Spartan Baseball: Alex Troop gets taken in the Ninth Round of MLB Draft

Alex Troop, the red-shirt sophomore out of Batavia, Illinois was selected by the Washington Nationals in the ninth round of the MLB Draft.

He was the 283rd overall pick.

The lefty was Michigan State’s most reliable arm on the mound in 2017. Troop ended his year going 8-3 with a 2.47 ERA and 83 strikeouts. He pitched in 83.2 innings, holding opposing hitters to a .223 batting average. But that’s not the only reason he was drafted.

Troop has shown he is a very capable two way player. His offense is just as explosive as his pitching. In 81 at bats he averaged .321 (26-81) with six doubles, a triple, three home runs, and 12 RBI.

Jake Boss gave him consistent chances at the plate early on in the year — which is where Troop showed the ability to be one of the best hitters if not the best hitter Michigan State had to offer. Unfortunately he was needed on the mound, limiting his contributions on offense.

Last year star catcher Matt Byars was drafted 24th overall by the Minnesota Twins. He made the difficult decision to come back for his senior season. Now the same question rests on Troop’s shoulders.