McHenry County’s two first-round draft picks started on opening day for their high Class A minor league affiliates Tuesday.
Bobby Miller, a 2017 McHenry graduate, worked three scoreless innings for the Los Angeles Dodgers’ Class A Great Lakes Loons in Midland, Michigan.
Quinn Priester, a 2019 Cary-Grove graduate, had a rougher start with the Pittsburgh Pirates’ Class A Greensboro Grasshoppers. Priester went three innings and allowed three earned runs.
Priester was taken with the No. 18 pick in the 2019 MLB First-Year Player Draft, the highest selection ever from the area. Miller was taken 29th in the 2020 draft, the only other area player picked in the first round.
Pro debut for #Dodgers 2020 1st rounder Bobby Miller...
— Brad Tunney (@brad_tunney) May 4, 2021
3.0 innings
2 hits
0 runs
1 walk
5 strikeouts (3 swinging on FB)
Both his 4-seam and 2-seam were as advertised. Both working 97/98 mph. Struck out the side in his first pro inning.
Both were assigned to high Class A teams to start their seasons and both got their opening day starts.
Miller, pitching against the Dayton Dragons, struck out the side in the first inning, and his fastball was clocked at 97 and 98 mph. He allowed two hits, fanned five and walked one, leaving with the game scoreless after three innings.
Quinn Priester with the firstpitch of the 2021 @GSOHoppers Minor League Season and its a strike . @WFMY #wfmysports pic.twitter.com/eo358fVvus
— Brian Hall (@bhallwfmy) May 4, 2021
Miller was the Northwest Herald Baseball Player of the Year in 2017; Priester won that honor in 2019. Miller pitched three seasons at Louisville, while Priester was drafted out of C-G.
On Tuesday, Priester worked a perfect first inning against the Hickory Crawdads, with a popout, a flyout and a strikeout. But he encountered trouble in the second and allowed two runs. He finished with three innings pitched, four hits, three earned runs and three strikeouts.