Alabama baseball signee Walter Ford selected by Mariners in 2022 MLB draft

Alabama baseball’s 2022 recruiting class could be losing its’ highest-ranked recruit in Walter Ford. Ford was drafted as a compensatory pick (No. 74) in the second round of the 2022 MLB draft on Sunday by the Seattle Mariners.

He had been committed to Alabama since June 30, 2019, and recently signed with the Tide in November. All signs point to Ford forgoing his college eligibility to pursue future professional opportunities with the Mariners.

After being drafted by the Mariners, Ford quickly took to his Twitter account and said “let’s goooooo!! Time to get to work!” With him being such a high-round draft pick, it would be surprising to see the right-handed pitcher opt for Alabama. It isn’t out of the question, but it is unlikely.

Ford played his high school ball at Pace High School in Pace, Florida. During his senior year, he held a 10-2 record on the mound with a 0.90 ERA. In 70 1/3 innings, Ford had 126 strikeouts while allowing just 25 walks. As a result, he was named the 6A Player of the Year.

Ford is ranked as the No. 30 overall recruit, according to Perfect Game. He is just 17 years old and decided to enter the 2022 MLB draft early by re-classifying. It paid off on Sunday when he heard his name called at No. 74 overall to the Seattle Mariners. It will be interesting to track how Ford performs at the professional level.

Roll Tide Wire will continue to follow Alabama baseball and former players finding their way to the Major Leagues.