Onward, Mules: Olathe Northwest grad and Central Missouri teammate drafted into MLB
The feeling of hearing your name called in the Major League Baseball Draft is indescribable, according to Central Missouri pitcher Mason Green, but the thing he’ll always remember about Tuesday, July 13, is being surrounded by family — the people who’ve always supported him and spent countless hours on the road watching him play.
“It’s a gratifying feeling, really, to know that this is an opportunity that not many people get,” said Green, a former Olathe Northwest High School star. “Just knowing that I get a chance — to give a kid from a small school a chance — that’s just the biggest blessing in the world, and I can’t thank just God enough for this opportunity.
“And I’m going to make the most of it, for sure.”
The left-handed pitcher who enjoyed a stellar career in Warrensburg said he had been in contact with a few MLB teams that seemed interested in him. But in the last couple of weeks, the Colorado Rockies pushed hardest.
Green suspected they had the most interest, and he wasn’t wrong. A deal was struck early Tuesday morning, and he got the call around 11:30 a.m. local time: He’d been drafted by Colorado in the 12th round, 350th overall.
Also drafted out of Central Missouri Tuesday: teammate and fellow Mules pitcher Conor Dryer, selected in the 17th round, 521st overall, by the Tampa Bay Rays.
Dryer and Green were consistent starting pitchers this spring for the Mules, who went 39-13 and made it all the way to the national-championship game before losing to Wingate.
Green said that ever since he was drafted he’s been getting calls from people from every stage of his career: coaches from 10 years ago, Little League teammates and summer-ball coaches from college.
“No one can prepare you for the feeling that overcomes you, and not just you, it’s your family, it’s everyone that’s been a part of your baseball journey,” Green said. “It’s a long journey … it’s an overwhelming feeling and it’s just awesome to have that whole support system.”
With five pitches in his arsenal and velocity up to 94 mph, Green was dominant on the mound this spring. He never lost a game at Central Missouri, either: In 41 starts, his record ended an unblemished 27-0, a program record for most wins without a defeat.
This spring, Green boasted a 2.32 ERA and struck out 123 hitters in 18 starts. He’s just the sixth Mule to record 100 strikeouts in a season.
“It’s a kind of a weird feeling,” he said of his undefeated career record. “It’s kind of something that you don’t really think about going into it. ... It’s easy when you know you have the best offense in the nation, the best defense the nation, when you have the best coaching staff to support you and you get to go out there and just have fun and do your thing.”
Dryer, meanwhile, made 16 starts this spring. The Fenton native was 9-3, striking out 78 with a 3.89 ERA. At a pre-draft bullpen session, he threw 96 and 97 mph. Then, it was a tense two weeks as he waited for the draft to arrive.
“It was unbelievable,” Dryer said. “I was with my mom and dad when it happened and it was just kind of a mix of emotions of excited and happy and shocked. It was a it was just a great thing that happened to me. It made my day — made my year.”
Both Dryer and Green had opportunities to sign free-agent contracts with teams last year, but each decided to return for one more year in college after COVID-19 prompted cancellation of their 2020 season.
“I chose to go back and get my degree and go back to school and have another run at the national championship,” Dryer said. “Sadly, we came up on one game short. But I thought it was a really good run and I got my degree, so I’m happy with how it all went down.”
Green and Dryer are the fourth and fifth players drafted during Kyle Crookes’ time at Central Missouri. Crookes will enter his eighth year with the Mules next season.