Tucker Toman’s time: Midlands baseball star selected in MLB Draft

Tucker Toman’s childhood dreams of playing professional baseball became reality Sunday night.

The Toronto Blue Jays selected the Hammond School infielder in the second round of the Major League Baseball Draft at No. 77 overall.

“We really wanted to go to the Blue Jays. They are my guys. This is it,” Toman said. “I’m grateful for everyone that came out tonight. It was a surreal moment. I’m very excited.”

Toman, who was invited to attend MLB Draft festivities in Los Angeles, opted to stay in South Carolina and watch the event with about 200 friends and family at his grandparents’ house near Florence, about 90 minutes away from Columbia.

Toman was projected as a first-round pick in most mock drafts — going as high as 23rd to Toronto — but he slid to the second round. He worked out for the Blue Jays at their minor league facility in Florida before the draft.

“Player development is really huge for them, and that is the No. 1 thing I was looking for in a team,” Toman said. “This is one of the teams I wanted to go to. I can’t be more excited.”

As the night went on, Toman spent time huddled in a room with agent Adam Rosenthal of Octagon Sports and parents Jim and Ashley before finally emerging with a Toronto Blue Jays cap on as a big cheer went out after 11 p.m. The pick didn’t become official until after midnight.

Toman was seated between his parents, with his brother Charlie Mac and sister Caroline right behind them, when former Blue Jay Shawn Green made the announcement of the pick.

Rosenthal said several teams showed interest in Toman during the first round — including Colorado and Cincinnati — but negotiations fell through each time. Still, he was pleased how things turned out for his client, who tried to remain calm throughout Sunday night.

“It has been a roller coaster, but it has been awesome,” Toman said. “I wouldn’t want it any other way. I’m just excited I get to go play baseball every day.”

Slot value for the pick is $846,000, but Toman is expected to be offered more than that — potentially a lot more. Toman had signed with the LSU Tigers for college baseball but will opt to begin his pro career instead.

In the next few days, Toman will fly to Toronto or Florida for a physical and then sign his first MLB contract. He will begin his professional career at Toronto’s rookie league team in Dunedin, Florida.

Earlier Sunday night, Toman interacted with the guests and shared a special moment with his grandmother Carol Ann McLaughlin and grandfather Larry McLaughlin, a former high school baseball coach in Florence.

“Instead of going to Los Angeles, he wanted to be with family and friends. His heart is here. It is a real good situation for the whole family,” McLaughlin said. “It is a real big deal. We’ve always been a real big sports-oriented family.

“Tucker works real hard, keeps his mind on what he is doing and has got the quickest hands I have ever seen.”

The 6-foot-1, 190-pound Toman grew up around the game of baseball and is the son of former South Carolina assistant Jim Toman, who is now the coach at Middle Tennessee. He moved back to the state with his mom before the start of his high school career.

The switch-hitting Toman is the state’s top-ranked high school or college and led Hammond to a pair of SCISA 3A championships during his career. MLB Pipeline and MLB.com senior writer Jim Callis called Toman one of the best high school bats in this year’s draft.

During his senior season at Hammond, Toman hit .487 with seven homers and 27 RBIs and .887 slugging percentage. He walked 25 times in 103 plate appearances. Hammond coach Chris Braciszewski said Sunday night that no player will wear Toman’s No. 9 for the Skyhawks again.

“It is amazing,” Braciszewski said. “It is so much fun to see Tucker go through this and have all my Hammond guys to support him. It is pretty special.”

Toman was one of three with S.C. connections to go in the first two rounds. Eric Brown became the first Coastal Carolina player to be picked in the first round when he went to the Milwaukee Brewers with the 27th pick. Clemson’s Max Wagner was picked by the Baltimore Orioles early in the second round.