3 More Tar Heels Selected on Final Day of 2022 MLB Draft
UNC's 5 total Draft picks marked its most since 2019
The 2022 MLB Draft came to an end on Tuesday, but not before three North Carolina baseball players came off the board.
Outfielder Angel Zarate heard his name called for the first time when the Cleveland Guardians picked him in the 17th round (No. 511 overall). The Seattle Mariners then selected left-hander Brandon Schaeffer in the 18th round (No. 546 overall) before the Guardians doubled up on Tar Heels by drafting lefty Shawn Rapp in the 20th round (No. 601 overall).
With their selections, they joined shortstop Danny Serretti and right-hander Davis Palermo — who were each taken Monday — as UNC’s five draftees, the school’s most since 2019 (nine). The five picks also tied the Tar Heels for the third most in the ACC; only Georgia Tech (eight) and Miami (six) had more.
One of the best stories in recent UNC history, Zarate logged just 19 plate appearances in 20 games over his first two years in Chapel Hill, and at one point, the coaches even suggested that he transfer if he wished to play more often. The outfielder, however, kept working. And upon securing a starting spot in 2020, he emerged as one of the ACC’s best pure hitters, batting .409 in the COVID-19-shortened campaign. As it turned out, he was just getting started.
From 2020-22, Zarate slashed .350/.432/.498 with more walks (72) than strikeouts (65). His power also improved each season, culminating in him notching career highs in doubles (19) and homers (7) this year. His 100 hits were also a career high and made him just the ninth player in program history to reach the century mark.
A transfer from WVU Potomac State College, Schaeffer went 7-3 with a 3.75 ERA in 96 innings over 21 games (18 starts) this spring. He recorded 71 strikeouts (17.2 K%) while walking 24 (5.8 BB%) and leading all Tar Heel pitchers in WAR (Wins Above Replacement) at 2.52, per Driveline Baseball. The lefty was spectacular down the stretch, posting a 2.97 ERA in 36 1/3 innings over his last six starts — none more special than his complete-game shutout of then-No. 2 Virginia Tech in the ACC Tournament. Behind that effort, he became just the fifth Tar Heel in the Super Regional era (since 1999) to pitch a complete-game shutout in the postseason.
Schaeffer is the eighth UNC player to be drafted by the Mariners and the first since Brian Moran (seventh round, No. 203 overall) in 2009.
The NCAA Division I leader in appearances with 42 — the fourth most in school history — Rapp compiled a 4-0 record with a 3.80 ERA in 45 innings this spring. He registered 59 strikeouts (28.8 K%) while issuing 22 walks (10.7 BB%) and keeping 36 of 50 (72%) inherited runners from scoring. Although he also found success against right-handed hitters, Rapp was especially effective against lefties, holding them to a .174 (15-for-86) batting average and just two extra-base hits. He struck them out at a 40.2% clip.
Zarate and Rapp represent the 15th and 16th Tar Heels to be selected by Cleveland. The last position player was Ike Freeman (14th round, No. 430 overall) in 2019. The last pitcher was Cody Penny (16th round, No. 503 overall) in 2012.
The deadline for Major League teams to sign their Draft picks is Aug. 1.