Brody Brecht had to wait a little longer than expected to hear his name called.
But in the end, it all worked out.
The former Ankeny and Iowa pitcher was selected by the Colorado Rockies with the 38th pick in the 2024 Major League Baseball amateur draft on Sunday night. He was chosen in the Competitive Balance Round A, becoming Iowa’s first first-round pick since Tim Costo in 1990.
According to MLB.com, Brecht was the No. 21 prospect going into the draft.
“I’ll be honest, there was a lot of frustration and anger,” Brecht said on Monday. “But everything happens for a reason, and I’m trusting God’s plan and using this as fuel and motivation.”
A two-sport athlete at Iowa, Brecht caught nine passes as a redshirt freshman wide receiver in 2022 before giving up football and focusing entirely on baseball this year. He posted a 4-3 record with a 3.33 ERA in 15 starts as a junior, racking up 128 strikeouts in 78 1/3 innings and ranking fourth in the nation in strikeouts per nine innings (14.71).
Brecht has some of the best arm strength in the draft with triple-digit velocity and a wipeout slider. He is the Hawkeyes’ all-time and single-season strikeout leader.
The athleticism of the 6-foot-4, 235-pound righthander clearly appealed to the Rockies, who have been following Brecht’s progress for a few years.
“The Rockies have shown a lot of interest in me even back to high school, so I’m glad I went to an organization that wanted me and is ready to get to work,” Brecht said. “I think my power stuff will play there, and I’ve loved talking to everyone from their organization.”