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Former top 100 recruit finding success ... as a pitcher?

AmirGarrett

Earlier this month, Amir Garrett, a former top 100 recruit that played for St. John’s and transferred to Cal-St. Northridge, made the decision to give up basketball for good.

The 6-foot-5 left-hander is instead focusing on a baseball career that saw him get drafted by the Cincinnati Reds and given a $1 million contract.

And based on the way he has been playing of late, it appears to be the right decision. Garrett recently topped the list of Baseball America’s prospect hot sheet, as he is now playing the best baseball of his career. He’s 22 years old and he’s still playing for Cincinnati’s low-A ball team, the Dayton Dragons, but mowing down hitters as a left-handed pitcher for a team that has already invested seven figures in his future is probably a better decision than chasing NBA dreams as a basketball player in the Big West.

Here’s what Baseball America had to say about him:

Garrett hasn’t given up a run in his past three starts, and he has 76 strikeouts to 19 walks since June 1. With a 92-95 mph fastball and a slider that has developed into an average pitch that flashes plus according to scouts (albeit more as a chase pitch than one he can throw for strikes so far), Garrett appears to have the makings of being at least a power lefty reliever with the athleticism to be much more.

To read more about Garrett’s path to becoming a baseball star, click here.