Miami Christian shortstop Ronny Cruz drafted in third round by the Chicago Cubs

Ronny Cruz grew up emulating shortstops Manny Machado and Francisco Lindor — two Major League Baseball superstars of Dominican heritage.

On Monday, Cruz — a Dominican-born shortstop who played the past two years for Miami Christian — started his pro journey that he hopes will one day have his name rank up there with the likes of Machado and Lindor.

Cruz, the first local player to get selected in Day 2 of the 2024 MLB Draft, was selected in the third round by the Chicago Cubs. Taken with pick No. 90, Cruz quickly signed with Chicago.

“It wasn’t a hard decision,” said Cruz, who had a Miami Dade College scholarship waiting for him just in case. “Playing pro baseball has been my dream since age 6.”

Miami Christian coach Chris Cuadra said Cruz “hits 400-foot bombs” despite his slim physique at 6-1 and 180 pounds.

“Ronny has a long way to go to fill out his body,” Cuadra said. “But he has raw power.”

MDC coach Lazaro Llanes said he was happy for Cruz, even though he now won’t be playing for the Sharks.

“He’s a toolsy player with high upside,” said Llanes, a former Brewers and Marlins scout. “It was hard to gauge where he was going to get drafted because he missed part of his senior season due to a knee injury.

“But he came back sooner than expected. He played the second half of the [2024] season, and the Cubs made the right move by signing him.”

Cruz, who is just 17 years old, hasn’t been told yet what league or level he will start at as he gets set for his pro debut.

But, for right now, there is joy in the Cruz camp.

“It’s a blessing,” Cuadra said. “It’s really hard for a high school kid to get picked that high, but he has a lot of talent.”

The Cubs, by the way, picked infielders with their first four selections this year — two shortstops and two third basemen.

Here’s a look at other local players and their draft status as the selection process will conclude on Tuesday with rounds 11 through 20:

▪ Douglas coach Todd Fitz-Gerald now has both his sons in pro ball.

Hunter Fitz-Gerald is playing in High A with the Mariners. A 23-year-old lefty-hitting first baseman, Hunter played college ball for Old Dominion and signed as an undrafted free agent.

On Monday, switch-hitting shortstop Devin Fitz-Gerald, 18, was drafted in the fifth round by the reigning World Series champion Texas Rangers.

A baseball star and a straight-A student at Parkland Marorie Stoneman Douglas High, Devin has agreed to terms with the Rangers, who are giving him more than double his slot value of $388,000.

Fitz-Gerald, who had signed with North Carolina State, is reportedly getting a signing bonus of $900,000.

On the field, Todd Fitz-Gerald has predicted that Devin will eventually play as an offensive-minded second baseman.

“He’s a patient and polished hitter who has equal bat speed on both sides of the plate,” Todd Fitz-Gerald said. “He is mature beyond his age with a high baseball IQ and good bat-to-ball skills.”

▪ In a mild surprise, three local standouts went undrafted on Monday. On Tuesday, that trio will get one final chance to hear their names called for the 2024 draft.

The list includes Miami Westminster Christian pitcher Lazaro Collera, ranked by MLB Pipeline as a top-four-rounds prospect; Westminster Christian shortstop Manny Marin, a top-five-rounds prospect; and Doral Academy center fielder Michael Torres, also a top-five-rounds prospect.

It’s likely that all three players had asked for a signing bonus that was higher than what MLB organizations had pegged for them. It is also now more likely that all three will play college baseball next season – Collera and Torres for the Miami Hurricanes and Marin for reigning national champion Tennessee.