Just when it looked like Howell’s Militello family would have three siblings playing college ball in Michigan, the plan changed.
Nobody is upset about it, because Justin Militello received an offer that was too good to refuse.
Instead of playing baseball at Eastern Michigan University with his twin brother Jackson, his longtime catcher, Justin signed a minor league contract with the Atlanta Braves.
He is the first Livingston County player to sign a professional contract after graduating from high school since Hoyle’s David Hebner, a shortstop who was the ninth overall pick in the 1977 Major League Baseball draft.
“The hardest part that was stopping me from dropping 100% was not playing with my brother,” said Militello. “We talked about it. He’s one of the best hunters I’ve seen defensively. He’ll have a chance to increase his stock. I’ll see him in pro football in a few years. It’s an opportunity that he felt I should take and not miss just because of him.”
Militello’s decision came shortly after his sister AJ transferred from the University of Utah to Michigan State University to pursue her career in softball.
Militello was expected to head to the EMU after making his last game for Howl in the District Championship match against Brighton on 4 June. Comerica Park and its summer team.
The Braves, Detroit Tigers, and Miami Marlins were the teams that showed a strong interest in Militello.
“(Turning pro) was definitely a long shot,” he said. “There were some really good numbers in the Brighton game, I scored 94 (mph) or something. I ended up going to the All-Star Game, and I threw a little bit more aggressively than that. After that final in the area, it was some The teams are interested.
He was not selected in the MLB Draft, held July 17-19, but Braves saw enough of him to offer him a contract as an undrafted free agent. If he doesn’t sign, he’ll have to wait until after his third year in college to become a professional.
“There was definitely a chance I could go to college and increase my draft stock, but there’s also a chance to reduce your stock, depending on how much they liked your development,” Militello said.
“Going into the draft as a high school sophomore and college player, there are completely different expectations. I figured if I went now, I could get development from the best of the best, the MLB organization, and especially the Braves. I felt I would get the best development and have those resources to become the best bowler that I could. I be “.
Militello will soon be leaving to play for the rookie Braves in Florida. If he performs well enough, he can be assigned to a Class A squad.
Related:Howell softball player AJ Militello moves from Utah to Michigan
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“One of the most important things when I spoke to my advisor is that the Braves have a great minor league system,” Militello said. “They are really good at developing players. They have their own facility in Florida. There are a lot of good things about an organization like Atlanta.”
Militello was a first-team pick twice in all counties. Over the past two seasons, Militello has gone 10-3 with 137 strikes in 97 runs. He led the county with an average earned run of 0.76 as a junior and had a 1.97 ERA as a senior.
He played shortstop as junior base and third as senior when he wasn’t throwing, hitting seven home runs during those two seasons.
Contact Bill Kahn at [email protected] Follow him on Twitter @BillKhan.