Notre Dame Pitcher Drafted by New York Yankees in MLB Draft

Fox still has another year of eligibility, so there's a chance he doesn't sign and returns to South Bend for his senior season to improve his draft stock, but I don't expect that to happen. With signing bonuses now slotted, and Fox likely to receive at least $300,000 for signing, it'd be somewhat surprising if Fox passes on the Yankees.

Fox has come a long way since his freshman year in 2022, when the Wisconsin native finished with an ERA over 12 in just three appearances. Things got a little bit better for Fox last year as a sophomore -- 2-3 with a 6.42 ERA in 15 games (nine starts) -- but he took his game to a whole different level this spring.

The Fighting Irish standout went 4-4 with a 3.58 ERA in 14 starts and led the pitching staff in just about every stat -- wins (four), starts (14), complete games (one), shutouts (one), and strikeouts (64). What stood out most about Fox was how he held opposing batters to a .187 batting average. Even if teams made consistent contact against Fox, opposing hitters didn't have much to show for it. And for a guy that doesn't generate a ton of punchouts, holding opposing hitters to a low batting average is a big deal, but under .200, that's not just good, that's excellent.

It'll be interesting to see how the Yankees approach Fox's development this summer after logging over 65 innings this spring, but assuming he signs, getting to Class-A (Low-A) would be good for both the Yankees and Fox.

And the same goes for shortstop Evan Moreno, who was drafted by the Seattle Mariners in the final round of the MLB Draft on Tuesday.