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A.J. Achter grew up rooting for a particular baseball team based in Detroit, but his allegiance switched
gears on June 9 when the former Clay High School standout was drafted by the Minnesota Twins.
“I grew up a Tigers fan,” Achter said, “but that quickly changed once I signed the papers. It would have been nice to be drafted by the Tigers, but this is the team that showed the most interest and took a chance on me. I'm a Twins fan now.”
The 6-foot-5, 205-pound right-hander, who would have been a senior at Michigan State University next year, was selected by Minnesota in the 46th round (the 1,395th player chosen) in the major league draft. Achter went 4-4 with a 4.20 ERA at MSU last season, and he finished with an 8-13 record in 36 career starts for the Spartans.
Achter said he figured he would get chosen during the June 7-9 draft, he just wasn't sure where.
“I kind of knew from the feeling I got from a lot of scouts in the pre-draft questionnaires,” he said. “I hoped I would get picked much higher, but thankfully the Twins gave me a chance. I performed well enough this summer to prove to them I was worthy, and they made me a good offer.”
Achter played for the Cotuit (Mass.) Kettlers this summer and pitched in the Cape Cod League All-Star Game. Achter appeared in 14 games and went 2-2 with a 1.42 ERA and three saves in 38 innings for the CCL champion Kettleers.
Achter threw one scoreless inning in the CCL All-Star Game on July 28 at Fenway Park in Boston. He gave up a double and walked one.
“It was an unbelievable experience,” Achter said. “I pitched the bottom of the seventh and ran in from the right field bullpen during the singing of 'Take Me Out to the Ballgame.' That's like something you only see in the movies. I was able to put up a zero — no runs. It was something I will always remember.”
Achter said he had been getting interest from several major league teams prior to the draft.
“I had been in contact with 25-30 teams, just through questionaires and phone calls,” he said. “It's just a very long process and a lot of things go into it for you to get drafted. Some teams told me some things that never did happen. I was grateful for the Twins to pick me up, even though it was late in the draft.”
Minnesota also drafted one of Achter's Big Ten rivals, Ohio State junior right-hander Alex Wimmers, with the 21st pick in the first round.
“I faced him on a Friday this past spring and he beat me,” Achter said. “He's an excellent pitcher and he's a good guy. I've met him before and I'm looking foward to playing with him in the years to come.”
Achter said it was a difficult decision to give up his senior season at MSU. The Twins agreed to pay for Achter's expenses at MSU if he chooses to go back to school in the offseason.
“It was a place I grew to love in my three years there,” he said. “The people really treated me right and gave me this opportunity to play pro ball. It was an extremely tough decision to leave the people there behind, but I knew they would support me in whatever I do.”
Achter said the Twins gave him until midnight on Wednesday, Aug. 16 to sign a contract with the club. Achter knew that once he signed a pro baseball contract, he would officially give up his amateur status and his college career would be over.
“I signed at 11:40 p.m.,” Achter said. “We took it all the way to the deadline. I got home (last) Saturday from the Cape, so I had a lot to talk about with my family. The Twins made a late push for me and it worked out well for both sides.”
Achter said the Twins told him they drafted him for his “projectability,” meaning the club felt Achter will fill out his 6-5 frame and develop into a big-league pitcher in the next few years.
“Me being tall and lean, there's a lot more potential in me and that is a big thing for them,” Achter said. “I've been throwing pretty hard lately. In the Cape Cod League I was throwing 95 (mph) and my arm is holding up very good. My curveball is something I need to work on, and the Twins will be a great organization for me to develop a great curveball.”
On Aug. 18, Achter joined the Elizabethton (Tenn.) Twins of the 10-team Appalachian League (West Division). The team activated Achter on Monday.
“It's called rookie short-season ball and it's where Minnesota sends all their draft picks after the draft,” Achter said. “It's definitely better than college ball. It reminds me a lot of the Cape Cod League. Everyone is very good. The competition is just all very equal and it's only going to get better from here. I took a week off from the Cape to get my arm back in shape, but I'm good to go now.”
Achter had a rough first outing for Elizabethton in Monday's 9-6 win at Bluefield (W.Va.). He pitched 1 1/3 innings and gave up four earned runs on five hits, with three strikeouts.
Achter, 22, is following in the professional footsteps of his father, Rod, a wide receiver at the University of Toledo who was drafted in the ninth round of the 1983 NFL draft by the Minnesota Vikings.
“I don't think it's even hit me yet,” A.J. said of being drafted. “It's always been a dream of mine, and just to know that this is my job is unbelievable. I'll be doing something I love every day. I have a lot of hard work ahead of me in my goal to reach the big leagues, but you have to start somewhere.”
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