Christian Roa taken by Cincinnati Reds in the second round

A second Texas A&M weekend starting pitcher is off the Draft board.

The 2020 MLB Draft started on Wednesday with A&M left-hander Asa Lacy going to the Royals with the No. 4 overall pick. And on Thursday, Aggie right-handed pitcher Christian Roa was taken in the second-round — pick No. 48 overall — by the Cincinnati Reds.

The 6-4, 220-pound junior boasted a career 3.73 ERA in his two-plus seasons in Aggieland. Roa struck out 35 hitters in 20 innings of work as A&M’s Saturday starter through the first four weeks of the 2020 season prior to the campaign coming to an end due to COVID-19.

Roa’s leadership and mindset on and off the field have struck a chord with Aggie head coach Rob Childress.

“Baseball is what [Christian] does and what he is,” Childress said. “I hope I've been as impactful for him as he has with me. We have a great relationship. The talks and books we've shared with each other have been wonderful. This is what the culture needs to look like. Christian will be missed.”

Roa was listed by D1Baseball.com as the No. 75 overall college prospect heading into the Draft.

Here is D1B’s scouting report on the second-rounder

“A physical 6-foot-4 right-hander with a straight over the top delivery, Roa works downhill with a 91-95 fastball, showing some riding life up in the zone and tough angle when down. His fastball command can come and go, but his best pitch is his slider, a true power offering at 83-86 mph with hard, late bite. He also can show a sharp 12/6 curveball with depth and power at 80 mph. The changeup is solid-average at times and sits 81-84. With a strong starter’s frame and a promising four-pitch arsenal, Roa has a real chance to stick in a starting role in the majors as he continues to fine-tune his command. He’s a solid bet to be drafted in the first three-to-four rounds.”