Texas RHP Cole Quintanilla selected No. 263 by the Washington Nationals
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Steven Branscombe-USA TODAY Sports
In the ninth round of the 2021 MLB Draft, the Washington Nationals selected Texas Longhorns right-handed pitcher Cole Quintanilla with the No. 263 pick overall.
A local product out of Cedar Park. Quintanilla had a big-time junior season, going 7-1 with a 0.65 ERA while striking out 94 batters in 53.2 innings pitched, but underwent Tommy John surgery the following year and used a redshirt season on the Forty Acres in 2018 to rehabilitate.
In 2019, Quintanilla was solid out of the bullpen, leading Texas with five saves, finishing the year with a 4.05 ERA as opponents batted .250 against him. During the pandemic-shortened season, however, Quintanilla struggled in his five appearances with an 8.31 ERA, though he did show some promise in a four-inning start against UTSA in which he only allowed one earned run and struck out five.