The Mets have signed SS Rylan Sandoval, 22, out of the Arizona Winter League.
The team had drafted Sandoval in the 30th round in 2007, but he elected to attend college instead.
From the press release…
Sandoval had been one of the leading hitters and a top defensive shortstop in the AWL which is 8 games into it's fourth winter season. He is the 11th AWL player to be signed by a major league organization in the last three years, two of those - Scott Richmond and Sergio Romo of the 2007 AWL are already in the big leagues.
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Sandoval, 22, was a two-year junior college All-American and was the California Junior College Player of the Year at Chabot College in his freshman year. Drafted by the Oakland Athletics in the 38th round in 2006 and by the New York Mets in the 30th round in 2007 he elected to accept a scholarship to Long Beach State where he played the last two seasons before graduating this past June. Overlooked due to sharing playing time at Long Beach State he went undrafted his senior year and decided on the Arizona Winter League to showcase his skills and pursue a professional contract. In the AWL he was hitting .368 and leading his team in runs scored.