Five Tom Sox Selected on Final Day of 2024 Draft

ARLINGTON, Tex. – Five current and former Tom Sox players were selected on the third and final day of the 2024 MLB First-Year Player Draft, as announced by their respective clubs on Tuesday (July 16). Included in the day three selections were 2024 ‘Sox outfielder James Nunnallee (UVA incoming freshman), 2023 pitcher Jordan Little (Virginia Tech), 2022 pitcher Wyatt Lunsford-Shenkman (East Carolina), 2022 infielder Christian Martin (Virginia Tech), and 2021 pitcher Chase Centala (UCF).

Kicking off the game three selections was Nunnallee, who becomes the first ‘Sox player to appear on the team’s active roster but be selected before appearing in a game for Charlottesville. However, Nunnallee has made his way to Charlottesville and will be on the active roster for the remainder of the regular season and playoffs.

Nunnallee was selected with the 425^th overall pick by the Milwaukee Brewers and was ranked MLB.com’s No. 200 overall prospect entering the draft. He was selected out of Lightridge High School in Aldie, Virginia, after being named First Team All-Met by the Washington Post and sporting a .474 batting average with only one strikeout as a senior. He is enrolled at the University of Virginia.

The first former Sock off the board on day three was Virginia Tech’s Jordan Little, who was selected in the 15^th round by the Cincinnati Reds. Little put forth one of the best seasons by a loaded Tom Sox pitching staff last season, going 1-0 in five appearances with a 1.20 ERA and 28 strikeouts to only two walks. Most notably, Little put together one of the most dominant performances by a ‘Sox reliever on July 11 against New Market when he struck out a team-record 11 batters.

Little transferred from East Carolina to Virginia Tech during the 2023 summer and found an important role in the Hokie bullpen this past season. In 21 appearances for VT, Little worked to a 6.66 ERA across 25.2 innings, striking out 34 and walking nine.

Next up was Little’s former ECU teammate Wyatt Lunsford-Shenkman, who was selected with the 483^rd overall pick (16^th round) by the Seattle Mariners. Lunsford-Shenkman was a key anchor to the 2022 championship pitching staff, finishing with a 4.05 ERA in 20 innings and striking out 25.

Lunsford-Shenkman made a big jump this past spring, being named a Golden Spikes Award and Stopper of the Year semifinalist as well as an All-American by multiple publications. In 46.1 inning this spring as a back-end reliever and closer for the Pirates, Lunsford-Shenkman finished with a 1.55 ERA, five saves, and 79 strikeouts to 21 walks.

One of the best hitters in ‘Sox history, Virginia Tech’s Christian Martin was selected with the 531^st overall pick (18^thround) by the St. Louis Cardinals. Alongside fellow draftee Carter Cunningham, Martin put up one of Charlottesville’s all-time best seasons in 2022 on his way to an All-Valley League selection. His .493 on-base percentage stands as Charlottesville’s single-season record, and he ranks among the top ten in batting average (.391, 4^th), slugging percentage (.582, 4^th), and runs (35, 4^th).

On the year for the high-flying Hokies, Martin finished with a .313 batting average, .949 OPS, 59 runs, and 36 RBI.

Finally, 2021 ‘Sox pitcher Chase Centala was selected with the 604^th overall pick by the Miami Marlins. Centala put forth an exceptional season for Charlottesville en route to the 2021 regular season championship, going 3-0 across 21 innings with a 3.43 ERA, 24 strikeouts, and six walks.

Centala was a key cog in the bullpen for UCF on the season, where he transferred to following his 2021 freshman season at Florida. On the season, Centala went 3-0 with a team-leading seven saves, striking out 37 with a 6.96 ERA.

The five day three selections join the four former ‘Sox selected across the draft’s first two days. The nine Tom Sox selected are the third-most in an MLB Draft, trailing 2019 (13) and 2023 (10). The full list of selected players is as follows: