KANSAS CITY, Mo. — A dream and the right work ethic are sometimes all it takes. Kansas State lefty Jordan Wicks is living proof of that.
“If you would have asked people a year and a half ago, or even my freshman year, if I’d be in this position, I think the only person who would have told you yes is myself," Wicks said.
And he's right on track to reach his lifelong goal.
“It’s something you dream about as a kid," he said. "It’s something you think about, so for it to be close, or it to be coming up, it still hasn’t registered yet.”
The once-Big 12 Conference Freshman of the Year, now junior, is projected to go 15th overall in this year's MLB Draft, according to MLB.com. The lefty also is dubbed as the top left-hander available.
“It shows the work that I’ve put in, and it show the people that have helped me get here, you know, who provided me with those building blocks to go off of," Wicks said.
Wicks also is on track to make school history. The Wildcats have never had a first-round draft pick or a pitcher selected in the top three rounds.
“It’s something like 90% of the world is right-handed or something like that, so it provides a different look... you know, you get use to seeing righty after righty after righty and when you face a lefty, you have to changed things up," Wicks said.
Known for his changeup, the NCAA Division I strikeout leader this past spring feels ready to take those talents to the Big Leagues.
“It’s one of those things that I don’t know if it’s ever going to sink in until the moment it actually happens," Wicks said. "It is something that will be an emotional moment for my family and a moment we relive forever.”
The MLB Draft officially gets underway a little later this year, starting on July 11. It lasts 20 rounds and will end on July 13.
