Notre Dame Signee Joe Boyle Opts Out of Draft

North Oldham High (Goshen, Ky.) senior righthander Joe Boyle has officially opted out of the 2017 draft, sources told Baseball America. Boyle is the first player to officially opt out of draft eligibility for 2017. The newest Collective Bargaining Agreement added the following condition:

“If a player wishes to be excluded from the draft, he must notify the Commissioner’s Office in writing by the May 1 immediately preceding the draft.”

Previously, the top 200 players in the draft (as determined by the Major League Scouting Bureau) could remove themselves from the draft by declining to participate in drug testing. This was the case for Brewers lefthander Nathan Kirby in 2012.

Boyle and his family had made it clear to clubs early on that he had no interest in playing professionally right now. He is committed to Notre Dame, and he intends to honor that commitment.

Boyle, a righthanded pitcher, was a solid draft prospect. Baseball America has seen Boyle pitch three times:

• June 14, 2015: Boyle threw two innings at the Perfect Game Junior National Showcase. His fastball worked at 85-89 mph and he showed flashes with his 11-to-5 or 12-to-6 curveball in the low 70s. His body offered significant projection.

• June 18, 2016: Boyle struck out five and walked one in two innings at the Perfect Game National Showcase. His fastball worked mostly at 89-91. He threw his curveball at 74-76, mostly with soft spin but promising 11-to-5 shape.

• July 23, 2016: Pitching at Wrigley Field at the Under Armour All-America Game, Boyle showed promising velocity. On BA’s radar gun, his fastball worked at 92-95, but other guns had him touching 96. His curveball consistently looped upward out of his hand as he battled his timing on the mound. The pitch sat 72-73.

Scouts were aware of Boyle’s inclination toward college entering the spring, but still went to see him. Scouts from two teams that saw Boyle this year said that his fastball velocity ranged from 91-95 and that Boyle showed flashes with a projectable curveball, though his command was lacking and his curveball was inconsistent. Another team had Boyle’s fastball as high as 96 that day.

Boyle has a good pitcher’s body—listed at 6-foot-6 and 225 pounds—that is complemented by a compact arm action and sound athleticism. Boyle would have been young for this year’s draft as he won’t turn 18 until August.