Two athletes from The Laker/Lutz News coverage area will soon get to pursue their dreams of playing professional baseball, after agreeing to terms with their respective MLB organizations.
Steinbrenner High School and Florida State University product CJ Van Eyk signed a professional contract with the Toronto Blue Jays for $1.8 million, according to multiple reports.
The 21-year-old right-handed pitcher was selected by the Blue Jays in the second round (42nd overall) in the 2020 MLB Draft earlier this month.
Across three seasons at FSU, the 6-foot-1 Van Eyk logged an 18-5 win-loss record, 3.21 ERA, 1.274 WHIP and 225 strikeouts in 176.2 innings. Van Eyk won a state title and state player of the year honors at Steinbrenner.
Meanwhile, Wesley Chapel native Carson Ragsdale — a Bishop McLaughlin Catholic High School and University of South Florida (USF) product — signed with the Philadelphia Phillies for $225,000, according to multiple reports.
The 22-year-old righty was selected by the Phillies in the fourth round (116th overall) of this year’s draft.
The 6-foot-8 Ragsdale transitioned to a starter’s role in his redshirt junior year at USF, after pitching out of the bullpen his freshman and sophomore seasons. He tallied a 3.75 ERA, 1.391 WHIP and 77 strikeouts in 50.1 career innings. (He missed the 2019 season due to Tommy John surgery.)
The status of when and where Van Eyk and Ragsdale start their careers in the minor leagues remains up in the air due to uncertainty from the COVID-19 pandemic. However, it might not be too long before fans catch a glimpse of these locals in the Tampa Bay area, as both the Blue Jays and Phillies have Single-A affiliates in Dunedin and Clearwater, respectively.
