Panthers Stars Ryan Reed and Luke Cantwell Drafted by Padres

The Pittsburgh Panthers baseball team added another arm to professional baseball as Ryan Reed was drafted by the San Diego Padres in the 15th round of the Major League Baseball Draft Monday afternoon.

First baseman Luke Cantwell was also selected by the Padres in the 20th round. Reed and Cantwell are the second and third former Panthers to be selected by the Padres in the history of the program.

Reed, a 6-foot-5 hurler was the 460th overall selection in the draft. He is the fifth Pittsburgh pitcher to be selected in the last three years. In 2024, right-hander Phil Fox was selected by the Chicago White Sox in the seventh round. He was the 199th overall selection. Former Panthers star Ryan Andrade was then selected 17 picks later by the Tampa Bay Rays at pick No. 216.

The year prior, 2023, the Seattle Mariners selected Logan Evans in the 12th round of the draft. Evans was the 367th pick. Shortly thereafter, the Cincinnati Reds plucked Dylan Simmons out of the Panthers organization with the 438th selection in the 15th round.

Reed, a native of Ridley Park, Pa., had a 5-4 record this season through 14 starts. He posted a 5.01 ERA this spring, which was his junior season. He allowed 41 earned runs on 84 hits in 73.2 innings. He also struck out 67 batters.

Following his outing against Miami in early April, Reed was named the ACC Pitcher of the Week. He tossed seven shutout innings against the Hurricanes while scattering three hits and striking out five.

In 2024, Reed was a weekend starter and made 13 starts. His ERA ballooned to 8.45 and only struck out 43 batters in 54.1 innings. He brought his ERA down between his sophomore and junior seasons. As a sophomore he allowed 82 hits and 51 earned runs.

The Haverford School graduate played on a state championship team in 2022. He was first team all-conference in 2021 and posted an amazing 1.61 ERA over 50.1 innings.

After Reed was selected, Cantwell was also taken by the Padres in the 20th round, No. 610 overall.

He guided Pitt to a dramatic ACC Tournament Win over College World Series participant Louisville in May. With the game knotted at 11 in the bottom of the eighth inning, Cantwell launched a two-run blast to right which lifted the Panthers over the Cardinals to move on to the second round. 

Cantwell was a career .326 hitter with the Panthers while accumulating 126 hits, 112 walks, 94 runs scored, 89 RBIs 28 doubles, 16 home runs and a .498 on-base percentage. Cantwell set the single-season program record for walks in his first year with the program in 2024, working 57 free passes. He ranked 6thall-time in walks in school history after just two seasons. 

Panthers head coach Mike Bell was very pleased with the outcome of the draft and released a statement through the school's athletic department regarding the two player's accomplishments.

 "We are extremely excited for Ryan, Luke and their families as they start their professional journeys," Bell said. "They both left memorable moments and a legacy to be proud of here at the University of Pittsburgh."