COLLEGE STATION, TX — Texas A&M junior shortstop Braden Shewmake was selected with the 21st overall pick of the 2019 MLB Draft by the Atlanta Braves on Monday evening.
Shewmake became the Aggies’ first first-round selection since Tyler Naquin and Michael Wacha were picked by the Cleveland Indians and St. Louis Cardinals with the 15th and 19th overall selections, respectively.
Since 1980, the only Aggies to be selected earlier in the draft are Jeff Granger (5th overall – 1993), Barret Loux (6th – 2010), Naquin and Wacha. Texas A&M dignitaries Cliff Pennington (2005) and Jason Tyner (1998) were both selected 21st overall.
An All-American and Freshman All-American in 2017, he is also a two-time All-SEC performer. He also was named National Freshman of the Year and SEC Freshman of the Year as a rookie.
This season, Shewmake started all 63 games, batting .313 (78-for-249) with 45 runs, 14 doubles, four triples, six home runs 47 RBI and nine stolen bases. In 2018, the Wylie, Texas, native hit .327 with 43 runs, eight doubles, four triples, five home runs, 45 RBI and 12 stolen bases. He hit .328 as a freshman with 47 runs, 18 doubles, two triples, 11 home runs, 69 RBI and 11 stolen bases.
Through three seasons, Shewmake has missed just one of the Aggies’ 189 games. He ranks seventh on Texas A&M’s career RBI list (161) and eighth on the Aggies’ all-time hits list (248). His career batting average stands at .323 with 40 doubles, 10 triples, 22 home runs and 32 stolen bases.
