ARLINGTON, Tex. – Three former Tom Sox players were selected on the second day of the 2024 MLB First-Year Player Draft, as announced by their respective clubs on Monday (July 15). Players selected include 2023 ‘Sox pitcher Davian Garcia (Florida Gulf Coast), 2022 pitcher Fisher Jameson (Florida), and 2022 first baseman/outfielder Carter Cunningham (East Carolina). The three former ‘Sox join 2022 pitcher Trey Yesavage, who was selected with the 20thoverall pick in Sunday’s first round.
Garcia kicked off the festivities, being chosen in the sixth round (170th overall) by the Washington Nationals. He had a strong season for the 2023 VBL Runners-Up, making a team-leading 11 appearances and striking out 41, the second-most on the team. He also sported a .202 opponents’ batting average to go along with his 5.84 ERA. Excluding his final appearance where he had to pitch on short rest due to the team’s roster situation, his ERA fell to 4.50.
Garcia had an outstanding season in his only year for the FGCU Eagles, garnering First Team All-Atlantic Sun honors after going 5-3 across 16 appearances (eight starts) with a 3.03 ERA (third in the conference), 10.77 strikeouts per nine innings (second), and 1.21 WHIP (fifth).
Garcia is the first player from the 2023 Tom Sox team to be chosen in the MLB Draft.
Next up was 2022 hurler Fisher Jameson, who was chosen with the 288th overall pick (10th round) by the Colorado Rockies. Jameson had an up-and-down season for the VBL champion ‘Sox, where he used the summer to hone his skills before becoming a regular arm out of the bullpen for Florida. On the season for Charlottesville, Jameson finished with a 5.55 ERA in seven appearances (six starts), striking out 20 and walking 24.
Jameson bounced back to have an incredibly strong 2024 season, working to a 3.99 ERA (which ranked 11th in the SEC) as the Gators’ top arm. In his team-leading 34 appearances, Jameson finished with a 10.51 strikeout to walk ratio (212thin the nation’s best conference) and a 1.15 WHIP, which ranked eighth.
Jameson is Charlottesville’s first Gator to be selected in the MLB Draft.
Last, but certainly not least, East Carolina’s Carter Cunningham joined teammate Trey Yesavage as the Blue Jays’ newest pieces, being selected with the 307th overall pick. Cunningham was named an All-Valley League selection in the outfield after putting up one of Charlottesville’s all-time best offensive seasons. Across his 29 games, Cunningham hit .404, the third-highest mark in team history; slugged .633, which is Charlottesville’s second-best mark; and reached base at a .473 clip, which ranks third. He also ranks among Charlottesville’s top ten in single-season runs (31, T-9th), hits (44, T-10th), doubles (11, T-7th), home runs (4, T-9th), and RBI (31, T-7th).
Cunningham entered his summer in Charlottesville off a lackluster year at East Carolina but used his summer to build him into one of the country’s best hitters over his final two seasons. He was named an All-American Conference selection in 2023 after hitting .317 with 39 RBI and eight home runs, but took it to another level in 2024. This past season, he was named American Conference Player of the Year and a semifinalist for the Dick Howser Trophy after hitting a league-leading .367 with 77 runs (led AAC), 17 doubles, 17 home runs, 66 RBI, and 38 walks.
However, while his on-field efforts were outstanding, Cunningham made a tremendous impact off the field with his Homers That Help foundation. The foundation, which benefits the Maynard Children’s Hospital, raised over $30,000 for the hospital. The hospital also benefitted from bi-weekly visits from Cunningham and his teammates. He was awarded the American Conference’s Community Impact Award for his efforts, which is awarded by the conference’s Student-Athlete Advisory Committee to a student-athlete “who has made an impact in either the surrounding or campus community through service work.”
The 2024 MLB Draft concludes on Tuesday (July 16) with rounds 11-20, live from Arlington, Texas. Coverage is available at MLB.com.
