Will Rudy’s new locker at the Brewers spring training facility. (Photo courtesy Rudy family).
Will Rudy, the former Woodbridge High School and Cal Poly Pomona baseball standout, has begun his professional career with the Milwaukee Brewers organization, according to his father, Phil Rudy.
Rudy, a fifth round draft pick by the Brewers in the Major League Draft, signed a professional contact with the team, his father said. Terms were not disclosed.
The right-handed pitcher was welcomed into the organization shortly after signing.
“The Brewers did not have a contract signing ceremony,” Phil Rudy said. “Will reported to the Brewers’ spring training facility in Phoenix a few days after he was drafted. He is training there through September.
“They surprised him with a ‘locker reveal’ instead. This has been an absolute thrill for him. Being around his new teammates and getting exposure to the Brewers’ ‘Pitching Lab’ and all of the body mechanics analysis is exactly where he wanted to be.
“Being a Kinesiology major at Cal Poly Pomona and already understanding the data analytics behind the different pitches he throws because of his training at Chapman Baseball Compound in Irvine, Will wanted to be with a professional organization that used that kind of detail to help him hone how he attacks batters. He’s excited about working hard and getting better.”
Rudy played this summer in the Cape Cod League for the Y-D Red Sox.
At Cal Poly Pomona Pomona last season, Rudy was the first Cal Poly player since 2016 to earn All-America honors and was the top pitcher on the staff, leading Cal Poly to a second-place finish in the CCAA, a conference championship and an appearance in the NCAA West regionals.
Rudy, who was also named the conference’s most valuable pitcher this season, was third in the CCAA in ERA (3.10), and led the league in wins (eight) and strikeouts (96).
Rudy, who graduated from Woodbridge in 2019, had a stellar career with the Warriors as a three-year starter at shortstop. He won the JV team’s best offensive player award as a freshman, earned the team’s rookie of the year award as a sophomore and received the coach’s award as a senior. He was a first team all-PCL player as a junior.
Woodbridge Coach Ryan Brucker said he was excited to hear that Rudy had been drafted.
—Tim Burt, OC Sports Zone; timburt@ocsportszone.com
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