For the fifth consecutive year, the Buffalo Bulls are on the board in the MLB Draft. The Los Angeles Angels selected rising senior relief pitcher Mike Kaelin on Saturday in the 15th round with the 456th overall pick.
Kaelin is the highest drafted pitcher out of Buffalo since Robert Williams went in the seventh round to the Baltimore Orioles in 1986, and the highest pick overall since catcher Tom Murphy was selected by the Colorado Rockies in the third round in 2012.
Kaelin will have the option to either return to school for his senior season and re-enter the draft again next year, or sign with the Angels.
If he does choose to sign, Buffalo will have to find a new anchor to their bullpen. Kaelin, a hard-throwing 5’ 9” Cheektowaga native, took over the closer role for Buffalo last year and never looked back, posting dominant strikeout rates in his past two seasons. He also dominated in the Northwoods League last summer, one of the premier amateur baseball summer leagues in the country, with a strikeout-to-walk ratio of 50/4 in 32 IP.
Michael Akelson is the senior sports editor and can be reached at michael.akelson@ubspectrum.com
