Nick Morabito ready for future with Virginia Tech or MLB
Editor’s note: The New York Mets selected 2B Nick Morabito with the 75th overall pick in the 2nd round of the 2022 MLB Draft on July 17.
WASHINGTON (BVM) – When Gonzaga College High School won the District of Columbia State Athletic Association baseball championship on May 25, the team’s top player, Nick Morabito, didn’t have time to celebrate. That’s because the senior center fielder had to catch a flight to head out to a pre-MLB Draft workout with the Chicago Cubs which was happening the next day. While busy, the ability to have both major events happen so close together is something that Morabito won’t soon forget.
“It’s funny because that game was supposed to be two days earlier, everything was going to be smooth, but it ended up being canceled,” Morabito said. “I ended up getting to Chicago at 1 and I had to be at Wrigley the next day at 8 a.m. I was tired, but I told my coach, ‘This is my last high school game ever, there’s no way I’m going to miss it.’
“It meant everything [to win the title]. With this team and the kids I was with on this team, I was so close with all these kids. To go out your senior year and win the championship there’s truly nothing better.”
Morabito was a star player on an elite team. Helping the Eagles win their first Washington Catholic Athletic Conference championship since 2000 with a 23-12 record, Morabito was named the conference’s co-Player of the Year as he batted .545 with 12 home runs, 10 doubles and six triples while he walked 29 times with 52 stolen bases, finishing the year with a .644 on-base percentage and a 1.119 slugging percentage. These statistics helped Morabito win the District of Columbia’s Gatorade Player of the Year, putting him among the elite high school players in the entire country.
“I was really happy,” Morabito said. “That was one of my goals before the season to get that award.”
The senior has earned fans nationally at every level of the game, including in the MLB where he is projected to be an early-round pick in this year’s MLB Draft, a 20-round event spanning three days beginning on July 17 and running until July 19. Many scouts and analysts, including the Athletic’s Keith Law, expect the 5-foot-11, 195-pound center fielder to be selected later this month with a high enough pick to convince him to enter the MLB pipeline.
“I’m pretty excited,” Morabito said. “It’s a lot to take in but I’m really excited about it right now. I’ve been thinking about it every day.”
Throughout the summer, Morabito has worked to build his reputation and draft stock. In June, Morabito was one of the top 300 prospects invited to participate in the MLB Draft Combine at Petco Park in San Diego.
“Going to the combine in San Diego and seeing all the talent and surrounding yourself with kids who are potentially in the same position as you or you may be in the same position it’s pretty cool to see and you get to see the best,” Morabito said. “It’s been fun.”
In addition, he has had workouts with approximately six teams including going to Wrigley Field to work out for the Cubs, Kauffman Stadium to work out for the Kansas City Royals and Minute Maid Park to work out for the Houston Astros.
“My hopes are to get drafted, not by a specific team or a specific pick, but I’m just really looking to get drafted by anyone,” Morabito said. “It’s been my dream since I was a little kid to play professional baseball and I want to get drafted. That’s what it comes down to.”
While Morabito may very well enter the MLB farm system, if he elects not to join a team he has a solid backup plan. In late 2020, Morabito announced his commitment to the program at Virginia Tech. Given the team’s performance this past season, adding a weapon of Morabito’s talent could be what the Hokies need to push the team over the top.
“My mom went there, my aunt went there, I have a great relationship with those coaches and I felt like that school would fit me baseball-wise, academically and socially,” Morabito said.
I’m excited to announce that I have committed to play baseball at Virginia Tech. I want to thank God, my family, coaches, and teammates for their help along the way. #GoHokies🦃 @STARSBASEBALLVA @PBRVirginiaDC @PSwingsUSA pic.twitter.com/GLsrhkrdR5
— Nick Morabito (@NickMorabito1) October 8, 2020
The Hokies, who finished with a 45-14 record, ended the season ranked as the No. 11 team in the country in D1Baseball.com’s end of the year Top 25 and the final USA Today coaches poll. During the season, the Virginia Tech baseball program won the Atlantic Coastal Conference Coastal Division championship for the first time in conference history. Unfortunately for the Hokies, their season ended in the Blacksburg Super Regional when they lost two out of three games to eventual NCAA runner-ups, the Oklahoma Sooners.
“For a team that last season was on the rise, that is something I want to be a part of,” Morabito said. “For them to have that type of season it’s awesome. It’s awesome to see.”
Though Virginia Tech had a strong season and was close to the pinnacle of college baseball, they still have room for improvement and adding a player like Morabito could certainly help them do that. While going the college route may not ultimately be Morabito’s decision, the fact that he could make his way to the campus has got to have Hokies fans excited.
“It’s definitely still on the table,” Morabito said. “I’m waiting for draft day and we will see what happens from there but yeah it is definitely still on the table.”
With only a bit of time left before MLB Draft week, Morabito is closing in on a decision about his future. Though each option has its pros and cons, neither going to Virginia Tech or going straight to the MLB can be considered a bad choice for the recent Gonzaga graduate. What is clear is that whichever team is fortunate enough to land Morabito’s services will be getting one of the best high school players the country has to offer and that has to make fans excited.
“They’re getting a leader, someone who loves the game of baseball and will bring his teammates closer together and really push everyone on the field to go hard all nine innings,” Morabito said. “You’re going to get someone who just wants to win and someone who will go 100% all nine innings. I think I can do some damage with my bat and on the basepaths and I can play defensively wherever I am placed.”
