Tag: MLB Draft

Drew Beam selected by Royals in 2024 MLB draft

Former Tennessee baseball pitcher Drew Beam drafted by Kansas City.

The 2024 Major League Baseball draft is taking place Sunday-Tuesday in Fort Worth, Texas. The draft is being held in conjunction with MLB’s All-Star Game on Tuesday at Globe Life Field in Arlington, Texas.

Former Tennessee pitcher Drew Beam was selected by Kansas City in the third-round (No. 76 overall) on Monday.

Beam (26-8) appeared in 52 games, including 51 starts for the Vols from 2022-24. He recorded 249 strikeouts and a 3.60 ERA last season.

Tennessee won its first national championship in program history during the 2024 campaign.

The Vols also won the Southeastern Conference East division, the SEC regular-season championship and SEC Tournament last season.

PHOTOS: Tennessee baseball celebrates winning national championship

Photo by Dan Harralson, Vols Wire

Colorado Rockies select Texas 1B/OF Jared Thomas with the No. 42 pick

After selecting 3B/OF Charlie Condon with their first pick, they turned to Longhorns Jared Thomas with the 42nd overall pick

On the first day of the MLB Draft, the Colorado Rockies were busy stockpiling college bats. After selecting 3B/OF Charlie Condon with their first pick, they turned to Longhorns outfielder Jared Thomas with the 42nd overall pick. Thomas will be joining a franchise that has had success developing hitters over the last few years.

During the 2024 campaign, Thomas was arguably the Longhorns’ best hitter. He led the team in offensively with a .349 batting average while recording 15 doubles and 16 home runs. The Dallas native used his speed to create chaos from the leadoff spot, stealing 18 bases without being caught. 

Although Thomas made headlines with his bat, he was also solid in the field. He split time between first base and the outfield. Regardless of the opponent, the former Longhorns star made an impact. He had a hit in 47 of the 60 games he played in.

As the draft took center stage in the sports world, Thomas was not the only player with Longhorns ties to see their dreams come true. Texas recruits Bryce Rainer, Theo Gillen, and Levi Sterling also heard their names called on Sunday night.

In 124 games, the Waxahachie product posted a .336 batting average and hit 20 home runs. Thomas has 156 hits in his collegiate career. He could return for another season or two if he wants to try and improve his draft stock. Otherwise, it is off to rookie ball for Thomas.

With Thomas’ selection, at least one Longhorn has been drafted every year since the draft began in 1965.

Kentucky’s Emilien Pitre drafted in second round by Tampa Bay Rays

Emilien Pitre became the second Wildcats player selected in the 2024 MLB Draft Sunday night.

Kentucky baseball saw its second player taken in the 2024 MLB Draft Sunday night when second baseman Emilien Pitre became a second-round selection (No. 58 overall) by the Tampa Bay Rays.

Pitre batted .301 with 10 home runs and 20 doubles in 62 games for the Wildcats in 2024. He finished the season with 58 RBIs and a .939 OPS and was a key cog in Kentucky’s trip to the College World Series — their first in school history. In Omaha, Pitre was 4-for-11 with a home run in the team’s three games.

A native of Quebec, Canada, Pitre joined the program ahead of the 2022 season and saw action in 11 games his freshman season. A year later, he had a breakout campaign, starting all 61 games and batting .311 with 16 doubles.

For his efforts this past season, Pitre earned All-SEC Defensive Team honors and finished with a fielding percentage of .992 (two errors in 225 chances). At the plate, he had a season-high three hits in Kentucky’s 10-1 victory over Alabama on April 7 in Lexington.

Pitre could still return to Kentucky for his senior season but it’s highly unlikely. His projected slot value as the No. 58 overall pick is $1.5 million.

Earlier Sunday, Kentucky outfielder Ryan Waldschmidt was drafted in the first round (31st overall) by the Arizona Diamondbacks.

Follow us @UKWildcatsWire on X and on Facebook for ongoing coverage of Kentucky Wildcats news, notes and commentary.

Rangers select Dylan Dreiling in second-round of MLB draft

Texas Rangers draft Tennessee’s Dylan Dreiling in the second-round.

The 2024 Major League Baseball draft is taking place Sunday-Tuesday in Fort Worth, Texas. The draft is being held in conjunction with MLB’s All-Star Game on Tuesday at Globe Life Field in Arlington, Texas.

Former Tennessee outfielder Dylan Dreiling was selected in the second-round (No. 65 overall) by Texas.

Dreiling appeared in 121 games, including 94 starts, for the Vols from 2023-24. He recorded a .328 batting average, 30 home runs, 95 RBIs and 92 runs.

Tennessee won its first national championship in program history in 2024.

The Vols also won the Southeastern Conference East division, the SEC regular-season championship and SEC Tournament last season.

PHOTOS: Tennessee baseball celebrates winning national championship

Photo by Dan Harralson, Vols Wire

Duke pitcher Jonathan Santucci drafted by New York Mets in second round

After an All-ACC First Team junior campaign, Blue Devils southpaw Jonathan Santucci will take his talents to Queens with the New York Mets.

Duke pitcher [autotag]Jonathan Santucci[/autotag]’s professional career finally began on Sunday night when the New York Mets took him in the second round of the 2024 MLB draft.

Santucci, a 6-foot-2 left-hander who made the All-ACC First Team this past season, became the first Blue Devil off the board.

After earning some preseason All-American honors, the third-year star finished 2024 with a career-best 3.41 ERA and a 6-1 record. He struck out 90 batters in 58.0 innings on the bump, giving him a stunning nine-inning split of 13.97, and he surrendered just 1.31 walks and hits per inning pitched.

He got off to a sterling start, not allowing an earned run through his first three appearances (17.0 innings pitched), and only 10 of his 40 hits went for extra bases.

Santucci missed some time near the end of the Duke season, sitting out for the North Carolina series and for the Blue Devils’ victorious ACC Tournament run with a rib injury on his non-throwing side. He returned for Duke’s regional game against Oral Roberts, allowing one hit and two walks in two scoreless innings of an elimination game.

Six other Duke baseball players joined Santucci on the all-conference team for 2024, and with the third round of the draft resuming on Monday, more Blue Devils may hear their names called alongside him.

Billy Amick selected by Twins in 2024 MLB draft

Former Tennessee third baseman Billy Amick selected by the Twins in the 2024 MLB draft.

The 2024 Major League Baseball draft is taking place Sunday-Tuesday in Fort Worth, Texas. The draft is being held in conjunction with MLB’s All-Star Game on Tuesday at Globe Life Field in Arlington, Texas.

Former Tennessee third baseman Billy Amick was selected by Minnesota in the second-round (No. 60 overall).

Amick appeared in 65 games, including 65 starts, in his only season with the Vols in 2024. He recorded a .306 batting average, 23 home runs, 65 RBIs, 67 runs, 29 walks and three stolen bases.

Tennessee won its first national championship in program history in 2024.

The Vols also won the Southeastern Conference East division, the SEC regular-season championship and SEC Tournament last season.

PHOTOS: Tennessee baseball celebrates winning national championship

Photo by Dan Harralson, Vols Wire

Blake Burke selected No. 34 overall by Brewers

Former Tennessee first baseman Blake Burke selected No. 34 overall by the Brewers.

The 2024 Major League Baseball draft is taking place Sunday-Tuesday in Fort Worth, Texas. The draft is being held in conjunction with MLB’s All-Star Game on Tuesday at Globe Life Field in Arlington, Texas.

Former Tennessee first baseman Blake Burke was selected by Milwaukee with the 34th overall pick in the draft.

Burke appeared in 182 games, including 159 starts, from 2022-24 at Tennessee. He recorded a .332 batting average, 50 home runs, 136 RBIs, 152 runs, 80 walks and 17 stolen bases.

Tennessee won the national championship in 2024.

Rounds 3-10 of the MLB draft will be held on Monday, while rounds 11-20 are slated for Tuesday.

READ: Tennessee baseball career home run tracker

Photo by Dan Harralson, Vols Wire

UNC baseball star Vance Honeycutt selected 22nd overall in 2024 MLB Draft

Vance Honeycutt’s childhood dreams came true on Sunday evening, as he went 22nd overall in the MLB Draft.

The North Carolina Tar Heels knew how special of a baseball player Vance Honeycutt was – from the moment they started recruiting him out of Salisbury (NC) High School.

By the time Honeycutt’s junior season at UNC ended, Honeycutt solidified himself as a first-round MLB Draft pick.

Honeycutt came to Chapel Hill a decorated high school athlete, highlighted by a 2021 state championship and Player of the Year honors in his home county. In Year one as a Diamond Heel, Honeycutt gave us all a glimpse of his potential, hitting for a .296 batting average, while mashing 25 home runs and driving in 57 runners.

Last year, Honeycutt led North Carolina to the College World Series with one of the best individual seasons in program history. He mashed .318 (4th-best on UNC) and drove in 70 runners, but it was his 28 home runs and stolen bases that made history, as Honeycutt became the first player in ACC history to mash 50 career home runs and steal 70 career bases.

In the NCAA Tournament, Honeycutt showcased his clutch hitting abilities with two separate walk-offs. This only boosted Honeycutt’s draft stock further – where exactly to?

On Sunday, July 14, Honeycutt was selected 22nd overall – by the Baltimore Orioles – in the first round of the 2024 MLB Draft.

Honeycutt immediately joins a team full of exciting young talent, as Baltimore has the top-ranked farm system in all of baseball, with the likes of 2023 top overall pick Jackson Holliday.

I’m intrigued to see which minor league affiliate Honeycutt is assigned to, though I bet it’ll be either in Single-A with either the Delmarva Shorebirds or Aberdeen IronBirds.

If Honeycutt can continue his hot streak from the NCAA Tournament, he’ll be playing Major League Baseball before we know it.

Follow us @TarHeelsWire on X and like our page on Facebook to follow ongoing coverage of North Carolina Tar Heels news, notes and opinions

Christian Moore selected by Angels in first-round

Former Vol Christian Moore selected by the Angels in the first-round of the 2024 MLB draft.

The 2024 Major League Baseball draft is taking place Sunday-Tuesday in Fort Worth, Texas. The draft is being held in conjunction with MLB’s All-Star Game on Tuesday at Globe Life Field in Arlington, Texas.

Former Tennessee second baseman Christian Moore was selected by the Angels in the first-round (No. 8 overall).

The 6-foot-1, 216-pound Moore appeared in 72 games for the Vols in 2024. He recorded a .375 batting average, 34 home runs, 74 RBIs, 83 runs and 38 walks during Tennessee’s national championship season.

Moore played for the Vols from 2022-24 and appeared in 186 games, while recording 61 home runs, 160 RBIs and 179 runs.

Rounds 3-10 of the MLB draft will be held on Monday, while rounds 11-20 are slated for Tuesday.

READ: Tennessee baseball career home run tracker

Photo by Dan Harralson, Vols Wire

Chase Burns selected No. 2 overall in MLB draft

Former Tennessee pitcher Chase Burns selected No. 2 overall in the 2024 MLB draft.

The 2024 Major League Baseball draft is taking place Sunday-Tuesday in Fort Worth, Texas. The draft is being held in conjunction with MLB’s All-Star Game on Tuesday at Globe Life Field in Arlington, Texas.

Former Tennessee pitcher Chase Burns was selected by No. 2 overall in the first-round by the Reds.

He played for the Vols from 2022-23.

As a freshman in 2022, Burns (8-2) appeared in 17 games, including 14 starts. He recorded 103 strikeouts and a 2.91 ERA in 80.1 innings pitched. Burns earned 2022 NCBWA Freshman Pitcher of the Year honors.

Tennessee (57-9) won the Southeastern Conference regular-season and tournament championships in 2022. The Vols were a No. 1 overall seed in the NCAA Tournament.

As a sophomore in 2023, Burns (5-3) appeared in 18 games, including eight starts. He recorded 114 strikeouts, two saves and a 4.25 ERA in 72.0 innings pitched during the 2023 campaign. Tennessee advanced to the 2023 College World Series.

Burns played at Wake Forest in 2024.

Rounds 3-10 of the MLB draft will be held on Monday, while rounds 11-20 are slated for Tuesday.

PHOTOS: Chase Burns through the years

Photo by Dan Harralson, Vols Wire