Tag: 2023 MLB draft

How Ty Floyd and Grant Taylor getting drafted affects LSU pitching

Here’s how LSU’s pitching staff shakes out after the MLB draft.

It’s been a good draft for LSU baseball.

The Tigers stole the show on Sunday night with the first and second overall picks in [autotag]Paul Skenes[/autotag] and [autotag]Dylan Crews[/autotag].

On a more local level, another big story is how the draft will affect the LSU pitching staff. LSU’s seen three of its best arms get picked so far, leaving the Tigers with a lot to replace heading into 2024.

The good news is the bullpen remains strong even if the starting staff requires some rebuilding.

Let’s take a look at how LSU pitching shapes up as the Tigers try to defend their national title.

Three Aggie signees withdraw their names from the 2023 MLB Draft, and will join the program in 2024

Three Aggie baseball signees, Gavin Grahovac, Caden Sorrell, and Weston Moss, have withdrawn their names from the 2023 MLB Draft and will join the team in 2024.

During Day 2 of the 2023 MLB Draft, Texas A&M saw three players drafted in the mid to late round, as Shortstop Hunter Haas was the first Aggie off the board, going No. 120 to the Tampa Bay Rays, while the Oakland Athletics took RHP Nathan Dettmer No. 139, and third baseman Trevor Werner rounded out the three after being taken No. 199 by the Kansas City Royals.

As all three players above were expected to depart, big news concerning three highly touted prospects in the Aggies 2023 recruiting class withdrew their names from the Draft on Monday, as Flower Mound (Texas) outfielder Caden Sorrell, Villa Park (California) outfielder Gavin Grahovic, and Montgomery County (Texas) Lake Creek RHP Weston Moss will officially join Texas A&M and Head Coach Jim Schlossnagle for the 2024 campaign, first reported by AggiesBaseballToday.

Texas A&M’s 2023 recruiting class features 21 high school signees, and while every player possesses unique and desirable talents on the field, Sorrell, Grahovic, and Moss are by far the three most sought-after prospects in the class.

Here is how each player ranks going into the 2024 season:

  • Caden Sorrell: ranked as the 79th player in the draft, according to MLB.com, who stands at 6-3 and 200 pounds, is ranked as the 100th overall player in the class, the 9th overall player, According to Perfect Game. During his senior season at Marcus, Sorrell posted a .347/7 HR/33 H/29RBI/29BB line while earning District 6-6A Offensive Player of the Year honors to end his illustrious high school career.
  • Gavin Grahovic, ranked as the 146th player in the draft (MLB.com), who stands at 6-2 and 210 pounds, is ranked as the 55th player in the class, the 10th-ranked outfielder, and the 12th-ranked player in California, according to Perfect Game. During his senior season at Villa Park, Grahovic hit for .350, five home runs, and 19 RBI in 31 games.
  • Weston Moss, who recently told GigEm247 reporter Carter Karels that he has turned down a fourth-round offer and intends to play for Texas A&M next season, is ranked as the 55th RHP and the 182nd-ranked player in the class, according to Perfect Game.

With Rounds 11-20 set to take place tomorrow at 1:00 p.m., several other Texas A&M prospects remain in the fold, and if the placing/money isn’t right, expect more news to come regarding the future of the Aggie baseball roster for the 2024 season.

Contact/Follow us @AggiesWire on Twitter, and like our page on Facebook to follow ongoing coverage of Texas A&M news, notes, and opinions. Follow Cameron on Twitter: @CameronOhnysty.

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Three Texas A&M Aggies selected in the 2023 MLB Draft

Not one, not two, but three Texas A&M Aggies heard their names called Tuesday afternoon during the 2023 MLB Draft!

Not one, not two, but three former Texas A&M Aggies are officially turning professional as they make the next stop of their baseball careers.

Shortstop Hunter Haas, RHP Nathan Dettmer, and third baseman Trevor Werner all heard their names called in the 2023 MLB Draft on Tuesday afternoon. Haas was the first Aggie off the board, going No. 120 to the Tampa Bay Rays. Dettmer was taken No. 139 by the Oakland Athletics, and Werner rounded out the three after being taken No. 199 by the Kansas City Royals.

After beginning his collegiate career at Arizona State for two seasons, Haas transferred to A&M and made his impact felt on the diamond. He lead the team in walks (49) while ranked second in batting average (.323), on-base percentage (.447),, and OPS (.953), while also logging 10 homers.

Dettmer spent three seasons in College Station, logging 53 appearances with 48 starts, a 5.27 ERA, a 10-9 record as a starter, and 196 strikeouts with 94 walks.

In four seasons with Texas A&M, Werner appeared in 125 games to go alongside 111 starts. As an Aggie, he boasts a career .251 batting average, a .348 on-base percentage, and a .459 slugging percentage to go with 21 home runs, and 97 RBIs.

Congratulations to all three on this special moment! We know you’ll continue to represent the Maroon and White proud, and as always, Gig ’em and BTHO the majors!

Contact/Follow us @AggiesWire on Twitter, and like our page on Facebook to follow ongoing coverage of Texas A&M news, notes, and opinions. Follow Pete on Twitter: @PeteThreee.

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Seth Halvorsen selected by Colorado in 2023 MLB draft

Tennessee pitcher Seth Halvorsen selected by Colorado in 2023 MLB draft.

The 2023 Major League Baseball first-year player draft is taking place Sunday-Tuesday in Seattle, Washington.

The MLB first-year player draft is being held in conjunction with the 2023 MLB All-Star Game on Tuesday.

Tennessee redshirt junior pitcher Seth Halvorsen was selected by Colorado in the seventh-round with the No. 202 overall pick.

Halvorsen played at Tennessee from 2022-23. He did not play in 2022 due to injury.

Halvorsen (3-3) appeared in 25 games, including one start, at Tennessee in 2023. The 6-foot-2, 225-pound pitcher recorded 52 strikeouts and a .381 ERA in 52 innings.

He is the fourth Vol to be selected in the 2023 MLB draft.

Tennessee junior pitcher Chase Dollander was selected in the first-round by Colorado with the No. 9 overall pick.

Vols’ junior shortstop Maui Ahuna was selected by San Francisco in the fourth-round with the No. 117 overall pick.

Tennessee junior pitcher Andrew Lindsey was selected by Miami in the fifth-round with the No. 146 overall pick.

Washington Nationals draft Gavin Dugas in 6th round

Dylan Crews won’t be going to the nation’s capital alone.

[autotag]Dylan Crews[/autotag] won’t be going to Washington, D.C., alone. [autotag]Gavin Dugas[/autotag] was selected by the Washington Nationals in the sixth round of the 2023 MLB draft.

Dugas played at LSU for five years and played in 201 games for the Tigers. He was the embodiment of what it means to be an LSU Tiger. When LSU needed a clutch play, Dugas always seemed to come through. He spent last season flipping between second base and shortstop but he may find himself in the outfield at the next level.

Dugas has a career batting average of .287 with 35 doubles, five triples, 44 homers, 148 RBI and a national championship trophy. Dugas becomes the sixth player from last year’s team to be selected in the 2023 MLB draft, joining [autotag]Paul Skenes[/autotag], [autotag]Dylan Crews[/autotag], [autotag]Ty Floyd[/autotag], [autotag]Grant Taylor[/autotag] and [autotag]Tre Morgan[/autotag].

He will likely head to Single-A to start his career in the minors, possibly back on the same team as Crews unless they send Crews straight to Double-A.

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Alabama OF Andrew Pinckney drafted in fourth round by Washington Nationals

Alabama outfielder Andrew Pinckney became the first Alabama player chosen in the 2023 MLB Draft. Pinckney was drafted No. 102 overall by the Washington Nationals on Monday.

Alabama outfielder Andrew Pinckney was drafted in the fourth round, No. 102 overall by the Washington Nationals on Day 2 of the 2023 MLB Draft.

Coming out of high school, Pinckney had very few offers and chose to stay in his hometown, Tuscaloosa. He elected to walk on for the Crimson Tide as opposed to playing for a smaller division-one program.

Pinckney was a staple in Alabama’s outfield over the last three seasons. He finished his Alabama career with a .308 batting average to go along with 26 home runs and 101 runs batted in.

Pinckney was a second-team All-SEC selection and was also a member of the All-SEC Tournament team during his redshirt-junior season.

Pinckney was one of the more consistent hitters in Alabama’s lineup over the years. One aspect of Pinckney’s game that gets overlooked is his production defensively. He accounted for 13 assists which ties for seventh in program history. Six of those assists came in 2023 which was a team-high for the Crimson Tide.

While Pinckney has not officially announced whether or not he will return to Alabama, all signs point toward Pinckney beginning his professional career with the Nationals organization.

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

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Florida SS Josh Rivera drafted by Chicago Cubs in third round

Another Gator is headed to the majors! Josh Rivera came off the board in the third round of the 2023 MLB Draft on Monday and is headed to the Chicago Cubs.

Coming back for an extra season at Florida might have been the best decision [autotag]Josh Rivera[/autotag] ever made. After going undrafted last in 2022, a career year led to Rivera being picked 81st overall in the 2023 MLB by the Chicago Cubs on Monday.

Rivera slashed .348/.447/.617 with 19 home runs and 72 runs batted in as a senior in 2023, setting career highs with each number. While Rivera’s glove has always been his biggest draw, scouts have known about his raw power since his time at IMG Academy.

Translating that raw power into game power proved difficult, though, and Rivera is only just finding his home run swing. If he can maintain some of that pop in the minors (wood bats, better pitching), Rivera should have a shot to make the Cubs roster in a few years.

Although MLB.com gives Rivera average grades as a fielder, he was among the most consistent at the position in college baseball this season. Perhaps he’ll move to second base at some point, but he should get a chance to play shortstop at each level of the minors.

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Tre Morgan goes to Tampa Bay in Round 3 of 2023 MLB draft

Captain Morgan is headed to the Bay.

Captain Morgan is headed to the Bay.

The Tampa Bay Rays selected Tigers first baseman [autotag]Tre Morgan[/autotag] with the 88th pick in the third round of the 2023 MLB draft on Monday afternoon.

Morgan was one of my favorite players on this year’s team. There isn’t anything he couldn’t do. We are all used to just how good he is at first base but this year he even played in left field and he looked like he could play out there if a pro team needs him to.

During his career at LSU, Morgan hit .332 with 49 doubles, 20 homers and 149 RBI. Morgan is a kid that was a pivotal part of LSU’s title run. Had he not rushed that bunt and thrown home for the out against Wake Forest, the Tigers may have never made it to the national championship series.

He’s going to a great spot as the Tampa Bay Rays are one of the best teams in baseball right now. They have the second-best record in the MLB, only behind the Atlanta Braves.

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Brandon Sproat drafted by New York Mets in second round

For the second year in a row, Florida right-hander Brandon Sproat has been drafted by the New York Mets, but he’s expected to sign with them this time around.

Florida’s Friday night starter, right-hander [autotag]Brandon Sproat[/autotag], is trading in the Orange and Blue for… another pair of orange and blue.

No, the Gators aren’t getting Sproat back for another year. The New York Mets once again drafted the flamethrowing righty and are likely to sign him this time around. Those who follow closely will remember that Sproat turned down a third-round deal from the Mets after last year’s draft to chase a national championship in the Swamp.

While Sproat ultimately came up short of that national title quest, he did elevate his draft stock and earned himself a decent chunk of change. The slot value for the 56th overall pick this year is just under $1.5 million, while the 90th overall pick in last year’s draft was slotted to receive $691,300. That’s an increase of almost $800,000.

The stuff has always been there for Sproat. His fastball can touch triple digits and his changeup really turned into a devastating offspeed option this season. Establishing his breaking stuff should be easy if he can get those other two pitches down consistently. Scouts say they want to see that ride-and-run action on the fastball a bit more often than they did in 2023.

If Sproat can figure things out, he’ll move up the system rather quickly. A year or two in Double-A is reasonable if all goes well. Look for him to make the majors around late 2025 or early 2026 in that scenario.

Sproat leaves Florida with a career 4.27 ERA  over 223 2/3 innings. He struck out 242 batters while giving up 114 runs (106 earned) on 202 hits and 99 walks.

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2023 MLB draft: The 10 highest-picked prospects directly out of high school

Here are the 10 highest-picked baseball prospects right out of high school from the first round of the draft.

The 2023 MLB draft began last night in Seattle at Lumen Field, the home stadium of the NFL’s Seahawks. Unlike the NFL draft or the NBA draft, MLB teams are allowed to pick players right out of high school and then bring them up slowly—or, sometimes, rapidly—through their respective farm systems.

Here are the 10 highest-picked baseball prospects right out of high school from the first round of the draft.