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Sirota, talented in every phase of the game, is Northeastern’s third highest pick in history and the 60th Husky baseball player to be selected in the MLB draft.
Mike Sirota, a five-tool star with a .324 average over three seasons at Northeastern, was selected by the Cincinnati Reds in the third round of the Major League Baseball draft on Monday.
Sirota went No. 87 overall, making him the third-highest draft pick in Northeastern history — and the Huskies’ top pick since 2006, when pitcher Adam Ottavino was taken in the first round (30th overall) by the St. Louis Cardinals.
Northeastern’s highest pick was Carlos Peña, No. 10 overall in 1998. Peña, a Northeastern Hall-of-Famer, became an all-star and Silver Slugger winner who earned a Gold Glove during his 14-year major league career.
Also on Monday, Northeastern junior pitcher Dennis Colleran was picked in the seventh round (No. 197 overall) by the Kansas City Royals.
The 6-foot-3-inch Sirota, who grew up in Queens, New York, becomes the 60th Northeastern baseball player to be drafted and 13th since 2019.
“To see him go this high is a testament to him and all his hard work and staying with it all the way through the college process,” Northeastern baseball coach Mike Glavine said. “We want everyone we recruit who comes to play for us to have aspirations to play professionally. And Mike’s going to live that out. It’s a testament to the program, our staff and what we can do to improve players and develop them and give them an experience that they’ll always remember and now he can go on and get that next experience.
“It’s a really exciting day for Mike as well as for the program.”
The Huskies went 82-33 over Sirota’s final two seasons, advancing to the NCAA tournament in 2023.
Sirota battled through a season of high expectations and intense scrutiny after hitting .344 with 18 homers and 54 RBI in 55 games as a sophomore.
Sirota hit .298 this season while setting a Northeastern record with 59 walks, a strong sign that opponents were pitching around him. By comparison, Sirota struck out only 48 times, exemplifying his superior plate discipline.
“It was as much pressure on him externally as I’ve ever seen as a coach in my time here,” Glavine said. “It felt like every time we had a practice or game, everybody was always watching him and analyzing his every move. And then obviously our team relied on him, so he had that inherent pressure. But that’s all part of the fun, right? That’s what you want.
“I thought he handled himself at an extremely mature level. He didn’t get pitched to a lot. I look at his command of the strike zone, his swing decisions and the amount of walks he had. His on-base percentage (a career-best .473) was through the roof,” Glavine said.
Sirota joins the Reds organization as a five-tool prospect with speed (19 stolen bases this season), defensive talent in center field, a strong arm and the ability to hit with power as well as for average.
“I always thought that I’d be in the major leagues, even when I was younger,” Sirota said. “Growing up and playing travel ball around a bunch of guys who got a little more recognition than me at the time — it was a motivating thing as well.”
Sirota has a family history of baseball success. His great uncle was Whitey Ford, the Hall of Fame pitcher who won six World Series with the Yankees in the 1950s and ’60s.
Sirota recalled wiffle ball games with the legendary pitcher in his large Long Island backyard. On display in the house were some of Ford’s trophies and awards.
“I grew up hanging around him and that side of the family a lot,” Sirota said. “I was always over at his house during the summer especially. We were very close.”
Colleran, a hard-throwing 6-3 righthander, made a strong comeback for the Huskies this season after undergoing Tommy John elbow surgery in 2022.
“He is a workaholic with tremendous arm strength,” Glavine said of Colleran, who is from North Attleboro, Massachusetts. “He runs his fastball up to 100 mph, he throws strikes and he knows where the ball is going. When he gets to pro ball with the next level of resources, he’s just going to keep getting better and better.”
Colleran’s stats included a misleading 7.97 ERA as he worked his way back from injury this season. The Royals clearly focused on the nine scoreless appearances he made in his final 15 outings. Overall he recorded 46 strikeouts and 18 walks.
“Dennis kept fighting and became a big-time go-to guy for us,” Glavine said. “His arm strength, his command and his compete level are going to make him a great pro.”