The Minnesota Twins selected Maryland CF LaMonte Wade in the 9th Round of the 2015 MLB Draft Tuesday. Wade could join Maryland teammates Blake Schmit and Alex Robinson in the Twins’ system.
(Photo: Alexander Jonesi)
The athletic centerfielder saw his draft stock skyrocket after a terrific 2015 NCAA Tournament. Wade delivered three run-saving plays and two home runs en route to being named the Most Outstanding Player of the Los Angeles Regional. The Owings Mills, Maryland native has made a habit of performing his best in the postseason. He was named to three postseason All-Tournament teams in the past two years.
Wade drew 107 walks in his career, finishing second all-time in Maryland history. He gets on base in a variety of ways and is a plus defender in centerfield.
“LaMonte Wade Jr. is an extremely gifted CF with tools galore,” Jon Lewis said in MBN’s Maryland Draft Preview. “He is a fast-twitched athlete who gets incredible reads on flyballs and makes difficult plays look easy. He has plus plus range in CF and has a very strong arm to boot.”
“Wade is everything you want in a top of the order hitter,” Terps baseball broadcaster John Vittas added. “He gets on base in a variety of ways, makes consistent solid contact and is a threat on the bases. He walked 10 more times than he struck out this year (20 K, 30 BB) and drove in a remarkable 32 runs in 42 games as a leadoff hitter.”
VIEW WADE’S FULL DRAFT PROFILE
This is the first time Wade has been drafted. He was ranked the No. 1 high school prospect out of Maryland in 2012 by Baseball Dynamic.
Wade was selected 260th overall Tuesday. The slot value for that pick is $163,800. Wade will have to make a deal with Minnesota by July 17, or he would return to College Park in the fall.
Listen to Vittas and Lewis discuss Wade as a draft prospect:
This was one of several highlight-reel plays that Wade made in LA last week:
Maryland Baseball Network 
[…] Bechtold began the 2015 season in a competition with Kevin Smith for shortstop, but became the team’s starting first basemen instead. But, early in the season, Bechtold sustained a season-ending thumb injury, making Kevin Biondic the starting first basemen. However, Biondic struggled at the plate. Justin Morris was the potential solution, but he too struggled at the plate, and struggled defensively as well. So, when LaMonte Wade returned from his hamate bone injury, he moved back to first base from centerfield—a switch he had made in the offseason—and provided some stability. After some lineup tinkering and progress, Wade moved back to centerfield and Biondic regained his starting role at first base, providing solid defense. This offseason, Wade was drafted in the 9th Round by the Minnesota Twins. […]
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[…] Mainstay left-fielder Tim Lewis (graduated) and centerfielder LaMonte Wade (drafted in the 9th Round by the Minnesota Twins) […]
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