White Sox pick Iowan Calvin Harris in fourth round of MLB draft
The Chicago White Sox selected Western Dubuque High School alum Calvin Harris in the fourth round of the Major League Baseball draft Monday.
Harris, a catcher out of the University of Mississippi, was the 116th overall selection. He was the first Iowan selected in this year's draft.
Mississippi has had eight catchers drafted in the past decade, including big leaguers Nick Fortes and Stuart Turner. Harris starred at the College World Series last June, batting .400 with two homers in six games as Ole Miss won its first national title.
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Harris set a school record with four homers in a game on May 6 against Missouri.
Harris was a five-time letter winner and three-year captain at Western Dubuque. He was named Iowa Baseball Gatorade Player of the Year in 2018 and 2019.
Harris started all 54 games for the Rebels this past season, including 48 at catcher. He finished his junior campaign ranked second on the team in slugging percentage (.579), hits (67), home runs (12), doubles (14) and total bases (121). He was third on the team in batting average (.321).
Harris' successful season made him even more intriguing to scouts and evaluators. MLB.com ranked him as the 133rd-best prospect in the draft. He was invited to this year's MLB Scouting Combine, reserved for some of the nation's top talent eligible for the draft.
Marshalltown native Tate Kuehner, a pitcher from Louisville, was selected in the seventh round by the Milwaukee Brewers. Kuehner went 2-4 with a 3.99 ERA and a team-leading five saves in 2023 for Louisville.
Clinton native Jared Simpson, who attended Iowa Western Community College and pitches for Iowa, was taken in the eighth round by the Washington Nationals. Simpson struck out 64 hitters over 42.2 innings in 2023 for the Hawkeyes.
Pleasantville native Kyle Amendt, a pitcher at Dallas Baptist, was selected in the ninth round by the Arizona Diamondbacks. Amendt went 1-1 with a 1.75 ERA for Dallas Baptist in 2023.
This article originally appeared on Des Moines Register: White Sox pick Iowan Calvin Harris in fourth round of MLB draft
