Fox Lane pitcher Tyler Renz signs with Milwaukee Brewers

What did you do when you were 17 years old?

Recent Fox Lane High School graduate Tyler Renz, a standout pitcher on the Foxes' baseball team, officially signed with the Milwaukee Brewers.

"It's just a great opportunity," Renz said. "I can't wait to take advantage of it and just get to work."

The 6-foot-4 right-handed pitcher was selected on the final day of the 2024 MLB Draft in the 18th round on July 14. After weighing his options over the last few weeks between playing in college at St. John's or making the leap to play professionally, Renz opted to sign with the Brewers on Thursday night.

The standout ace reportedly inked a deal that contained an $852,500 signing bonus, a figure much higher than typical 18th-round selections.

According to Renz, he didn't expect the Brewers to call, at first. He went into the draft with potential interest from other teams, but the Brewers entered the picture on the final day of the MLB Draft and followed up with a lucrative contract offer.

"It was a really tough decision," Renz said. "Obviously, with my age, I'm still 17 and I don't turn 18 until the end of November, so just being young, it's kind of difficult to decide at my age. I had wanted to go to college before the draft process, I would have rather gone to school and get that experience, but that was also with the thought that I wouldn't get much money as I did. With the money that they gave, I just feel like it's more of a better opportunity for me to take that money and go into a professional organization that can develop me better and ultimately make me a better baseball player."

There have been plenty of talented players to emerge from the Foxes' baseball-rich tradition, including former draftees Darin Mastroianni, Richard Slenker, and 2021's No. 1 overall pick Henry Davis, but Renz is the first Fox to be drafted and signed by an MLB team straight out of high school.

"Obviously, this one's pretty special because he's 17 years old and he's going straight from Fox Lane, so we're all pretty excited," said Fox Lane baseball coach Matt Hillis, who also had Renz as a student in his biology class. "We're even more excited that the Milwaukee Brewers see exactly what we see in this kid. Not only has his evolution as a pitcher in high school been extraordinary, we also think that his upside and his ceiling are incredible. What 17-year old do you know that's physically developed and pro-ball ready at this particular point?

"Tyler's there, and he's just gonna get better as his physical development improves. I think they have themselves a budding star."

Renz was named the 2024 Journal News/lohud.com Westchester/Putnam Baseball Player of the Year and the Section 1 Pitcher of the Year. He also repeated as Conference 1 and league pitcher of the year this past season, after posting an 8-1 record with a 1.13 ERA and 88 strikeouts, while holding opponents to a .148 batting average in his senior year.

He served as a key catalyst in Fox Lane's run to the Section 1 Class AA finals and graduated as the Foxes' all-time record holder in wins (19) and strikeouts (224). Throughout his three years on the Foxes' varsity team, Renz amassed a 19-3 record, a career 1.21 ERA, and 224 strikeouts over 144.2 innings pitched. He gave up just 40 walks and held opponents to a .167 batting average throughout his varsity career.

"His ability to be composed in big moments," said Fox Lane pitching coach Sam Byrns, who also trains Renz at nearby Velo University, of what is most impressive of the 17-year old pitcher. "In my time, I've been around a lot of kids that throw really hard or are big talents at big-time schools and even in pro ball, and the ability for him to not let a moment or emotions dictate what he's going to do in the moment is incredible.

"It's ultimately why he got drafted and why he's now a professional baseball player. There's a lot of people out there that throw up to 94 mph and sit 90-91, but his ability to command and not let moments and pressure situations alter the outcome is why he's incredible."

Renz is back in New York to spend a few days relaxing with family and friends, before he has to fly out on Monday to Phoenix, Arizona to report to the Brewers' rookie-ball facility. For the next three months, he will undergo their rookie development process for newcomers.

"I'm excited to get out there, but I'm also nervous, because I don't know anyone or anything out there," Renz said. "It's a great opportunity, but it's also just going into the unknown, so I'm nervous for that part. I'm sure it will be fun in the end."

He has a message for his future teammates, coaches, and hardcore Brewer fans that are tapped into the farm system.

"They can expect an extremely hard worker, I take pride in that," Renz said. "I'm always going to compete no matter what happens. That's the easy part, it's just putting in effort and consistency."

Follow Eugene Rapay on Twitter at @erapay5 and on Instagram at @byeugenerapay.

This article originally appeared on Rockland/Westchester Journal News: Fox Lane's Tyler Renz signs with Milwaukee Brewers