Mariano Rivera is back in baseball.
The Nationals selected Rivera, the son of the Yankees’ iconic closer Mariano Rivera, in the fourth round of the 2015 amateur draft. Rivera, who was ranked the 141st-best player in the draft by Baseball America was picked at No. 134 overall.
Rivera played at Iona and was named the Metro Atlantic Athletic Conference Pitcher of the Year after he struck out 113 in 85 innings and posted a 2.65 ERA. The junior righthander was a three-time MAAC Pitcher of the Week. He threw six complete games, including three shutouts, in his 14 starts. He held opposing batters to a .211 average and didn’t allow a home run.
He struck out a career-high 13 hitters at Lehigh on Feb. 28.
Rivera was selected by the Yankees in the 29th round of the 2014 draft, 872 overall, but chose not to sign.
Some analysts project Rivera to convert from a starting pitcher into a reliever — a familiar role for a familiar name.
