2017 MLB Draft: Pair Of Nebraska Players Selected On Wednesday

After not having a player selected on the first two days of the amateur draft, Nebraska has had two players selected in the thirteenth round. With the 391st overall pick in the draft, the Houston Astros selected Jake Meyers. Just two picks later, at pick 393 the Seattle Mariners selected Luis Alvarado.

Both Meyers and Alvarado have one year left of college eligibility, meaning they will, have a decision to make. Ben Miller was drafted last year by the Pittsburgh Pirates but decided to come back for his senior season.

By being selected in the thirteenth round, both Meyers and Alvarado can receive a maximum of $100,000 signing bonus without it counting against a teams allotted draft pool. If Meyers or Alvarado signed for over $100,000 it would count against a teams draft pool, taking money away from an earlier selected prospect.

As far as the prospects for either Meyers or Alvarado returning, I would say Jake has a higher shot at returning. Meyers has no outstanding tools but is a good college player. He will push teammates if he played minor league ball, but would a comparable player would be Michael Pritchard. Pritchard reached A+ with the St. Louis Cardinals but retired this past year.

Alvarado could be a different story. Luis has an arm with low mileage on it and has an explosive fastball. Combined with a good feel for his breaking ball, some people see him actually becoming a starter in the minor leagues. If I had to take a stab, I would say Luis could leave, but if he came back and pitched well in his senior year, he could go even higher next season.