Grady Emerson
| Grady Emerson | |||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Tampa Bay Rays | |||||||
| Shortstop | |||||||
| Born: February 21, 2008 Grapevine, Texas | |||||||
Bats: Left Throws: Right | |||||||
Medals
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Grady Emerson (born February 21, 2008) is an American professional baseball shortstop in the Tampa Bay Rays organization.
Amateur career
[edit]Emerson began his high school career at Argyle High School in Argyle, Texas.[1] As a freshman in 2023, he hit .336 with 35 RBI and made only two errors in 258 chances.[2] In 2024, as a sophomore, he batted .380 with four home runs, 24 RBI, and 19 stolen bases.[3] As a junior in 2025, he hit .351 with 25 RBI.[4] After his junior year in 2025, he transferred to Fort Worth Christian School in North Richland Hills, Texas, for his senior season.[5] During the summer of 2025, he played in the High School All-American Game at Dodger Stadium and also placed second in the home run derby.[6][7] Emerson played for the United States national under-15 baseball team in 2022 and 2023, and the United States national under-18 baseball team in 2024 and 2025.[8]
In 2026, Emerson slashed .532/.648/1.013 with seven home runs, 50 RBI, and 31 stolen bases alongside a .992 fielding percentage at shortstop.[9] He was named the Gatorade Baseball Player of the Year[10] and Baseball America High School Player of the Year.[11] Following the end of his high school career, he was invited to attend the 2026 MLB Draft Combine at Chase Field.[12] Emerson originally committed to play college baseball for the TCU Horned Frogs but later flipped his commitment to the Texas Longhorns.[13][14]
Professional career
[edit]Emerson was considered a top prospect for the 2026 Major League Baseball draft.[15] He was selected by the Tampa Bay Rays with the second overall pick.[16] On July 22, 2026, he signed with the Rays for a $9.75 million signing bonus.[17] This was the largest bonus ever awarded to a high school player and the second-largest in MLB draft history.[18][19]
References
[edit]- ↑ McFarland, Shawn (Apr 25, 2023). "Meet Argyle freshman Grady Emerson, who could be D-FW's next great shortstop prospect". Dallas News.
- ↑ Fields, John (Jun 23, 2023). "Meet the Denton Record-Chronicle's 2023 All-Area Baseball Team". Denton Record-Chronicle.
- ↑ Fields, John (Jun 21, 2024). "Meet the Denton Record-Chronicle's 2024 All-Area Baseball Team". Denton Record-Chronicle.
- ↑ Fields, John (July 14, 2025). "Argyle star Grady Emerson to compete in final round of MLB's high school home run derby". Denton Record-Chronicle. Retrieved October 12, 2025.
- ↑ "Possible No. 1 draft pick Grady Emerson leads D-FW stars in High School All-American Game". Dallas News. Aug 8, 2025.
- ↑ Fields, John (Jul 14, 2025). "Argyle star Grady Emerson to compete in final round of MLB's high school home run derby". Denton Record-Chronicle.
- ↑ "Potential 2026 first overall Draft pick Grady Emerson to play in HRDX: Round Rock". MLB.com.
- ↑ "Grady Emerson Chasing Historic Fourth National Team Selection at 18U Training Camp Phase Two". MLB Draft League. August 23, 2025. Retrieved October 12, 2025.
- ↑ Johnson, Ishmael (June 3, 2026). "Fort Worth Christian star Grady Emerson named 2026 Gatorade National Player of the Year". Dallas News. Retrieved 2026-06-07.
- ↑ Nichelson, Charles (June 3, 2026). "Grady Emerson wins Gatorade National Baseball Player of the Year". NBC 5 Dallas-Fort Worth. Retrieved 2026-06-07.
- ↑ Mentz, Zach (25 July 2026). "This teenager just inked the biggest signing bonus for a high school player in MLB Draft history". Cleveland.com. Retrieved 27 July 2026.
- ↑ Norris, Josh (June 15, 2026). "2026 MLB Draft Combine: See All 335 Players Attending". College Baseball, MLB Draft, Prospects - Baseball America. Retrieved 2026-06-18.
- ↑ Vann, Leah. "Longhorns steal top high school recruit from Texas rival". Chron.
- ↑ Badler, Ben (Nov 26, 2024). "Grady Emerson, No. 1 Player For 2026, Flips Commitment From TCU To Texas".
- ↑ Fields, John (Aug 1, 2024). "Argyle player ranked No. 1 draft prospect in 2026 class by Baseball America". Denton Record-Chronicle.
- ↑ "Rays select top-ranked Draft prospect Emerson with No. 2 overall pick". MLB.com. Retrieved 2026-07-11.
- ↑ Topkin, Marc. "Rays sign Grady Emerson, their top draft pick, for $9.75 million bonus". Tampa Bay Times. Retrieved 2026-07-23.
- ↑ Berry, Adam (2026-07-22). "Rays reach deal with No. 2 overall pick Emerson for $9.75M (source)". MLB.com. Retrieved 2026-07-23.
- ↑ Hayes, Dan (2026-07-22). "Rays give No. 2 overall pick Grady Emerson record signing bonus for high-schooler". The Athletic. ISSN 0362-4331. Retrieved 2026-07-23.
External Links
[edit]- Career statistics from MLB · Baseball Reference (Minors)
