Twins grab Ducks' Jason Reitz with the 119th pick in the MLB draft

Jason Reitz fanned 73 batters in 64.1 innings for the Ducks in 2025.
Jason Reitz fanned 73 batters in 64.1 innings for the Ducks in 2025. | Chris Pietsch/The Register-Guard / USA TODAY NETWORK via Imagn Images

A 6-11 righthander from San Jose, California, Jason Reitz became the second Duck taken in the Major League draft Monday, chosen 119th overall in the fourth round by the Minnesota Twins.

He follows outfielder Mason Neville, picked up five places ahead of him by Cincinnati.

If he makes the big leagues fans might call him The Bigger Unit. Reitz towers over most hitters and features a fastball that's been clocked at 98 mph. He posted a 5-1 record and a 3.50 ERA for Oregon this year after transferring in from St. Mary's.

Against Washington on May 11, Reitz showed how dominant he can be with all four pitches working. He struck out five and walked just two, allowing three hits over six innings of shutout ball as the Ducks won 5-3.

Against Utah Valley in the NCAA Tournament he set a career high with 14 strikeouts over six innings of work, though the Ducks fell 6-5.

He becomes the tallest player in pro baseball.

Reitz battled back from Tommy John surgery, unable to pitch his senior year at Pioneer High School in San Jose, joining the Gaels as a freshman.

He told Allen Gunn of the Cape Cod Times, “It was tough, but you always have to trust the process. I was honestly able to deal with it well mentally because the surgery didn’t come to me as a surprise."

“Going to Saint Mary’s, I had confidence that I could be able to come back from it. I’ve had a lot of people around me who helped me through this journey.”


The experience of fighting through that adversity will give him strength as he begins his pro baseball career, a perspective to sustain him through the long road trips and indignities of the minor leagues.

Baseball is a game of failure. A prospect has to deal with the grind and a completely new journey.

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