On TJ Friedl, perpetual baseball darkhorse

Photo by Jamie Sabau/Getty ImagesTJ Friedl was not selected anywhere in the 2016 MLB Draft despite a standout second season at the University of Nevada, one that even led to him eventually playing for Team USA. Of course, it’s the timeline of those events in the wake of an overlooked redshirt year that caused Friedl to remain off teams’ radars until it was too late for most, as the draft took place in between him hitting .401 for the Wolf Pack and turning heads for Team USA.

Everyone knew he’d been a redshirt sophomore during his breakout, and that he was not yet 21 years of age - the age he’d need to be for draft eligibility without three years of college. As Jerry Crasnick noted for ESPN…