Drew Christo knows his worth.
The Nebraska baseball commit entered the Major League Baseball draft knowing that a big-money offer could be enough to lure him away from the Huskers, and he communicated that fact to teams.
So, when Christo’s phone starting buzzing during the third, fourth and fifth rounds of the MLB Draft on Monday, he was tempted. However, no team quite matched the figure Christo placed on himself, and he knew his next step would be in Lincoln.
“I knew that the chances of me getting picked with the number that I had weren’t probably going to be the greatest of chances, and I was okay with that because coming to Nebraska is something I've always wanted to do,†Christo said. “I needed that price tag to be high for me to bypass this chance.â€
Wanted to say a huge thanks to all the scouts who took valued time to come and evaluate me and pursue relationships; however, going to school is the right choice for me at this point. Thank you again! Let’s work, Lincoln! 🌽
— Drew Christo (@drewachristo)
Many players drafted out of high school turn to the college ranks anyway in hopes of earning a better draft slot three or four years down the line, and Christo won’t have to look far for examples of that coming true.
People are also reading…
Nebraska’s Spencer Schwellenbach went from a 34th-round pick in the 2018 MLB Draft to the 59th overall pick of the second round on Monday, and fellow Husker Cade Povich was selected in the third round as well.
“Seeing those two guys go in the first three rounds, especially with both of them going as pitchers, that's pretty encouraging for a guy like me,†Christo said.
The Nebraska Gatorade player of the year and 2021 Super-State captain, Christo impressed scouts with his 95 mph fastball last summer, and many turned up with radar guns to see the Elkhorn senior pitch this spring.
Christo struck out a state-best 92 batters in 48 2/3 innings of work this season and also finished with an ERA of 0.43. If not for the cancelled 2020 spring season, Christo would have been a four-year starter at Elkhorn after joining the team immediately as a freshman.
The son of former Nebraska quarterback Monte Christo, he won a state football championship with Elkhorn in the fall. Christo has also been committed to play baseball at Nebraska since his sophomore year of high school, and he’s already on campus as part of the summer bridge program for incoming student-athletes.
In addition to his athletic conquests, Christo has always placed an emphasis on academics, too. At Elkhorn he finished top of his class with a 4.2 GPA and 35 ACT, and he will be majoring in biology at Nebraska.
Deep down, Christo might have always known that he wanted to be a Husker.
Now, it’s as real as it gets.
“I'm kind of officially a Husker baseball player and it's an awesome feeling,†Christo said. “It's something that I've definitely worked pretty hard for, and the next couple of months are going to be something that I'm really thankful for and not take for granted.â€