Arkansas baseball coach Dave Van Horn: MLB Draft is too early

Dave Van Horn has a good point. But it doesn’t appear the MLB wants to change.

Dave Van Horn is hardly alone in the opinion he levied Tuesday.

The MLB Draft is too early in the summer.

The Arkansas baseball head coach, heading into his 22nd season with the Razorbacks, spoke with the media on Tuesday ahead of the Diamond Hogs’ season-opening series against James Madison, which begins on Friday. Van Horn, who is no stranger to having his best players taken, isn’t a fan of where the draft currently sits in the calendar.

“he numbers don’t add up if enough kids don’t sign,” Van Horn said. “But you’ve got to have enough to compete in our league. It’s a tough pull. We need more time to get our roster squared away.”

What he means is when Arkansas or, really, any other team, is recruiting, if a player decides to turn pro when he is taken in mid-July, college teams are left in a bind. It’s too late at that point to hit the recruiting trail to make up for the loss of those bodies.

Most recently, the Diamond Hogs lost six players to the draft, including Aidan Miller, a third baseman who would have been in position to start this season. Instead, Miller chose to ink with the Philadelphia Phillies after being selected in the first round.

“You just have to get your guys in and hope the culture of your program will handle it,” Van Horn said. “It’s just like NIL and anything else. It’s what we have to deal with and that’s the way we have to go about it.”

The good news for Arkansas is that the losses from the summer don’t seem to have damaged the Diamond Hogs’ prospects for the 2024 season. Arkansas is ranked in the top four in all major college baseball polls.

Van Horn and the Razorbacks will go against a JMU in a four-game set starting Friday at 3 p.m.

Allsup, Gonzalez listed among top MLB draft prospects by D1Baseball

Expectations will be sky-high this season for Auburn pitchers Chase Allsup and Joseph Gonzalez.

Auburn baseball is set on another trip to Omaha this year and will rely on solid pitching to fuel its quest.

[autotag]Joseph Gonzalez[/autotag] and [autotag]Chase Allsup[/autotag] are expected to anchor the Tigers’ weekend rotation and hope to celebrate another successful season by being selected in the 2024 MLB draft. D1Baseball projects both players to go high in this summer’s draft, as they have included them in their updated Top 200 D1 College Prospects rankings. Gonzalez sits at No. 163 while Allsup checks in at No. 179.

Allsup saw his role change as a sophomore in 2023, going from a solid relief option to a weekend starter. In 20 appearances last season, Allsup struck out 49 batters while issuing 33 walks in 49.1 innings of work. He earned the starting nod in eight games last season, with his longest outing coming against Missouri on April 19, where he struck out seven batters and allowed three hits of shutout baseball over 7.0 innings.

As for Gonzalez, he hopes to make a comeback after missing most of last season due to a nagging shoulder injury. He made one start last season, a winning effort over Indiana on opening day. He tossed 5.0 innings of two-hit baseball while keeping the Hoosiers off the board. He boasts a career ERA of 4.08 with 85 strikeouts and 25 walks issued in 37 total appearances.

The Tigers open the season Friday at Plainsman Park against Eastern Kentucky. First pitch of the season opener is set for 6 p.m. CT.

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Vance Honeycutt projected Top 10 in MLB Pipeline Mock Draft

UNC outfielder Vance Honeycutt is one of college baseball’s top players. He’s projected to be an early, first-round MLB Draft pick in 2024.

If you’ve heard anything about UNC baseball in national news, chances are you’ve heard the name Vance Honeycutt.

He’s a power-hitting, magnet-gloved, speedy outfielder who hails from Salisbury, N.C. Honeycutt is the reigning ACC Defensive Player of the Year, in due part to home run-saving catches that make SportsCenter Top 10 the next morning.

Honeycutt’s 19 stolen bases placed him second on Carolina’s 2023 team, 12 home runs tied him for second with Tomas Frick, while 43 RBIs put him fourth. Injury cut Honeycutt’s season short, so he wasn’t able to help his teammates advance to a Super Regional.

Ahead of the Tar Heels’ 2024 campaign, there’s no doubt that Honeycutt is the best player in Chapel Hill. Honeycutt has a lot of draft hype and, if you put him on a larger scope, is one of college baseball’s top players.

In its latest mock draft, Honeycutt is projected to go 8th overall in the 2024 MLB Draft – to the Los Angeles Angels.

https://www.instagram.com/p/C0kqzDVJa3A/

If Honeycutt ends up being selected by the Angels, chances are he won’t be playing center field. Mike Trout is one of the game’s best and should hold down that spot until he retires – or moves onto a winning organization.

Mickey Moniak and Taylor Ward hold the corner outfield spots. While they are solid players, Honeycutt’s path to a major league roster spot in the City of Angels might be supplanting one of them.

As a reminder – these are just mock drafts. Honeycutt could end up having a record-breaking season and rise further up the draft boards – maybe even to Number One?

The only two other former Tar Heels to be selected Number One overall are B.J. Surhoff and Dave Lemonds (1968).

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MLB Draft lottery odds: Which team has the best shot at the No. 1 pick in 2024?

Here’s who’s got a shot at the No. 1 pick in next year’s MLB Draft.

The 2024 MLB Draft lottery is here, and it means we’re out here rooting for ping-pong balls just like we do in the NBA and in the NHL.

Here’s what you need to know before we dive into the odds: all the non-playoff teams are lottery eligible for the top pick initially, with the worst teams (hello, Oakland A’s). But you won’t see the Washington Nationals on this list because they were selected last year, and because they pay revenue sharing money, they’re not eligible this year. The top six teams will be chosen, and then picks No. 7 to 18 be filled by the rest of the franchises by standings order.

Then, three teams will be docked: The New York Mets, New York Yankees and San Diego Padres. That’s because they spent into the second tier of salaries into the competitive balance tax. Per MLB.com: “they will have their first overall pick dropped 10 spots — unless they get a top six pick in the lottery, in which case their second-highest pick will be dropped 10 spots.”

Let’s dive into the odds for every team:

Arkansas pitcher Jaxon Wiggins signs with Cubs, just ahead of deadline

Former Diamond Hogs pitcher Jaxon Wiggins will turn pro after all.

The longer the process played out, the more Arkansas fans’ hopes grew.

Unfortunately for the Razorbacks, Jaxon Wiggins will turn professional.

The former hard throwing Arkansas right-hander signed for $1.4 million with the Chicago Cubs, making him the last player from the Cubs’ draft class to ink a deal. In fact, the $1.4 million was all Chicago had left in its pool.

Wiggins had leverage against whichever team drafted him as many considered him a first-round talent and he could return to Arkansas for another season if he chose. But he also missed the 2023 season with Tommy John surgery, too, meaning the future was a bit muddier than it might be for someone with a clean bill of health.

In 2022, his only season with the Diamond Hogs, he struck out 82 batters in just 66 innings. That is the sort of stuff that put him so high on draft boards, despite his 6.55 earned-run average that year.

Still, coach Dave Van Horn had to anticipate Wiggins turning pro. He picked up Mason Molina, an All-Big 12 pitcher with Texas Tech last year, out of the transfer portal to bolster next year’s rotation.

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Former UNC commit Zyhir Hope chooses Cubs over Heels

Zyhir Hope committed to play baseball at UNC, but instead signed with Chicago Cubs after they picked him in the 2023 MLB Draft’s 11th round.

A couple weeks ago, Zyhir Hope was being recruited by the University of North Carolina baseball team.

It’s pretty tough to turn down a professional contract, right?

When Hope was faced with the dilemma of choosing between one of the ACC’s top programs, or signing with one of MLB’s most storied clubs after being drafted by them, he chose the latter.

Hope, who was chosen in the 11th round of the 2023 MLB Draft by the Chicago Cubs, will receive a $400,000 signing bonus.

If you followed along with Hope’s high school career at Colonial Forge High School, you know he was an all-around, offensive stud. In his senior season alone, Hope hit an eye-popping .530 with nine home runs, 38 RBIs and 29 stolen bases. Hope helped the Eagles to a second-place finish in conference and a second-round berth in the VHSL state playoffs.

Hope also has an invaluable tool in his arsenal – pitching, which any team can never have too much of. The recent Cubs signee notched three saves and struck out 23 batters, while pitching to a 1-1 record and 1.25 ERA in 14 innings pitched.

Regardless of how long it takes Hope to make the Cubs’ roster, his final scholastic season is a sign that major league appearance might come quicker than expected.

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Chase Isbell signs deal with Kansas City Royals

Isbell was the lone pitcher from Auburn’s bullpen to be selected in the 2023 MLB Draft.

Three Auburn players, [autotag]Cole Foster[/autotag], [autotag]Bryson Ware[/autotag] and [autotag]Chase Isbell[/autotag], heard their names called in the MLB Draft. One player, [autotag]Nate LaRue[/autotag] was picked up as a free agent.

Additionally, five players who were signed with the Tigers were drafted.

The Royals selected Isbell in the 15th round with the 439th overall pick. Isbell received a signing bonus worth $150,000. Greg Walker of Royals Review believes that Isbell’s command will allow him to find a place in a professional bullpen.

At 6’3”, 210, Isbell served as a power righty out of the Auburn bullpen and frequently worked multiple innings. He has a fastball at 93-96 that he’ll throw at the top of the zone. He pairs that with a tight, late-breaking slider at 86-88. The slider is a true out pitch so with better overall command, Isbell could find a role in a major league bullpen.

In two seasons with the Tigers, Isbell posted a 5.54 ERA, a 4-2 record, two saves and 65 strikeouts to 31 walks in 52 innings of work.

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Bryson Ware signs contract with Philadelphia Phillies

Ware is on the move to professional baseball after hitting a school-record 24 home runs in 2023.

Auburn baseball’s single-season home run leader is moving to professional baseball.

Infielder Bryson Ware was taken with the No. 253 selection of the MLB draft by the Philadelphia Phillies. The Phillies signed their 10th-round pick to a deal valued at $187,100 which includes a $152,500 signing bonus.

A blog titled Phillies Minor Thoughts says that Ware has intrigue as a prospect, and could be viewed as more than just an organization filler.

Ware struggled his first two years at Auburn after transferring from junior college, but broke out in a big way in 2023. He hit .350/.438/.731 with 24 home runs as a senior. He primarily played third base this season and has played around the diamond. According to Baseball America he posted some top end exit velocities to go with the home run power. The Phillies have not been afraid drafting college players coming off of big years with big exit velocity numbers.

In three seasons with the Tigers, Ware hit .297, scored 125 runs, recorded 135 hits, hit 31 home runs, posted 110 RBI, and stole 14 bases.

Two members of the Auburn baseball team joined Ware in being drafted, [autotag]Cole Foster[/autotag] and [autotag]Chase Isbell[/autotag]. One, [autotag]Nate LaRue[/autotag], signed a free-agent deal after.

Five players signed to the Auburn baseball program were also signed.

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ChatGPT ranks top 10 receivers in Notre Dame history

Please note that tight ends are not included on this list.

We’ve been asking AI writing tool ChatGPT to give its opinions of the top 10 Notre Dame players by position. It’s been a great way to generate discussion and debate amongst our readers. So far, we’ve asked it to list the top quarterbacks and running backs. Now, we move onto the receivers.

Please note that this list will not include tight ends but rather pure receivers. Even though it’s becoming more difficult to differentiate between receivers and tight ends these days, they still are different enough that they need to be separated. So please don’t ask why Michael Mayer or Cole Kmet aren’t on this list, but we also will get more into that when we ask ChatGPT about Irish tight ends.

Please also note that ChatGPT’s last knowledge update was in September 2021, and this list is based on historical data that was available at that time. Also, some entries have been edited for clarity and accuracy:

Nebraska baseball pitcher signs deal with Atlanta Braves

A Nebraska baseball player has signed an undrafted free-agent contract to play professional baseball.

A Nebraska baseball player has signed an undrafted free-agent contract to play professional baseball. Senior Shay Schanaman signed an undrafted free-agent contract with the Atlanta Braves.

The Grand Island, Nebraska native is the fifth Husker to sign with an MLB team this offseason. Brice Matthews, Max Anderson, Emmett Olson, and Jace Kaminska were selected in the MLB Draft last week.

Schanaman was 3-6 with six saves and a 3.07 ERA in 26 appearances last season. The pitcher was a third-team All-Big Ten selection in 2023.

He concluded his Nebraska career in the top ten all-time in Husker baseball history in pitching appearances and strikeouts.

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