North Carolina transfer Luke Russo to join the Philadelphia Phillies
North Carolina transfer Luke Russo has decided to relinquish his last year of eligibility after being drafted by the Philadelphia Phillies.
Russo transferred to UNC in June, but we will never see him on the mound in Carolina Blue after the Phillies selected the 6-4 right-hander pitcher in the 16th round. Russo spent his time at Eastern Michigan, making a name for himself as the third-ranked pitcher in the nation in CSW (36.5%).
In three seasons at Eastern Michigan, Russo finished with an ERA of 4.65, with a 10-5 W/L record. Russo did spend a summer with the Greenville Flyboys in the Appalachian League, finishing with an ERA of 4.19.
Incoming UNC transfer Luke Russo tells @BillKhan that he will sign with the Phillies.
As previously mentioned, there are some really intriguing numbers with Russo – most notably his CSW%, which ranked third nationally.
1. Chase Burns, 37.5%
2. Paul Skenes, 37.3%
3. Russo, 36.5% https://t.co/r8OQMNtJ7O— Pat James (@patjames24) July 12, 2023
The decision does hurt the Tar Heels, who desperately need help in the bullpen. UNC did see some other notable Diamond Heels talent get drafted, such as Walker Jenkins, Mac Horvath, Zyhir Hope, Max Carlson, and Tomas Frick.
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