Mildren, Soto look forward to starting MLB careers

For Pitt baseball, the 2012-2013 season was arguably the best regular season in program history. 

The Panthers won a team record 42 games overall, 18 of which came in Big East conference play. In addition, the team was ranked in all five major polls for the first time in team history. As a result, the Panthers saw three players drafted by major-league clubs: catcher Elvin Soto by the Arizona Diamondbacks and starting pitchers Ethan Mildren, by the Minnesota Twins, and Matt Wotherspoon, by the Detroit Tigers.

Both Mildren and Soto signed deals with their respective organizations, and both were assigned to short-season Class A teams. Soto plays for the Hillsboro Hops in Washington state while Mildren pitches for the Elizabethton Twins in Tennessee.

Wotherspoon, however, will continue to pitch for the Panthers, as he did not sign with the Tigers before the July 12 deadline.

Ethan Mildren, RHP

The 6-foot-4 junior from Hopwood, Pa., was the ace of a three-man staff that went 27-7 and featured three nine-game winners. Mildren also led the Panthers in wins (10), complete games (4), shutouts (1) and was second in overall earned run average (2.35). Mildren was named the Big East Pitcher of the Week for the week of April 15, was a first-team selection for the All-Region team and was named first team All-Big East. 

“Ethan has been incredible for us,” Pitt head coach Joe Jordano said. “Anytime he was on the mound we knew we had a chance to win. He pitches great, has incredible character on and off the field, definitely will be a good draft pick.”

Mildren was the first Panther off the board as the Twins chose him in the 12th round at No. 350 overall. While Mildren doesn’t throw extremely hard, Deron Johnson, the Minnesota Twins’ director of scouting, told the official team website that Mildren “throws straight” and should project as starter going forward. 

“My future goals are to have a healthy career and work my way up through minor leagues and get a chance to play at the MLB level,” Mildren said. 

 Mildren currently pitches out of the bullpen for the Elizabethton Twins of the Appalachian League. Mildren has yet to allow a run in his four appearances, in which he pitched one inning a piece. He has allowed four hits, three walks and struck out two batters.

“I’m currently coming out of relief right now because of the amount of innings which I had from school,” Mildren said. “It’s definitely different and I had to make an adjustment to it but I feel as of now that I am adapting to it well.” 

Jordano said he has no doubt that Mildren can make the adjustment to the rigors of professional baseball. 

“Ethan deserves everything coming his way,” Jordano said. “I have no doubt that he’s going to have a very successful professional career, and I am confident he will have the opportunity to pitch in the big leagues.”

Elvin Soto, C

The sophomore catcher from the Bronx was one of Pitt’s best recruits of the Joe Jordano era. The Panthers’ backstop was not only responsible for catching the best staff in Pitt baseball history, but also for producing at the plate, where he hit .320 with six home runs and 43 RBI. 

Soto’s success, both at the plate and behind it, catapulted him to the All-Big East first team. Soto was drafted with the No. 480 overall pick by the Arizona Diamondbacks in the draft’s 16th round. 

“Elvin has been waiting for this day, certainly for the past two years,” Jordano said in a press release at the time of the draft. “I believe Elvin felt he deserved to be drafted out of high school and, when that did not happen, I think he made it an absolute goal to be drafted after his sophomore year.”

So far at Hillsboro, Soto has hit .226 with one home run and five RBI in 17 games. While his average is below-average up to this point, the patience Soto showed so often at Pitt has already started to translate to the professional ranks as he owns an on-base percentage of .349, in large part because of the 10 walks he’s drawn. 

“I think he’s ready,” Jordano said. “He knows that he has a lot of work to do, but when he is in an environment where it is baseball 24-7, he’s really going to excel.”

Like Jordano, Soto is optimistic about his future in professional baseball. 

“I just want to progress every year,” Soto said. “But one of my main goals is to make the Futures Game.”