With the 39th overall pick, and the last pick of Competitive Balance Round A, the San Diego Padres have selected Robby Snelling, who was the tournament MVP in last year’s 2022 class New Balance Baseball Future Stars Series national tournament as a pitcher for NorCal.
Snelling’s selection marks five first-round picks for Future Stars Series alums, setting a new record.
This marks the second time in the last three years the Padres have taken a Future Stars Series alum pitcher with a pick immediately after the traditional first round came to an end; they selected Justin Lange two seasons ago, and subsequently dealt him to the Yankees organization this spring in exchange for Luke Voit.
Snelling pitched twice for NorCal at the 2021 event in Lake Charles, including a dominant performance on championship day to help them win the title.
PICK ANALYSIS BY JEREMY BOOTH, CEO AND PRESIDENT OF THE NEW BALANCE BASEBALL FUTURE STARS SERIES: I like Snelling a lot more than maybe some others, and that doesn’t even count where he went in the draft. I know how the Padres feel about him, not just because they selected him, but because of the relationships that we have. Robby’s got huge upside, and I’m excited to see what happens when he stops playing football, which is obviously now. I think it’s 95, and I think he’s got a chance to be a starter. At the very least, he’s a shutdown reliever.”
Since 2003, he has covered multiple World Series and has worked high-profile events ranging from the MLB All-Star Game to the World Baseball Classic. In addition to his role working for the Future Stars Series that he's held since 2017, Ashmore currently serves as the beat writer of the Double-A New York Yankees affiliate, the Somerset Patriots, as well as national hockey writer and New York Jets game day beat reporter for The Trentonian.
A regular contributor to Baseball America, Ashmore has worked seven Super Bowls, 11 Stanley Cup Finals, the 4 Nations Face-Off, the NBA Playoffs, College Football Playoff National Championship Game, Frozen Four, Daytona 500, major UFC events and much more as he approaches 3,200 games covered in his career.
An avid card collector and sim racer, he lives with his wife, Sarah, their son William, and their beloved dog, Bailey, and cat, Smokey.
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