RHP Nathan Dettmer selected in the fifth round by the Oakland A's

Dirty Dett Drafted.

On Monday, the Oakland Athletics selected Texas A&M right-handed pitcher Nathan Dettmer in the fifth round, 139th overall of the 2023 MLB Draft.

He becomes the second Aggie drafted in the current selection process and will join former Texas A&M teammate Micah Dallas in the A’s organization. Dallas was selected by Oakland in last year’s eighth round.

At 6-foot-4, 230 pounds, Dettmer possesses a sinker-slider combo that can befuddle even the best hitters.

In his three seasons at Texas A&M, the San Antonio Johnson product compiled a 10-9 record with a 5.27 ERA, 196 strikeouts and 94 walks in 220.1 career innings, making 48 starts and five appearances out of the bullpen.

Dettmer's best full season as an Aggie came as a sophomore in 2022 when he was 6-3 with a 4.99 ERA in 19 starts. While inconsistent at times, he was named SEC Pitcher of the Week twice that year following gems at Georgia (8.0 IP, 1 R, 0 ER, 9 K) on April 14 and at Vanderbilt (7.0 IP, 2 H, 1 R, 1 ER, 6 K) on April 28.

Yet his most memorable outing came in Omaha, four days after a rough showing in A&M's opening contest of the 2022 Men's College World Series. With the Aggies facing elimination, Dettmer was dominant across seven scoreless frames, allowing just three hits and punching out six as A&M defeated Notre Dame, 5-1.

However, the big righty failed to emerge as a true SEC ace in 2023, finishing his junior season with a 1-4 record and a bloated 6.32 ERA in 72.2 innings.

Perhaps born to pitch, his father, John, pitched for two seasons with the Texas Rangers (1994-1995), and his step-father, Brent Gilbert, was a member of Texas A&M's famed 1989 club.

With a projectable frame and bloodlines to boot, Dettmer becomes the first Aggie hurler selected in the current draft process. Should he reject Oakland's offer, he could return for a senior season in 2024.

Ryan Brauninger's scout of Nathan Dettmer

"Highly projectable body/frame to go along with intriguing stuff in terms of the analytics. The numbers never fully matched the potential. Creates uncomfortable at-bats for right-handers due to heavy arm-side run on the fastball that will play in the 92-96 mph range. Started to show an improved feel for the slider later in the spring. Comfortable throwing the changeup, specifically to left-handed hitters. While the overall career would be considered up-and-down, he did have some big-time outings in important spots in each of his three seasons (2021 vs. Texas, 2022 vs. Notre Dame, 2023 vs. Stanford)."