Dylan Ray Selected For Prestigious Major League Baseball Prospect League
MADISON- The amazing 2019 baseball season for Bob Jones junior standout Dylan Ray will be even more astonishing this summer as he has been selected to participate in the Major League Baseball Prospect Developmental Pipeline League. The PDP League is a premier development and showcase experience designed to assess the top 80 players from across America ahead of the 2020 MLB Draft.
The invitation-only event will take place June 13-July 7 at the IMG Academy in Bradenton, Fla.
“I’m ready to compete in this prestigious event and feel blessed to be among the top 80 players in the United States and I will make the best of the experience,” said Ray, who was first contacted by the event organization almost three months ago.
The superstar player for the Patriots is coming off the recent 2019 season for Bob Jones where the Pats lost in the third game of a three-game championship series against McGill-Toolen for the Class 7A State Championship. Bob Jones finished the season 42-10.
For the season, Ray batted .403, with a .649 slugging percentage, nine homers and 64 RBIs. On the mound, he was 5-1 with 60 strikeouts and a 3.19 ERA in 37 innings of work.
The son of Tom and Lajeanna Ray, he has verbally committed to sign with the University of Alabama after also receiving offers from Mississippi State, West Virginia and Auburn. He grew up a fan of Alabama and said he couldn’t see himself playing at any other school.
During the just completed high school season Ray played leftfield, third base and pitcher. He’s expected to be a third baseman and pitcher at the PDP League, which is the most dynamic, development-focused experience available to high school baseball players. Each player will be placed on one of four teams in the league with competitive games on weekends while going through numerous training regiments throughout the week. Those skills camps will be led by former Major League Baseball All-Stars including former Atlanta Braves superstar Chipper Jones. “I’m excited about having Chipper there as I’ve looked up to him as long as I can remember,” added Ray.
The 6-foot, 3-inch, 205-pound slugger, strong armed pitcher is currently ranked the No. 1 player in Alabama and No. 24 overall in the country. His fastball has been clocked on average from 90-95 miles per hour. He has developed off-speed pitches and a superb curveball, which he throws 60-percent of the time. In the field, he’s most comfortable at third base, but the Patriots were in need of outfielders who could not only cover the field, but possess a strong arm. Ray volunteered to change positions for the sake of the team.
The PDP League has helped many high school players go on to professional baseball careers. The training sessions include personal development with a variety of educational seminars featuring expert instruction in the areas of leadership, diversity, proper use of social media, nutritional tips and more.
“It’s a three-week ordeal and I’m looking forward to it as my parents will travel with me and remain there for the first week,” said Ray, who came off an ACL injury to start the 2019 high school baseball season. “This should be fun.”
