Atlanta Braves draft former Tabor Academy ace
MARION, Mass. (BVM) — It wouldn鈥檛 have taken you long to notice Jared Shuster on the high school baseball field. The New Bedford native made an impact almost immediately to start his career.
In his freshman year at New Bedford High School, Shuster sported a 6-0 record to go along with his 0.45 ERA. With performances like his 17–strikeout game, Shuster was able to lead the Whalers to a trip against Norwood in the Division 1 South Finals in 2014.
After his stellar freshman season, Shuster transferred to Tabor Academy where he posted a 1.88 ERA as a sophomore, a 2.40 ERA as a junior and a 1.26 ERA in his senior campaign.
After graduating high school, Shuster went to Wake Forest University where things got off to a rocky start on the mound. In his freshman and sophomore seasons, Schuster struggled with a 7.41 ERA and a 6.49 ERA, respectively.聽
Going into his junior year, Shuster worked to fix his command which allowed him to make a major leap from his first two seasons. The hard-throwing lefty walked 58 batters in 102 innings coming into his junior year. With a focus on cutting that down, Shuster allowed just nine walks in 58 innings to finish his season.
With his walk rate down and the addition of new pitches in his shortened season, Shuster helped his draft stock heading into the 2020 MLB Draft.
Along with his preparation for the NCAA season, Shuster had captured scouts鈥� eyes before his junior season in the Cape Cod League. Playing for the Orleans Firebirds, the southpaw showcased his new and improved adjustments with a perfect 4-0 record. In 33 innings, Shuster had a 1.36 ERA and struck out 36, while once again lowering his walks to five batters.聽聽聽
In this year’s MLB Draft, Shuster was selected with the 25th pick in the first round by the Atlanta Braves. He is the seventh first-round pick from Wake Forest in program history.
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Without his senior season, the Braves are hoping to tap into some of Shuster鈥檚 potential. Experts have pointed to his recent work on the mound as an indicator of where Shuster鈥檚 game can go.聽
