When the MLB draft unfolded last week, junior Mason Katz never heard his name called.
And he couldn’t be happier.
The New Orleans native told scouts he had every intention of returning to school with fellow classmate and “bash brother” Raph Rhymes.
“For me to leave such a great university and such great guys, it would have had to be something out of the ordinary,” Katz said. ” [Scouts] understood that, and I told them I wanted to come back to school.”
Rhymes, who was taken in the 30th round by the New York Yankees, left little doubt of his decision in the hours after he was drafted.
Bombarded with questions on his Twitter account about his future, the Monroe native calmed any fears Tiger fans may have had.
“Huge honor to be drafted by the Yankees. Not ready to leave just yet tho…staying at LSU to make a run at it next year #geauxtigers,” Rhymes tweeted to his more than 3,000 followers.
Like Katz, Rhymes said he informed scouts that he intended to return to LSU for his senior season, but scouts were unable to ignore his flirtation with a .500 batting average throughout the season.
Jonathan Mayo, senior writer and MLB draft expert for MLB.com, said while Rhymes’ numbers may have warranted an early draft pick, many prolific college hitters like him have struggled in the pros.
“There have been countless guys that hit well in college, but then it doesn’t translate well,” Mayo said.
Still, Rhymes said it was painful to see his teammate and self-proclaimed “bash brother” not get selected.
“I was shocked [that Katz didn’t get drafted],” Rhymes said. “He’s a first round guy in my book.”
Katz, on the other hand, said he was relieved to avoid the hassle of negotiations and scouts.
“My dream is to play major league baseball, but not right now,” Katz said. “I’m happy as can be that I didn’t have to go through that process.”
After pacing the team with 13 home runs this season, Katz returns as the Tigers’ lone power presence in the lineup, while Rhymes, who currently leads the nation with a .431 batting average, will look to rebound from a late season slump that pushed him well below .500.
The duo will look to return the Tigers to Omaha for the first time since claiming the national championship in 2009, a goal that Katz said he plans to achieve before he moves on to the major leagues.
As for Rhymes, he’s just giddy to come back with a familiar face.
“We’ve just been calling it the return of the bash brothers,” Rhymes said. “I’m excited to come back with Mason next year.”
Contact Chandler Rome at [email protected].