Texas Tech baseball player countdown: No. 4 John McMillon

Number 4 on our list is the dual-threat sophomore from Jasper, Texas – John McMillon. In 2016, he surprised us all when he declined a $700,000 signing bonus from the Tampa Bay Rays. He was drafted on June 11 by the Rays in the 21st round of the 2016 MLB draft. He was initially offered a signing bonus of $500,000 and a $1,200 monthly salary in the rookie league, but he turned that down to join Coach Tim Tadlock at Texas Tech.

In his freshman season, he garnered second team honors in Collegiate Baseball’s 2018 Preseason All-American teams. He’s a two-way player that impresses on the mound as well as the batter’s box. He made 24 appearances on the mound, while starting 18 games as the designated hitter for the Red Raiders.

As designated hitter, he tallied 16 hits, nine for extra bases with one double and eight homers. He managed a .229 batting average in 70 at-bats and led the team with a .586 slugging percentage. He homered in consecutive games on three separate occasions: Texas Southern (March 28-29), Oklahoma State & New Mexico (April 21 & 26) and TCU (April 30 DH).

On the mound, McMillon put together a 1.75 ERA with a 2-0 record. He earned two wins and five saves while allowing just 5 runs and 12 hits. He also struck out 29 in 25.2 innings of work

No matter which position he plays, John McMillon is sure to impress. He’s a dynamic player ready to help Tech reach Omaha.