Owen Murphy
 |
| Photo: Matthew Grimes/ Atlanta Braves |
Bio:
Age: 19
Height: 6'1"
Weight: 190 lbs.
Bats/Throws: Right/Right
Hometown: Chicago, Illinois
Draft Profile: 1st round, 20th pick of the 2022 draft by Atlanta
Drafted Out of: Riverside-Brookfield High School (Riverside, IL)
Career Stat Line: 52.2 IP 2-3 W/L 4.61 ERA 70:23 K:BB .233 AVG. 1.33 WHIP
If one of your first words is "ball", it's usually indicative that a career in some sport would be one of interest. That's exactly what we have here with this year's Minor League Spotlight: Owen Murphy.
As a youngin', his father signed him up for a baseball class at the Riverside Recreation Department in their suburban community. He caught on quickly, sticking with the group through T-Ball and as a future member of the Riverside Rockets, the local travel team that his father helped coach (RB Landmark). It was clear that his work ethic was a step above many of his peers, with a true commitment to mastering the game he loved.
His passion grew as he did, working his way onto the elite local baseball club, Rake City. "He's obsessed about being the greatest that Owen Murphy can be and he does not stop," RC coach Pete Flores spoke of the future star. "There's no off button with that kid."
That drive carried over into high school, where he played quarterback and wide receiver on the gridiron at Riverside-Brookfield High, in addition to shortstop and pitcher for the baseball team (Wikipedia). His junior season on the diamond was a fantastic one, going 6-1 with a 0.33 ERA (Shaw Local). He also hit nine home runs at the dish.
Murphy took things to the next level as a senior. The two-way star ripped a .548/18/75 stat line in 36 games, boasting a .659 OBP while striking out just six times. His work on the mound was even more impressive, going 9-0 with 137 strikeouts in 58.1 innings. He only allowed ten hits and one earned run all season, recording four no hitters and two perfect games, earning the Illinois Gatorade Player of the Year for his work (Max Preps). Absolute domination.
Murphy's eye popping stats were not missed by professional scouts, who rated the young righty highly. It didn't take long for him to hear his name called in the 2022 MLB draft, going 20th overall to the Atlanta Braves. He took a slightly under slot deal from the Braves, valued at $2.56 million dollars, and his professional baseball dreams became reality (MLB.com).
During his inaugural short season, Owen tallied 12 total innings over five starts in the Florida Complex League and low A. His FCL numbers were sharp, with a spotless ERA, 7:0 K:BB ratio and a .118 opposing batting average. He allowed six earned runs in seven innings of work at Augusta though, with six walks being a driving force to the problems (MiLB.com).
 |
| Photo: MiLB.com |
2023 has been a bit more encouraging for the first rounder. Coming off of a masterful, twelve strikeout effort against Delmarva last night, he's gone 2-2 in eleven starts with 53 strikeouts over 40.2 innings, but he's also allowing a BAA of .252. He'll definitely want to improve upon that final number to finish his first full professional campaign on the highest of notes. The Atlanta Braves, as well as us here at Chopping Lines, believe he's very capable of that. Stay tuned.
------
@Choppinglines
*I own no rights to any images found in this blog
Comments
Post a Comment