Arizona D-Backs make Matt Tabor first New Englander selected in 2017 draft

Before the 2017 MLB draft, top New England prospect Matt Tabor (Westford, Mass.) said the decision as to whether to go pro out of high school might actually be made for him.

It appears the Arizona Diamondbacks gifted Tabor an easy decision when they made the recent Milton Academy graduate the top player selected among New England natives.

The Diamondbacks selected the righthanded pitcher in the third round (82nd overall), giving Tabor plenty of financial incentive to bypass a four-year scholarship offer at Elon University. The approximate slot value for the 82nd overall pick in the 2017 MLB draft is $687,200.

When contacted by New England Baseball Journal, Tabor said he preferred to reserve comment until after he made his final decision regarding his baseball future. But all signs point to Tabor signing with the Diamondbacks, just three years removed from making the switch from shortstop to pitcher in a last-ditch effort to play baseball beyond high school.