Kenya Huggins selection in MLB Draft thrills St. Augustine family

The ability was obvious to all.

Kenya Huggins was tall, strapping, and had a fluid delivery to the plate.

By the time he departed St. Augustine High School, Huggins was throwing 88-91 miles per hour and had touched 93 on the radar gun. Huggins also developed a good breaking ball to go with his heater.

Now, Huggins is primed for a professional career, as he was chosen in the fourth round of the Major League Baseball Draft Monday, taken with the 123rd pick overall by the Cincinnati Reds.

Huggins originally signed with Louisiana Tech initially but enrolled at Chipola Junior College.

In 15 games for Chipola this past season, Huggins posted a 4-3 record with a good 2.96 ERA. In 73 innings, he allowed 66 hits. Huggins walked 32 and struck out 97, averaging 1.3 strikeouts per inning, 11.96 per game. The 6-foot-3, 205 pounder was clocked at 93 to 95 miles per hour with his fastball this year.

Huggins excelled at St. Augustine at the plate and on the mound. As a sophomore, he posted a 2.33 ERA.

In 2020, Huggins was 1-2 with 14 strikeouts in 14.2 innings in a season shortened by the pandemic.

In his senior season of 2021, Huggins had 88 strikeouts in 67 innings pitched and blasted nine home runs at the plate.

The news brought huge smiles to the faces of all associated with St. Augustine, including Purple Knights head coach Barret Rey.

“It’s huge for the community, for our school,” Rey said. “He has carried out community on his back for a long time now, since he was a freshman in high school. I think it’s well deserved and he has put in the work to get there. He has all the physical attributes you look for with a very strong arm and he is very athletic.

Rey has no doubt that Huggins will succeed due to his character.

“He has a love for the game,” Rey said. “He shows up to watch baseball games when he is not playing. He simply loves the game. He always wanted to get better, always asking questions. That’s the biggest intangible. He got rid of the curve ball, worked on the slider and has made it a plus, power pitch.”

Huggins joins a solid history of players from St. Augustine chosen in the Major League Draft over the years.

Dale Brock, Andre Hall, Clarence Johns, Ron Marigny, Mack McKay, Olen Parker, Craig Quintal, Ronald Robinson, Devin Rogers and Alton Torregano are former St. Augustine players who were drafted previously.