Yankees Draft Downers North Alum Eric Jagielo

With their first pick in the 2013 Major League Baseball draft (the 26th pick overall,) the New York Yankees selected former Downers Grove North Trojan (and Notre Dame Irish) Eric Jagielo on Thursday.

According to the Notre Dame baseball website, Jagielo was the 2013 Big East Player of the Year, leading the conference in on-base-percentage (.500) and slugging average (.633,) as well as second in batting average (.388.) He is the fifth-highest draft pick in Notre Dame history.

"It's really hard to put this feeling into words," Jagielo told the site. "People always say `this is a dream come true,' but honestly I'm not sure I could have ever imagined it. You find yourself on pins and needles throughout the day waiting to hear your name called and when you hear it, you almost don't realize what just happened.

"I'm forever blessed to represent the University of Notre Dame and now I get to do the same for the New York Yankees. I still can't believe it."

Jagielo is a 6'3" third-baseman who bats left and throws right.

ESPN draft expert Keith Law predicts Jagielo "as a 20-homer guy with mid-.300s OBPs who plays solid-average defense in a few years, which would make him an everyday guy who could make an All-Star Game or two."