Bishop Feehan's Brody Bumila says Texas Rangers gave him "life-changing" opportunity in MLB Draft
The MLB Draft experience was a rollercoaster for former Bishop Feehan High School basketball and baseball star Brody Bumila. But in the end, he says it was one that changed his life.
Bumila led Bishop Feehan to a state championship in basketball, then dominated on the pitcher's mound in his primary sport this past spring. The 6-foot-9, 255-pound lefty became a top prospect and was widely expected to be drafted in the first round of this month's MLB Draft.
"At the combine, the teams I met with varied from like pick 12 to pick 40. so there was a lot of interest there," Bumila told WBZ-TV.
Brody Bumila drafted by Texas Rangers
That was the case all the way up until the week of the draft when he faced a curveball in the form of an MRI. The scan revealed a UCL injury in his pitching elbow.
"Getting diagnosed with an injury on Monday wasn't too hot, but I just kind of took those 24 hours to myself, bounced back and realized what I had to do to still hopefully get drafted," Bumila said.
Undeterred, but also unsure of where that left his draft day fate, Bumila watched the draft on Saturday and waited for his name to be called. He watched on TV from his home in Raynham, Massachusetts down the road from where he once played Little League.
"I knew i was going to be on the phone after pick 40, so I'd say those first 40 picks until 4 o'clock were the longest three hours of my life," Bumila said.
Eventually, Bumila was taken by the Texas Rangers in the third round with the 89th pick.
"They just said, 'Super excited to have you in the organization, can't wait to get down there,'" Bumila said of the phone call with the Rangers.
"Life changing" opportunity
While his stock may have dipped on draft boards, Bumila said the Rangers made him an offer he couldn't refuse. So, the Massachusetts Gatorade Baseball Player of the Year decided to take his talents to Arlington instead of Austin, Texas where he had committed to playing for the University of Texas prior to the draft.
"College would be amazing to go to, but every kid's dream is to be a professional baseball player not a college baseball player," Bumila said. "And I got a dollar sum I would consider life changing."
According to the Boston Globe, the Rangers offered Bumila "first-round money." That likely means Bumila will receive more than $3 million to join the organization.
Bumila anticipates a trip to Texas early next week to be introduced as one of the newest Rangers. He will meet his draft class before meeting with the club to figure out the next steps to address his injury.
"I just think you've got to just keep going, not stop. If you think you can achieve your goal you can achieve it," Bumila said. "I think it just puts a bigger chip on my shoulder to a sense that all the other 29 MLB teams, everyone had an opportunity to take me and they didn't."