnson@thegazette.com