Gambino, a Haddonfield resident, said he will pitch for the University of Kentucky next year after Seattle selected him in the 35th round of the draft last Wednesday.
Paul VI High School pitcher and Haddonfield resident Will Gambino was selected by the Seattle Mariners in the 35th round of the 2018 Major League Baseball Draft shortly before 6 p.m. last Wednesday. Many people in the community, including Gambino’s parents, saw the pick come in on social media.
Gambino was not one of them.
“I was actually in the middle of graduation when it happened,” Gambino said. “I found out an hour and half later.”
“We were leaving and my parents came up to me and said, ‘Congrats on getting drafted,’” he added.
Gambino was hoping to be drafted in the early rounds last week, but said he wasn’t disappointed with how the draft turned out, noting 63 percent of the players selected were from college. After falling to the 35th round, Gambino said he will honor his college commitment to the University of Kentucky and plans to re-enter the draft again when he’s eligible after his junior season in college.
“I know that the opportunity to play professional baseball will come around again,” he said.
Gambino’s journey to the MLB Draft was unconventional, considering he hadn’t focused primarily on pitching until midway through his high school career. Over the past year, Gambino’s stock rose quickly, with major Division I universities and pro teams itching to get a close look at him and his 94-mile-per-hour fastball.
Gambino was originally committed to The Citadel as an outfielder when his coach at Pro Skills Baseball Academy, Kevin Gunter, asked him to consider a move to the mound. Gambino’s outfield arm had been clocked at 93 miles per hour, so there was confidence he could attract attention on the mound with his fastball.
“He suggested that I try pitching,” Gambino said. “I went to Area Code tryouts as a pitcher this year. Two years ago, I went as an outfielder.”
The Area Code Games is a national showcase for elite high school prospects across the nation. In 2016, Gambino failed to make a team as an outfielder. Last year, he not only made the team, but turned many heads in doing so.
Gambino’s fastball velocity attracted attention to many stats leading up to the draft. According to Perfect Game’s scouting database, Gambino’s fastball was clocked at 94 miles per hour in June of last year, ranking in the top 1 percent of all pitchers in the 2018 draft class.
Last summer, Gambino switched his college commitment to Kentucky and attracted more attention as he pitched in events in Georgia and Florida during the summer.
Gambino’s progress continued into the high school season at Paul VI. In 42 innings, Gambino struck out 49 hitters and finished the year with a 3.33 earned run average. The opposition had a batting average of just .210 against him.
Though he was drafted as a pitcher, Gambino also had an excellent senior season at the plate, hitting for a .442 batting average with six home runs and 26 runs batted in.
Gambino believes he can become even better on the mound if he gets more consistent. After walking 29 batters during the spring for Paul VI, Gambino is looking to work on his command and rely on his fielders more at the next level to get outs.
