Northeastern star Mike Sirota goes to Cincinnati Reds in MLB draft

“To see him go this high is a testament to him and all his hard work and sticking with it all the way through the college process,” Northeastern baseball coach Mike Glavine said. “We want everyone we recruit to come play for us to have aspirations of playing professionally. And Mike is going to make that happen. It’s a testament to the program, our staff and what we can do to improve and develop players and give them an experience that they’ll always remember and now he can go on and have that next experience.

“It’s a very exciting day for Mike, but also for the program.”

Sirota struggled through a season of high expectations and intense scrutiny after posting a .344 batting average with 18 home runs and 54 RBI in 55 games as a sophomore.

Sirota hit .298 this season and set a Northeastern record with 59 walks, a strong sign that opponents threw around him. By comparison, Sirota struck out just 48 times, an example of his superior plate discipline.

“There was as much outside pressure on him as I’ve ever seen as a coach in my time here,” Glavine said. “It felt like every time we had a practice or a game, everyone was always watching him and analyzing his every move. And then of course 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 thrown a lot. I look at his command of the strike zone, his swing decisions, the number 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 player with five talents: speed (19 stolen bases this season), defensive talent in center field, a strong arm and the ability to hit both power and medium.

“I always thought I was going to be in the big leagues, even when I was younger,” Sirota said. “Growing up and playing travel ball with a bunch of guys that were getting a little more recognition than me at the time — that was motivating, too.”

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 1960s.

Sirota recalled Wiffle Ball games with the legendary pitcher in his large backyard on Long Island. The house displayed some of Ford’s trophies and awards.

“I grew up around him and that side of the family,” Sirota said. “I was always at his house, especially in the summers. We were very close.”