The lives of two local baseball prodigies are soon to change.
Years of hard work and remarkable performances should pay off handsomely for John Rhodes and Cooper Kinney, who are expected to be early selections in the 2021 Major League Baseball Draft which begins Sunday at 7 p.m.
This past month Kinney worked out for nearly 15 MLB teams while he traveled for individual workouts at pro ballparks of the Atlanta Braves, Tampa Bay Rays and Texas Rangers. The left-handed hitter who played all over the field for Baylor School is projected as a first-round selection.
ESPN.com tabs Kinney as the No. 24 overall draft prospect. The Braves have the 24th pick which has a slot signing value of $2,831,000. The 36th and final overall pick of the first round, belonging to the Minnesota Twins, has a slot value of $2,045,400.
“The draft process has been really exciting,” said Kinney, who was the Tennessee Gatorade Player of the Year and Division II-AA Mr. Baseball after hitting .480 with 30 extra base hits (10 home runs) and 50 RBIs in 31 games for the Red Raiders, who won their third straight TSSAA state championship.