FALMOUTH, Mass. — Falmouth’s starting pitching dazzled to open the year. Notably, Kentucky’s Kaden Echeman and Texas’ Grayson Saunier stood out.

After Echeman was selected in the 12th round of the MLB Draft by the St. Louis Cardinals, Saunier was chosen by the Houston Astros in the 17th. The honor comes after Saunier transferred from Ole Miss to the Longhorns, where he posted a 3.86 ERA in 25.2 innings in 2025.

This summer, Saunier played for the Cape Cod League’s Falmouth Commodores, where he only boosted his draft stock. In four games (three starts), he finished with a 3.00 ERA, while striking out 18 to six walks.

Falmouth spoke to Saunier about being chosen by the Astros, and his recent experiences with Texas and the Commodores:

Falmouth Commodores: How did it feel to be drafted?

Grayson Saunier:

It was pretty cool, a dream come true. It’s something I’ve been working towards my whole life, so it’s a pretty surreal experience, I’m super blessed.

Falmouth: The draft process can be kind of hectic, but how was it for you?

G.S.:

It was good, I had a bunch of teams that showed interest. But on draft day, you just didn’t know what was gonna happen. We just let everything happen that was supposed to happen, and luckily the Astros called and took me. I’m just happy they gave me a chance.

Falmouth: You’re an Astros fan, how did it feel to be picked by your hometown team?

G.S.:

It was super cool. All my family, they love all the Texas teams. My grandfather’s a diehard Astros fan, so it was super cool when I got to call him and see the look on his face.

Falmouth: Do you have any favorite memories of being an Astros fan growing up?

G.S.:

I was a Rangers fan growing up, so I would go to Rangers games a lot. My grandparents live in Houston, so sometimes when we’d go see them, we’d catch some Houston games. But I’m all about Texas sports, I’ve got roots in Texas, so obviously my favorite team is the Astros now.

Falmouth: Moving to college, what did you get most out of your time with Texas?

G.S.:

I learned a lot. It was a crazy year transferring there. I wasn’t really pitching at the start, just trying to figure things out. But I put my head down and kept working.

I really learned a lot from (pitching coach) Max Weiner. That was pretty much the whole reason I went to Texas, was to bet on myself and work with Max. I’ve grown so much as a person, both mentally and physically. So he taught me a lot.

Falmouth: What were you looking to get out of your time with Falmouth?

G.S.:

I threw about 25 innings on the season. So when the season was over, it felt like I was just getting started. I just wanted to go. I hadn’t done summer ball yet, so I just wanted to get out there and compete, play for the love of the game, and just have a ton of fun against some of the best players.

Falmouth: One of the biggest things for Falmouth this season was Jarrod Saltalamacchia coming in as its new manager. How was it for you to be coached by him?

G.S.:

You don’t get big league guys, especially great, tenured big league players coaching in your life very often. Salty liked to keep things super simple. He wants us to have a ton of fun and do everything the right way. He was a catcher, so as a pitcher, just getting to pick his brain, it was super cool.

Falmouth: How was your experience overall with the Commodores?

G.S.:

It was great, it felt a little too short. The guys are great, I felt like that was such a good group with great chemistry. So I was blessed to be able to be there, but I’m still keeping up with them on Twitter and Instagram.

Some questions and answers have been edited for clarity and brevity.