Fairborn grad on getting drafted by Red Sox: ‘One of the best days of my life’

“My heart just kind of dropped into my stomach real quick,” Webb said, “and the first thing I did is hug both my parents. Then I got a little emotional. It was everything I thought it would be. It was one of the best days of my life.”

Webb signed with the Red Sox on Wednesday, earning a $125,000 signing bonus. He will fly to Fort Myers, Fla., where the Red Sox have spring training, on Sunday.

The 6-foot-5, 246-pound Webb, a right-handed pitcher who graduated from Fairborn High School in 2017, was the 406th player drafted and the second from Miami University. Sam Bachman, a right-handed pitcher, became Miami’s first first-round pick when the Los Angeles Angels drafted him ninth overall Sunday.

Webb attended the draft party for Bachman at Miami University’s Goggin Ice Center. Close to 150 people watched the draft in the arena’s Club Lounge.

“It was such an awesome experience, such an awesome moment for him,” Webb said, “and I was just happy to be part of it. I was happy that he invited all of us down there. It was truly it was one of the coolest experiences I’ve ever had. Getting to see him get his name called on national TV and the top 10, that’s amazing.”

A 6-foot-1, 235-pound junior from Fishers, Ind., Bachman went 4-4 with a 1.81 ERA in 12 starts this season. Webb made 18 relief appearances as a senior and went 1-2 with a 2.08 ERA. He struck out 59 batters in 39.0 innings pitched.

Webb’s journey to professional baseball started at Fairborn. He was a four-year letterwinner in baseball and holds school records for ERA in season (1.20), strikeouts in a season (71), strikeouts in a career (200) and runs scored in a season (34).

After graduation, Webb planned to play for the Toledo Rockets, but he did not meet the NCAA’s academic requirements. Instead, he enrolled at Sinclair Community College.

“I signed to go to Sinclair for two years, which truly ended up being probably the biggest blessing ever,” Webb said.

In 2018 and 2019, the last two full seasons Sinclair enjoyed before the program was shut down by the pandemic in March of 2020, Webb appeared in 26 games, starting 21 and producing a 12-5 record, a 3.85 ERA and 116 strikeouts in 107 2/3 innings pitched.

Webb credits much of his success in the last four seasons to what he learned from Sinclair head coach Steve Dintaman.

“He gave me a chance to play at Sinclair,” Webb said, “and taught me so many things about not even just baseball but how to handle myself and go about my business and make sure that I treat people with respect.”

Webb thought his baseball career might be over at the end of his two years at Sinclair because he wasn’t getting much interest from four-year colleges. Then Sinclair pitching coach Mike Paar posted a video to Twitter of Webb pitching. A number of schools, including Miami, reached out at that point.

Webb had always been interested in Miami because it’s close to home.

“I didn’t even need to go on a visit,” Webb said. “I had played there so many times. I’d seen all their facilities. It was like, ‘Just give me the paper. I’m ready to sign.’ I could just tell it was the perfect fit for me because I’ve never wanted to work so hard for a program before. I would do anything for that program. I worked super hard for that program, and it was just nice to see all the hard work that I put in pay off.”

The cancelled season of 2020 was a setback for Webb as it was for everyone in college baseball. He returned to Fairborn and worked out in his parents’ basement but didn’t get to pitch again until he played in the Northwoods League late in the summer.

Webb returned to the Northwoods League to play for the same team in Minnesota, the Willmar Stingers, this summer. He was named a league all-star after throwing 12.2 innings and allowing four hits and no runs with 29 strikeouts and seven saves. Webb even reached 100 miles per hour with a pitch in early June.

Just before he left for Minnesota, on June 1, Webb worked out for the Red Sox at Prasco Park in Mason. The Toronto Blue Jays, Los Angeles Angels, Los Angeles Dodgers, Washington Nationals and Pittsburgh Pirates were the other teams he was talking to at that point.

The Red Sox were the only team to see him pitch at the pre-draft workout. Webb was more nervous than he would have been pitching in front of scouts at a game.

“It was definitely a lot more of just trying to be maybe be too perfect. You’ve just got to battle that and do what you’ve always done your whole life that has made you successful.”

Now Webb will get to do that at the next level.

“Honestly, if you’d asked me three years ago,” Webb said, “I probably would say, there was no way this would happen.”