The Seattle Mariners drafted Mercer outfielder Kyle Lewis with the 11th overall pick in the 2016 MLB draft Thursday. Lewis became the first Georgia native and third outfielder off the board in this year’s draft.
A native of Snellville who played at Shiloh High, Lewis hit .395 with 20 home runs and 72 RBIs for Mercer in 2016. He was among the top hitters in the nation and ended the season second in slugging percentage (.731) and fourth in on-base percentage (.535).
Lewis’ efforts in his junior campaign led Baseball America to name him the College Player of the Year, making him the first collegiate player in Georgia to bring home the award since Georgia Tech’s Mark Teixeira did it in 2000.
