LAS CRUCES, NM (KTSM) – A pair of New Mexico State pitchers were selected on the final day of the 2022 Major League Baseball Draft on Tuesday.
Ian Mejia, a redshirt sophomore pitcher from Arizona, was selected in the 11th round, 335th overall by the defending World Series champion Atlanta Braves. Juarez native Sammy Natera was taken by the Los Angeles Angels in the 17th round, 508th overall.
A pair of NMSU recruits were also selected, with Nick Peoples going in round 12 to the Washington Nationals and Milo Rushford getting selected in the 18th round by the Kansas City Royals.
Mejia was the Aggies’ ace down the stretch of the season as NMSU caught fire and won the WAC Tournament to earn a spot in the NCAA Tournament. In the Corvallis Regional vs. No. 3 Oregon State, Mejia was masterful, striking out nine batters in 7.1 innings of work, while throwing 124 pitches.
On the season, Mejia went 6-4 in 16 appearances, with a 4.29 ERA and 102 strikeouts. He was previously drafted in the 35th round of the 2018 draft by the New York Mets.
As for Natera, the left-handed flamethrower has as much raw pitching talent as anyone on the NMSU roster. However, he’s struggled with control in his time with the Aggies. Due to injuries, he pitched in just eight games in 2022, compiling an ERA of 6.92, to go along with 44 strikeouts.
When Natera is on, he can be destructive, but for him it’s a matter of consistency. In 2021, he appeared in 14 games with 10 starts, pitching 48.2 innings with a 6.47 ERA.
It remains unclear if any of the four draftees with NMSU ties will sign with their respective teams; Mejia would seem to be the most likely to sign after a solid final portion of the season.
The quarterback of Aggies join Texas star Ivan Melendez as the Borderland’s representatives in the 2022 MLB Draft. Melendez was selected in the second round, 43rd overall by the Arizona Diamondbacks.
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