Former Iowa pitcher Brody Brecht was selected 38th overall by the Colorado Rockies in the MLB Draft Sunday night. Brecht becomes the Hawkeyes’ highest draft pick since 1990 and the sixth Iowa hurler taken since 2022. 

Brecht’s first two seasons in Iowa City were split between baseball and football before the 6-foot-4, 235-pound right hander committed to the diamond in March of 2023.

Hailing from Ankeny, Iowa, Brecht departs his hometown team as the program record holder in single-season and career strikeouts, totaling 281 punch-outs in 178 innings — averaging 14.2 Ks per nine innings. His fastball is known to turn heads, frequently hitting triple-digit velocity, topping out at 104 miles per hour. Coupled with his heater is a biting slider that hits 91 miles per hour. 

In his final season in the Black and Gold, Brecht posted a 4-3 record with a 3.33 ERA, helping guide the Hawkeyes to a 31-23 mark and their ninth-straight Big Ten tournament appearance. He earned First Team All-Big Ten honors as well as a third team All-American nod in 2023.

Brecht joins Georgia third baseman Charlie Condon and Texas outfielder Jared Thomas as the Rockies’ day one selections. Colorado is in desperate need of pitching help, ranking last in the league in ERA and WHIP this season, and general manager Bill Schmidt sees Brecht and his flame-throwing ability as key to changing the tide.