ST. LOUIS — The Major League Baseball Draft began over the weekend, and a couple of St. Louis area standouts heard their names called on the first night.
The Boston Red Sox used the 50th overall selection to take CBC shortstop Nazzan Zanetello. With the 67th pick, the Pittsburgh Pirates selected Belleville East High School pitcher Zander Mueth.
Zanetello, a 6-foot-3 18-year-old, was the No. 52 prospect heading into the draft. In addition to his standout seasons at CBC, Zanetello appeared in eight games for Team USA's 18U team in international competition.
In an April interview, he said seeing professional scouts was driving him to be great.
"It is a lot of pressure on myself but honestly, I think pressure is a privilege because it means a lot of great people expect great things from you," Zanetello told Frank Cusumano.
Zander Mueth is no stranger to big stages either. As a 17-year-old, Mueth was one of 38 players from around the country to be named to the 2022 High School All-American Game at Dodger Stadium.
"It's real exciting. Especially with a stadium like Dodger Stadium. It's up there one of the most historic stadiums in the country. So it's amazing," Mueth said at the time.
The 6-foot-6 Belleville East graduate has committed to play at Ole Miss, but can now has a potential offer from the Pirates to consider.
The St. Louis Cardinals selected outfielder Chase Davis out of Arizona.
The draft will continue with rounds 3 through 10 on Monday and rounds 11 to 20 on Tuesday.