On the heels of a standout senior season that saw him lead the Johnnies to their ninth BIG EAST title, Kevin Magee was selected by the Baltimore Orioles in the ninth round of the 2018 MLB Draft.
Magee was the 11th player selected in the round and the 265th player picked overall.
The Pompton Lakes, N.J., native recently wrapped up a four-year career in Queens by winning both of his postseason starts for the Johnnies, helping the Red Storm down Butler in the BIG EAST Championship before mowing down Morehead State in the NCAA Clemson Regional. In 2018, the left hander turned in a record of 7-3 in 15 appearances, 14 of which were starts, while compiling a 2.67 ERA and holding opponents to a .249 batting average. The Second Team All-BIG EAST selection demonstrated some of the best command in the nation, striking out 92 batters while surrendering just 15 walks in 77.2 frames on the year. Through games played on Monday, Magee’s 6.13 strikeout-to-walk ratio ranks 24th in the nation while his 92 punch-outs are good enough for 10th on the St. John’s single-season record list.
Despite missing a substantial part of the season due to injury, Magee managed to impress as a junior in 2017, going 4-1 with a 2.45 ERA in 10 appearances, eight of which were starts. He struck out 40 batters and allowed just 10 walks in 40.1 innings of work.
Over the course of his final two years with the Red Storm, Magee went 11-4 with 2.59 ERA and helped lead the Johnnies to consecutive 40-win seasons and NCAA Regional appearances.
Magee is the highest St. John’s draft pick since Thomas Hackimer was tabbed by the Twins in the fourth round in 2016. He will join former St. John’s teammate Alex Katz (’15) in the Orioles organization, as Katz is currently pitching for Delmarva Shorebirds of the South Atlantic League. Former Johnnie Brendan Monaghan signed a free agent contract with the Orioles after the 2007 draft, but Magee is the first St. John’s player to be drafted by the organization since Bob Bellini in 1985.
Off the diamond, Magee was a member of the St. John’s President’s Society, the most prestigious academic honors association at the University.
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