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New York Mets select Duke pitcher Jonathan Santucci in 2024 MLB Draft

Wade-Peeryby:Wade Peery07/14/24
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© Ron Schloerb/Cape Cod Times / USA TODAY NETWORK

Duke pitcher Jonathan Santucci was one of the best pitchers in the ACC during his time with the Blue Devils. And he earned first team All-ACC honors in the 2024 campaign, showcasing his talent as one of the league’s best.

In the 2024 MLB Draft, he had his dreams of playing in the major leagues come true, after the New York Mets drafted him with the No. 46 overall selection in the second round.

Santucci started all 13 games in 2024, finishing with a 6-1 record and a 3.31 ERA. Santucci worked a career-high 58 innings, striking out 90 batters, while holding opponents to a .188 batting average. He had a career-high 14 strikeouts against Akron and also tallied back-to-back 10-plus strikeout performances against Northwestern (2/23) and Akron (3/1).

Duke baseball had another great season this year, finishing with a 40-20 overall record and 16-14 in the ACC. They also went on to win the 2024 ACC Tournament Championship, obliterating the No. 5 ranked Florida State Seminoles in the championship game with a score of 16-4. It was just the second time in program history they claimed the ACC Tournament crown. The Blue Devils made it all the way to the NCAA Norman Regionals, before losing two of three games. It was the second straight appearance in the NCAA Regionals for Duke.

In 2023, Santucci started seven games for the Blue Devils before having his first season cut short due to an injury. He finished with a 2-2 record and a 4.30 ERA. The Massachusetts native struck out a career-high 11 batters against Wake Forest (3/10).

In 2022, Santucci appeared in 20 games on the mound, making seven starts. He emerged in a weekend starting role in the second half of the season. The star finished with a 2-3 overall record, while throwing 58 strikeouts, and allowing just seven extra base hits in 41.0 innings of work. He helped Duke to set a program record while ranking in the Top 15 in the country in strikeouts per nine innings (10.6).

Before Duke, he played his high school baseball at Phillips Academy Andover. A highly touted prospect, he was ranked as the No. 2 recruit out of the state of Massachusetts and the No. 64 overall player in the 2022 cycle. Santucci earned first team All-American honors from Perfect Game in 2021. As a batter, he hit .322 in his career with six doubles, two triples, three home runs, and 29 RBIs.

In his scouting report on MLB.com, they rank him as the No. 37 overall prospect in the draft, thinking Santucci could develop into a mid-rotation starter.

“Santucci misses a lot of bats with his 92-96 mph fastball, creating impressive carry and running action on a flat approach angle from a high arm slot. His low-80s slider can be a wipeout pitch with two-plane break at its best. His fading mid-80s changeup gives him a third weapon, though he doesn’t use it very often and can struggle to land it in the zone,” they began.

“A premium athlete who also has gotten sporadic at-bats as an outfielder/DH at Duke, Santucci is focusing solely on pitching now. While he hasn’t been a consistent strike-thrower, he has an easy delivery and the ingredients to develop average control. He could blossom into a mid-rotation starter,” they finished.