Here’s how close this prep star shortstop came to playing for the Miami Hurricanes
Monsignor Pace shortstop Sammy Infante was sure he was headed to the University of Miami this fall when his baseball career suddenly took a sharp detour.
The detour happened this past Thursday night, during the second round of the 2020 MLB Draft. At pick No. 55, the Washington Nationals called Infante. But when the sides could not agree on the amount of the signing bonus, an impasse occurred.
Washington drafted LSU right-hander Henry Cole in that spot, and Infante prepared himself mentally for another good option — attending UM. But then, at selection No. 71, also owned by the Nationals, Infante was selected after the bonus offer was increased.
“The draft is something very difficult and confusing,” Infante said. “Once I thought I was out [of the draft], the Nationals made quite an offer.
“I’m ready to play pro ball. I’m ready to get to it.”
Infante is going to a hot organization. The Nationals are coming off the first World Series championship in franchise history, and they selected just one infielder in this abbreviated draft — Infante.
The slot value for selection No. 71 was $884,000, but Infante said the Nationals agreed to pay him “$300,000 over slot.”
Infante said it’s “a shame” he won’t get to play for the Miami Hurricanes. But he also reasoned that, due to the short draft — just five rounds instead of 40 — many more players will be going to college ball instead of the pros this coming season.
“It’s going to be difficult [to get playing time due to] all the players on campus next year,” said Infante, showing an excellent grasp of the unique landscape in the sport for 2021.
Infante, whose family roots are in the Dominican Republic, said he didn’t actually choose baseball as his sport.
“Baseball culture was inflicted on me,” Infante said with a laugh. “I was basically told, ‘You’re liking baseball, not basketball.’”
It turned out to be a wise choice for Infante, who grew up as a fan of the Boston Red Sox and especially some of their Dominican-born stars such as Manny Ramirez and David Ortiz.
Unlike those sluggers, however, Infante has a different sort of a game. A 6-1, 185-pounder, Infante can run, stealing 24 bases in 30 attempts in his prep career.
In 195 career at-bats, Infante hit .441 with 16 doubles, five triples, nine homers, 56 runs, 42 RBI, a .541 on-base percentage and a 1,254 OPS.
“I have gap-to-gap power,” Infante said. “On the base paths, I’m a threat.
“Defensively, I can play shortstop, second base or third. I just want to win.”
Infante, who had a 3.4 grade-point average at Pace, said he had been interested in a career working for Homeland Security.
But now that he is a professional baseball player, those plans are on hold.
Tom Duffin, who coached Infante at Pace, was thrilled for his former player.
“He was the first high school kid from South Florida to get drafted this year,” Duffin said. “That’s a great accomplishment. I’m so happy for Sammy, who stayed loyal to our program.
“It was a great day for Sammy and a great day for everyone at Pace.”
THIS AND THAT
▪ Last week’s MLB Draft featured 113 college players and just 47 from high schools. It was the second-lowest percentage of prep players in draft history.
In addition, for the first time in the 56-year history of the draft, no prep player was selected among the top seven picks.
▪ Merfy Andrew, a right-handed pitcher from St. Thomas University, signed as an undrafted free agent with the Boston Red Sox. Andrew, in his lone season with No. 4 STU, finished with a 3-0 record (five appearances), striking out 42 in 25.1 innings pitched. Andrew is the third STU product to join the Red Sox organization since 2015, joining Jerry Downs (15th round, 2015) and Elih Marrero (8th round, 2018).