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SALT LAKE CITY — The Los Angeles Angels are tapping into their Utah pipeline again.
No, that's not a reference to the club's Triple-A affiliate in Salt Lake City.
The Angels tabbed former Fremont High pitcher Ky Bush, who spent last season at St. Mary's, with the No. 45 overall pick during Monday's second round of the 2021 MLB draft.
Bush, who initially signed with Washington State out of high school and spent the 2020 season at Central Arizona College, is the highest baseball draft pick to ever come out of Weber County, according to the Ogden Standard-Examiner. Weber High's Bob Kaiser held the previous high as Cleveland's third-round pick in 1968, according to Baseball Reference.
The 6-foot-6 junior left-hander went 7-5 with a 2.99 ERA in 14 starts during his first season with the Gaels, leading the West Coast Conference squad with 112 strikeouts and seven wins. With the No. 45 pick, Bush is valued at a $1.65 million signing bonus, according to MLB's sliding scale for draft value.
"This has been a lifelong goal of mine to get drafted and it wouldn't be possible without my parents, family, coaches, and teammates," Bush said in a release from the school. "The relationships I have developed over the years through baseball have made me into the player I am today and I am very thankful for the people who have helped me get to this point. This is an opportunity of a lifetime and I am excited to start this new chapter in life with the Angels."
The former Silverwolves star was previously selected in the 40th round of the 2018 MLB draft by the Kansas City Royals. Bush is one of 10 pitchers selected by the Angels in 2021.
"Bush is big left-hander, who is listed at 6-foot-6 and 240 pounds, and he has a fastball that can touch 96 mph and sits at around 94 mph with deception," MLB.com writer Rhett Bollinger said. "His best secondary pitch is his slider, and he also has a slow curveball, but his changeup is a work in progress. There's a chance he ends up a reliever, but the Angels profile him as a starter."
Assuming he signs and sticks with the Angels, Bush could make a return to Utah with the Triple-A affiliate Salt Lake Bees. Before then, however, it's likely the Fremont grad would have to work through the club's Low-A affiliate Inland Empire 66ers in San Bernardino, California; High-A ball with the Tri-City Dust Devils in Pasco, Washington; and Rocky City Trash Pandas in Madison, Alabama for Double-A.
The MLB draft wraps up Tuesday with rounds 11-20.
