Bethesda's Hultzen Drafted by Seattle Mariners

SECAUCUS, N.J. – Bethesda native Dan Hultzen was taken with the second overall pick in this year’s Major League Baseball draft Monday evening.

Hultzen, arguably the top left-handed pitcher available this year, is a two-time ACC Pitcher of the Year at the University of Virginia.

“This is completely unexpected,” said the 6-foot-3 Hultzen on MLB Network shortly after he was drafted. “It’s a tremendous honor. I’m very excited for it.”

Hultzen said he spoke with the Mariners in his pre-draft process, but had no idea he’d be taken this high.

“It really wasn’t on my mind,” he said.

Hultzen played high school ball at St. Albans, where he was a First Team All-America selection by Baseball America and Louisville Slugger. He was 13-0 as a senior with a 0.74 ERA.

"Danny is one of the top pitchers in the draft with tremendous athletic ability," Mariners director of amateur scouting Tom McNamara said on Seattle’s website. "We look forward to having him in our organization and working his way toward being part of our Major League rotation in the near future."

This year at Virginia, Hultzen is 11-3 with a 1.57 ERA. The Cavaliers are still alive in this year’s College World Series. His 148 strikeouts this year is a Virginia record, as well as his 31 career wins.

He was named as one of three finalists for the 2011 Golden Spikes Award given to the top amateur baseball player in the nation, announced Monday by USA Baseball and is also a semifinalist for the Dick Howser Trophy and is on the watch list for the John Olerud Two-Way Player Award.

Teams selected pitchers with the top four picks in the draft for the first time in history. Pittsburgh made UCLA’s Garrit Cole the first overall pick, Arizona took Trevor Bauer out of UCLA with the third pick and Baltimore took Dylan Bundy out of Owasso High School in Okalahoma fourth overall.