Tag: 2023 MLB draft

Christian Little taken by Mets in 19th round of the 2023 MLB draft

The Vanderbilt transfer began the year as a weekend starter but settled into a reliever role.

LSU pitcher [autotag]Christian Little[/autotag] was selected by the New York Mets with the 576th pick in the 19th round of the 2023 MLB draft on Tuesday.

A transfer addition this past offseason from Vanderbilt, Little was one of the most highly anticipated new faces on the roster. He began the year as a weekend starter but struggled, ultimately settling into a reliever role.

In 19 appearances with eight starts in 2023, Little finished with a 2-2 record and a 7.79 earned run average. He struck out 42 batters on the year, but he also issued 29 walks.

The St. Louis native becomes the 13th LSU player taken in the draft, a program record.

It’s unclear whether Little plans to sign with New York, but he certainly would stand a lot to gain from returning to an LSU team in need of pitching help in 2024.

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Aggies First Baseman Jack Moss selected by the Cincinnati Reds in the 11th round, 318th overall

The Cincinnati Reds have selected Texas A&M First Baseman Jack Moss in the 11th Round of the 2023 MLB Draft.

The fourth Aggie has been taken off the board in the 2023 MLB Draft; as the most consistent hitter in Texas A&M’s lineup, nicknamed “the professional hitter” last season, First Baseman Jack Moss has been selected by the Cincinnati Reds in the 11th round, 318th overall.

Moss, who transferred to Jim Schlossnagle’s program before the 2022 season, sported a .368 batting average in two years with the team, following current Aggies hitting coach Michael Earley from Arizona State, led the 2022 Maroon and White squad offensively, hitting .380 at the plate combined with 103 hits, which is good for fifth in Texas A&M single-season history.

During the 2023 campaign, Moss led Texas A&M for the second consecutive season in batting average (.352) and hits (93) while once again performing his best when it mattered most in the postseason, earning SEC All-Tournament honors during the Aggies’ conference tournament run to the title game before falling to Vanderbilt.

Nothing is set in stone for Jack Moss after being selected, as being selected in the later round presents an opportunity for his return to the program based on his professional trajectory if returning further increases his draft stock in 2024. Either way, a significant impact on the Aggies’ 2024 roster is imminent once a decision is made.

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Javen Coleman picked by Dodgers in 16th round

Javen Coleman was limited to eight appearances in 2023 as he returned from Tommy John surgery.

LSU extended its record number of players drafted to 12 on Tuesday afternoon with the selection of [autotag]Javen Coleman[/autotag].

Coleman went to the Los Angeles Dodgers with the 490th pick in the 2023 MLB draft. He’s the second LSU player the Dodgers have drafted, joining Jordan Thompson, who went in the prior round.

Coming off Tommy John surgery in 2022, Coleman was a bit limited this spring. He wasn’t available at the start of the year and ultimately played in eight games, registering a 1-2 record with a 7.07 earned run average.

It was an understandably shaky season coming off injury as he struck out just 21 batters while walking 16, but Coleman still projects as one of the Tigers’ top bullpen arms in 2024.

They’ll hope he isn’t ultimately swayed by a late-round offer from the Dodgers.

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LSU pitcher commit Jake Brown reportedly won’t sign with Rangers, plans to enroll in Baton Rouge

The top player in the state of Louisiana is coming to LSU.

The Tigers have already set a program record for players taken in the 2023 MLB draft, but arguably their biggest win has to do with the current signing class.

Of that group, only No. 8 pick [autotag]Blake Mitchell[/autotag] was taken in the first two rounds. Left-handed pitcher [autotag]Jake Brown[/autotag] became the second on Tuesday afternoon when the Texas Rangers selected him in the 16th round with 471st pick.

However, Brown does not plan to sign with Texas and will instead honor his commitment to LSU, according to multiple reports. The left-handed pitcher tweeted a Tiger emoji on Monday night when he wasn’t selected, though he deleted that Tweet after he was drafted.

Brown, a product of Sulphur, Louisiana, ranks as the No. 116 overall prospect in the 2023 class and the No. 1 player in the state, according to Perfect Game.

Update: The Advocate’s Leah Vann updated her report on Tuesday to say that Brown’s number was not met by the Rangers and he plans to head to Baton Rouge, though that is not 100% confirmed. He has 14 days to make a decision

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Florida LHP Philip Abner selected in sixth round of 2023 MLB draft

Phillip Abner was a valuable piece of Florida’s bullpen over the past two seasons, and the Arizona Diamondbacks are giving him a chance to play pro ball with the 175th overall pick.

Florida left-handed pitcher Philip Abner was the second and final Gator drafted on Day 2 of the 2023 MLB draft Monday, going to the Arizona Diamondbacks with the 165th overall pick in the sixth round.

Abner, a 21-year-old draft-eligible sophomore, started the season off as Florida’s top left-handed relief arm and remained one of the team’s best pitchers through the postseason. He was unavailable in Omaha because of a reported illness, but the Diamondbacks still liked what they saw from him in 2023.

A lefty reliever with a strikeout rate of 36.2% is enticing to most scouts, and a walk rate that dropped from 19.1% to 13.5% shows that Abner’s on the right path. His 3.16 ERA, 3.87 FIP and 2.59 SIERA are all excellent.

Abner’s best pitch is his fastball, which looks a lot fast than 93 mph. His curveball shows promise, coming in around 80 mph and show some promise.

Although he could come back for another year and lose zero leverage, Abner is viewed as likely to sign with Arizona.

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Jordan Thompson drafted by Los Angeles Dodgers

Jordan Thompson may be heading back to his home state of California.

LSU shortstop [autotag]Jordan Thompson[/autotag] may be heading back out west.

Though he stayed on the board longer than some expected at the 2023 MLB draft, the California native was ultimately picked by the Los Angeles Dodgers with the 460th pick in the 15th round.

A three-year starter for the Tigers, Thompson batted .246 this past season with 11 homers and 55 RBI. He had a huge outing in the national championship-clinching Game 3 against the Florida Gators, driving in three runs in the decisive victory.

The junior becomes the 11th LSU player taken so far, breaking a draft record of nine players, which was set back in 2013.

We’ll see what kind of offer he gets from the Dodgers, but Thompson has the option to return to LSU for his final season if he chooses.

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Baltimore Orioles take LSU pitcher Riley Cooper in 13th round of 2023 MLB draft

The Tigers’ Omaha bullpen hero went to the O’s with the 391st pick.

LSU pitcher [autotag]Riley Cooper[/autotag] became the third Tigers reliever to hear his name called during Day 3 of the 2023 MLB draft Tuesday.

The lefty was selected in the 13th round by the Baltimore Orioles with the 391st pick. Cooper is the second LSU player the Orioles drafted, joining right-hander [autotag]Blake Money[/autotag], who they took in the 12th round.

An Arizona transfer who followed coach [autotag]Jay Johnson[/autotag] to Baton Rouge, Cooper was one of the primary bullpen pieces the last two seasons, leading the staff in appearances in 2022 and 2023.

As a junior this season, he played in 32 games, pitching 61.2 innings with a 5-3 record, 4.38 earned run average and a 63-to-20 strikeout-to-walk ratio. He also recorded three saves.

Cooper played the hero for the Tigers in Omaha this year, earning a save as LSU avoided elimination against Wake Forest and a win as it outlasted Florida in extra innings to take Game 1 of the championship series.

With one more year of eligibility, Cooper has the option to return to Baton Rouge for his senior season if he doesn’t like his offer from Baltimore.

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Tracking every LSU player and signee picked in the 2023 MLB draft

Lots of Tigers have already heard their names called in the draft.

It’s been a good weekend for LSU baseball at the 2023 MLB draft.

After winning a national championship this spring — the seventh in program history and first under coach [autotag]Jay Johnson[/autotag] — lots of Tigers have heard their names called in Seattle.

The highlight was [autotag]Paul Skenes[/autotag] and [autotag]Dylan Crews[/autotag] becoming the first players from the same school to be selected with the first two picks in the draft, but they were just the first of many to be chosen.

Not all of these players will ultimately sign, and it will be crucial to watch which veterans return. It will also be interesting to see which signees in the 2023 recruiting class make it to campus. One of them, catcher [autotag]Blake Mitchell[/autotag], was selected with the eighth pick.

Here’s a complete tracker of every LSU player selected in the draft.

Alabama OF Caden Rose drafted in seventh round by Boston Red Sox

Alabama outfielder Caden Rose was drafted on Day 2 of the 2023 MLB Draft by the Boston Red Sox. Rose will have to make a decision on whether he wants to return to Tuscaloosa or not.

Alabama outfielder Caden Rose was selected with pick No. 208 by the Boston Red Sox on Day 2 of the 2023 MLB Draft.

Rose played shortstop for Bob Jones High School in Madison, Alabama. He was ranked No. 32 nationally and No. 134 in the country by PBR.

When he arrived in Tuscaloosa, he split time between centerfield and second base. In three seasons, Rose maintained a .260 batting average while hitting 14 home runs and driving in 61 runs.

Overall, Rose was a superior defender and was fairly productive at the plate. It remains to be seen whether or not Rose will return to Tuscaloosa for his senior season. He could decide to turn pro and begin his professional career in the Red Sox organization.

Roll Tide Wire will continue to follow the Alabama baseball program.

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LSU pitcher Grant Taylor confirms he’ll be signing with White Sox

Grant Taylor’s time with the Tigers has come to an end.

As many expected, LSU right-handed pitcher [autotag]Grant Taylor[/autotag] will not be returning to the Tigers in 2024.

Taylor, who was picked with the No. 51 pick in the competitive balance second round on Sunday night, has opted to sign with the Chicago White Sox instead of returning to LSU for what would be his redshirt sophomore season.

He didn’t see any action this spring after he required Tommy John surgery. He was expected to play a role in the weekend rotation after appearing in 17 games with two starts as a true freshman.

Taylor finished that season with a 5.81 earned run average in 31 innings pitched, striking out 39 batters with 21 walks.

Taylor’s departure along with LSU’s two primary weekend starters in [autotag]Paul Skenes[/autotag] and [autotag]Ty Floyd[/autotag] will leave this team with a lot of pitching questions in 2024 as it looks to defend its national title.

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