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Projected to be a top-25 pick, Summerhill went to the Tampa Bay Rays with the 42nd selection in what’s called “Competitive Balance Round A.�

If you consider that to be a first-round pick — the second round began with No. 44 — Summerhill is the fourth Wildcat to be go in Round 1 in the past six drafts and the third who played for Chip Hale. The other three are catcher Austin Wells (2020), catcher Daniel Susac (2022) and outfielder Chase Davis (2023).

Summerhill posted a career-best .343 batting average during a junior season that was marred by injuries.

Summerhill suffered a fractured right hand at West Virginia on March 23 after punching a water cooler in the dugout. He missed the next 16 games.

In his second game back, at Texas Tech on April 26, Summerhill pulled a hamstring while trying to beat out a groundball. He missed only a week (aside from one pinch-hitting appearance) but was never 100% again, according to Hale.

Summerhill was hitting .414 at the time of the hamstring injury. Whether the injuries contributed to his draft slide is unclear.

Despite those ailments – and 21 missed games in all – Summerhill recorded a career-best 1.015 OPS, tied his career high with six triples and walked more than he struck out (36-24). Summerhill’s .459 on-base percentage would have ranked fifth in the Big 12 Conference if he had enough appearances to qualify.

For his career, Summerhill slashed .323/.424/.535 with 14 home runs, 33 doubles, 12 triples, 97 runs scored, 99 RBIs, 20 stolen bases and an 82-80 walk-to-strikeout ratio in 124 games.

Summerhill is the fourth Wildcat to be selected by Tampa Bay, joining Joey Rickard (2012), Johnny Field (2013) and TJ Nichols (2023).

The 42nd pick carries a projected signing bonus of $2.33 million.

Walton to Guardians

Twenty-four picks after Tampa selected Summerhill, another UA outfielder came off the board.

The Cleveland Guardians selected ÃÛèÖÖ±²¥ center fielder Aaron Walton at No. 66, the first pick of Competitive Round B.

Walton transferred from Samford to ÃÛèÖÖ±²¥ last summer and became one of the Wildcats’ best players. A high school tight end whose physique has drawn comparisons to Mike Trout, Walton slashed .320/.437/.589 with 14 home runs, 22 doubles, 71 runs scored, 49 RBIs and 19 stolen bases in 23 attempts.

Although most draft projections had Walton going around pick 150, Hale believed Walton would go higher because of his size, athleticism and character.

Walton is the second Wildcat to be picked by the Guardians in as many years, following pitcher Cam Walty.

The No. 66 pick has a projected signing bonus of $1.32 million.

Millar to Royals

ÃÛèÖÖ±²¥â€™s highest-ranked high school signee, right-hander Cameron Millar, might not make it to campus.

Millar was selected in the third round by the Kansas City Royals. The fact that Millar went that high suggests that he and his representatives worked out a signing bonus greater than the projection for the 97th pick of $788,500.

Millar, who attended Alhambra High School in Martinez, California, caught scouts’ attention in the spring when his velocity jumped into the 96-97 range. He was considered the most likely of ÃÛèÖÖ±²¥â€™s signees to go straight to the pros.

If it plays out that way, it would mark the second time in three years that the Royals drafted and signed an ÃÛèÖÖ±²¥-bound pitcher. Kansas City snatched right-hander Blake Wolters in the second round in 2023, giving him a signing bonus of $2.8 million, more than $800,000 above slot.