What an amazing week for Alex Faedo.
The UF junior pitcher led the Gators to their first College World Series title last week in Omaha, Nebraska, while being named the Most Outstanding Player at the CWS after pitching 14.1 shutout innings.
On Tuesday he agreed to a contract with Major League Baseball’s Detroit Tigers, the club which selected him No. 18 overall in the draft last month.
“I think the biggest thing,” Faedo said Wednesday at his introductory news conference before the Tigers-Giants game in Detroit, “is we’ll always be known in Gator baseball history for being the first team to find a way to win the last game of the year.”
Faedo, 21, went 9-2 with a 2.26 ERA and 157 strikeouts in 123 2/3 innings pitched this past season.
In three seasons at Florida, Faedo went 28-6 with 2.80 ERA, striking out 349 batters in 289 2/3 innings. Faedo was drafted in the 40th round by the Tigers three seasons ago.
“I’m really happy I ended up with the Tigers,” Faedo said. “I can tell this is a great organization with a lot of history around here.”
Faedo reportedly signed for around or slightly above the slot value of just over $3.2 million.
“He’s thrown 130 innings, maybe a few more,” scouting director Scott Pleis told MLB.com. “So he’s had a full season. He’s put in a lot of work. So he’ll report to Lakeland, and he’ll do everything with all the other guys (in the Gulf Coast League), but he won’t be throwing.”
