The Philadelphia Phillies selected Shaler Area high school shortstop Bryan Rincon in the 14th round of the MLB Draft Tuesday.
Rincon spent two years at Shaler after moving to the United States from Venezuela with his cousin, Miguel Hugas, who plays pitcher and outfielder for the Titans. Rincon also played travel ball with the Ohio Warhawks and the Chi-Town Cream.
He is the first draft pick straight out of Shaler since 1980, when the Phillies drafted catcher Doug Dimaggio in the third round and the Chicago White Sox drafted pitcher Wayne Schuckert in the ninth round. He is the highest draft pick since the Boston Red Sox drafted alum pitcher Dan Kite in the fourth round out of LSU. He is also the first draft pick for the school since 2004, when the Pittsburgh Pirates drafted alum shortstop Dan Schwartzbauer out of Duquesne in the 45th round.
Rincon committed to San Jacinto College, a junior college in Texas. If he choses to not sign a deal with the Phillies, then he goes to play junior college ball to earn a higher draft pick in a later draft.
From the WPIAL, Rincon is now the fourth player to earn a draft pick so far this year and the second straight out of high school, as the Seattle Mariners drafted North Allegheny shortstop Cole Young as the No. 21 pick in the first round. The Milwaukee Brewers drafted former Pine-Richland and Penn State catcher Matt Wood in the fourth round and the St. Louis Cardinals drafted former Allderdice and Queens University (N.C) pitcher Tanner Jacobson in the tenth round.
The catcher drafted in the 3rd round in 1980 was Doug Maggio