MILWAUKEE, Wis. –
AJ Blubaugh of the Milwaukee baseball team was selected by the Houston Astros in the seventh round with the 223rd overall pick in the 2022 Major League Baseball Draft on Monday afternoon.
Blubaugh is the 24th Panther in program history to be drafted and first since
Jake Sommers and
Trevor Schwecke in 2019. The seventh-round pick marks the third earliest for the Panthers behind Daulton Varsho (2
nd round, 2017) and Joshua Uhen (5
th round, 2013).
"It's a surreal feeling that I always dreamed of," Blubaugh said. "I was at home with my mom and dad and my advisor gave me a call about 20 picks before it happened. He said the Astros were going to take me and once the pick came through, it felt like everything was lifted off of me. It's one of the biggest dreams a kid can have and I'm still shaking. I'm going to enjoy today but once tomorrow comes around, I know it is the start of the next chapter of my life. I'm back to square one and have a long way to go but I'm excited for what's coming."
Blubaugh was a force out of the Panthers' bullpen the last two seasons, earning Horizon League Relief Pitcher of the Year honors each year. In 41 relief innings in 2021 and 2022 combined, Blubaugh owns a 2.63 ERA with 56 strikeouts to just 18 walks. He recorded 14 saves in that stretch which is tied for fourth all-time in program history. In those 28 appearances, the righty put together 21 scoreless outings.
"I want to thank God first, he's with me through everything. I also want to thank my parents and my whole family. The support has been unreal," Blubaugh continued. "And then Milwaukee – Scotty [Coach Doffek], Bigs, Wegs, and all assistants I've been with. They took a chance on an undersized high school kid and gave me a shot and for that, I can't even put into words how grateful I am. I also want to thank my teammates. All of the guys who came through – each and every one of those guys impacted me in some way."
"I love the statement 'Nothing Given and Everything Earned'," head coach
Scott Doffek commented. "AJ has worked his tail off for this opportunity and we couldn't be more proud. First and foremost, he is a high-character guy. Incredible teammate and a fierce competitor. The term the sky is the limit gets thrown around a lot and with AJ, it is right on the money. The Astros got a first-class human being and a heck of a pitcher. Also, a shout out to Coach
Cory Bigler for both identifying AJ when others didn't and his very impactful role he played is development. Great day to be a Panther and a Houston Astro."