Methuen's Dom Keegan drafted by Tampa Bay Rays; Keane to Yankees

Jul. 21—Methuen's Dom Keegan is officially ready to begin his professional baseball journey.

Keegan, a former Central Catholic and Vanderbilt star, was drafted by the Tampa Bay Rays in the fourth round (No. 134 overall) of the 2022 MLB Draft. The pick has an expected slot value of over $430,000 and Keegan indicated that he plans on signing with the club.

"I'm super happy," Keegan said after being picked. "Looking back on my career and everything that's happened, seeing it all pay off and to go to such a great organization I'm just super happy and proud."

The selection caps off an impressive rise for Keegan, who went undrafted out of high school and was a 19th round selection by the New York Yankees last year. That relatively low pick was due in large part to Keegan having previously expressed his intention to return to Vanderbilt, and he is now coming off a terrific fourth season of college baseball in which he successfully transitioned from first base to his natural position of catcher.

This past spring Keegan was a First-Team All-SEC selection after batting .371 with an 1.104 OPS, 14 home runs and 67 RBI for the Commodores. Before that he hit 15 home runs as a junior and led Vanderbilt to within one game of the program's second College World Series championship in three years.

Following the season Keegan also put on a show at the MLB Draft Combine in San Diego, where he went 9 for 9 on hard-hit balls and finished first in average exit velocity (106 mph) during his batting practice session.

During the combine Keegan said he had a chance to meet with representatives of the Rays. At this point he hasn't been told what the club's plans are for him and whether they view him as a catcher or a first baseman, but he expects to learn more in the coming days and is excited to get started.

In the meantime, he wanted to express his gratitude to everyone in the Merrimack Valley area who helped his professional dream come true.

"I'm thankful for all the people in this area, like Steve Lomasney and Dave Bettencourt, that have gotten me to where I've gotten today," Keegan said. "I wouldn't be here without them, and all the people at Drive Custom Fit in Salem, N.H., where I work out, and a lot of people have gotten me to where I am, and of course my family. I'm so thankful for the people that I have around me that have gotten me to where I am today."

North Andover's Keane drafted by Yankees

Three years ago, Sebastian Keane had a chance to join his hometown team, as he was drafted by the Boston Red Sox after leading North Andover High to the Super 8 championship.

Now with his selection by the New York Yankees (18th round, 550th overall), he'll have an opportunity to suit up on the other side of the rivalry.

The 6-foot-3, 187-pound-handed pitcher was previously an 11th round pick by the Red Sox in 2019 but opted not to sign. He instead attended Northeastern University, where he has spent the past three seasons and helped lead the Huskies to a conference title and an NCAA Tournament appearance as a sophomore in 2021.

Keane endured a somewhat disappointing junior season, which played a role in his being drafted as late as he was, but Northeastern baseball coach Mike Glavine said Keane still has all the tools to thrive at the next level and expects big things from him going forward.

"I'm just really happy for him to get this opportunity and for the Yankees to see the future in him," Glavine said. "I watched him pitch at the MLB Combine and I see all the talent in the world and I see a kid who still looks like he's 18.

"I think the sky is the limit for him," Glavine continued. "His hand speed is elite, his arm speed is elite, his movements are elite, he's just going to get better and better."

Prior to his college career, Keane was one of the greatest high school players to ever come out of the Merrimack Valley region. Keane finished his North Andover High career 21-5 with a 0.66 ERA and 272 strikeouts in 168.1 innings, and he also batted .326 with 46 RBI at the plate.

He was particularly dominant as a senior, going 11-1 with a 0.50 ERA and 128 strikeouts over 70 innings to lead North Andover to the Super 8 title and clean up virtually every major award, including Mass Gatorade Baseball Player of the Year.

Now Keane becomes the latest Northeastern star to find a home in the Bronx.

Cam Schlittler, Keane's rotation-mate and a righty from Walpole, was also taken by the Yankees in the seventh round, and fellow North Andover resident and ex-Husky standout Max Burt also plays in the Yankees system.

"I'm excited, really happy for him, obviously I've been following him throughout his career at Northeastern and I'm really looking forward to him getting into our system," said Burt, who currently plays for the Yankees' Double-A affiliate. "Our pitching development along with our entire player development is the best of the best, so I'm excited for him to get in here and get working with our staff and keep getting better."