On Sunday night, the draft kicked off with an interesting piece of history as the initial eight players chosen were all from the college baseball ranks. This marked the beginning of a momentous night for college players, with a whopping 44 out of the 74 players selected in the first two rounds hailing from four-year schools.
College baseball enthusiasts had a lot to unpack from Sunday evening’s draft action, as several noteworthy storylines emerged. Here are the top ones that caught our attention.
Don’t Overreact To Sunday’s Moment For College Baseball
In a significant milestone for the draft, all the first eight picks in the draft were players from college, marking the first time ever since the draft’s inception in 1965. This streak was only broken when the Pirates selected Konnor Griffin at No. 9, who was recognized as the High School Player of the Year by Baseball America.
The inclusion of players from various schools made the run even more remarkable. Oregon State, having the first overall pick twice in the last six drafts, took Travis Bazzana as their top pick. Wake Forest and West Virginia, both relatively new to the national scene, saw their players Chase Burns and JJ Wetherholt set new records as the highest-drafted in program history, going second and seventh overall, respectively. Additionally, Christian Moore from the national champion team, Tennessee, was selected as the eighth overall pick, representing his school with pride.
Starting off the night with a game of college baseball can be an enjoyable experience for any fan. However, it’s important to be cautious about drawing overarching conclusions about the sport based on one game.
Indeed, college baseball is thriving and experiencing significant growth. Notably, there has been a substantial investment in player development across the board, not just at traditional baseball powerhouses. Experts within the college baseball community assert that the current talent level is unparalleled. Evidently, players such as Paul Skenes and Wyatt Langford have made impressive strides in their professional careers, demonstrating that the best college players can make a substantial impact in the major leagues in a relatively short time.
While it’s true that college players can bring a wealth of experience and maturity to the table, there’s more to the story of why the top picks in this year’s draft predominantly came from college programs. Other factors, such as skill level, strategic fit, and team needs, also played a significant role in the selection process. It’s important to consider all of these factors when evaluating the success of a draft pick, rather than relying solely on college experience as a predictor of future performance.
It is important to remember that a mere two years ago, four out of the five highest drafted players were from prep schools. Similarly, last year, four of the top 10 picks were also from prep schools.
According to reports, the high school talent has been on the decline this year, resulting in a weaker performance at the top of the draft. However, the college class has been quite strong this year, marking a significant improvement in player development in college baseball. As a result, there has been a surge in the number of college players being picked early in the draft.
Throughout history, the top of the draft has seen a shift in trends. In the past, prep players dominated the draft. However, in the last decade or so, it has become more common for MLB teams to find solid big leaguers from college baseball. Despite this, the stars of the league are still more likely to come from the prep ranks.
Gone are the days when American player development pipeline produced very few starters. The upcoming All-Star Game will feature a remarkable 10 starters who came through this pipeline, with seven of them being products of four-year colleges (although the starting pitcher for the AL is yet to be named, which could alter these numbers slightly on Monday). However, it’s still too soon to conclude that this trend will continue in the future. It’s possible that next year’s draft could witness a more equitable distribution at the top, with a prep player like Ethan Holiday being selected as the No. 1 overall pick.
College baseball experienced a remarkable moment on Sunday. However, it did not signify a complete transformation.
Wondering What Could’ve Been For Wake Forest
In the first round, Wake Forest played a crucial role in the college-heavy selection. Three Demon Deacons were drafted within the top 10 picks, making them only the second team in draft history to achieve this feat, with 2004 Rice being the first.
The Reds chose Chase Burns, a talented right-handed player, as the second overall pick in the draft. Meanwhile, the A’s picked Nick Kurtz, a skilled first baseman, with the fourth pick. Lastly, the Nationals completed the trifecta by selecting Seaver King as the 10th overall pick.
The Demon Deacons had a significant moment, although it only served to emphasize the disappointing end to their season. The Preseason Top 25 ranked Wake as the top team, due to their potential for exceptional performances like the one they had. Unfortunately, the team had an unstable season that culminated in a lackluster 0-2 showing in the Greenville Regional.
Although Wake Forest’s disappointing season may make it tempting to use Sunday night as a way to criticize the team, it’s important to remember that their recent success in the draft should not be overlooked. Before Sunday night, Wake Forest had only produced two top-10 picks in program history: Kyle Sleeth, who was taken third overall in 2003, and Rhett Lowder, who was taken seventh overall last year. However, with the addition of a third top-10 pick this year, Wake Forest has become only the second program ever to achieve this impressive feat.
Coach Tom Walter and recruiting coordinator Bill Cilento have been leading Wake Forest’s baseball program for the past 15 years, and their efforts have taken the team’s recruiting to new heights. The program’s recent success in recruiting and development was on full display on Sunday night when Wake Forest had three players drafted. Each of the players showcased a unique aspect of the program’s success and its capacity to work with diverse players.
During his time at Deacs, Kurtz was a valuable player for three years. While he wasn’t a standout player in high school, he had a lot of potential to become an excellent offensive player, which he demonstrated throughout his college career. King, on the other hand, transferred from Wingate, a Division II school, and quickly made a name for himself after spending time with Team USA during the summer. Despite the transition to Division I, King became a top-10 pick with the help of the Deacs. Burns, who gained fame during his high school days, was a significant addition to the Deacs team after leaving Tennessee last season. His recruitment was an essential achievement, and he continued to improve during his time in Winston-Salem, showing his skills as a starter and leading the nation in strikeouts with 191.
While some may find it strange that Wake Forest had a record of 15-15 in the ACC this season and failed to win any games in a regional tournament featuring three top-10 picks, it’s not an entirely unheard of situation. Back in 2004, Rice also suffered a similar fate when they were eliminated from a home regional tournament despite having three highly-touted players in Philip Humber, Jeff Niemann, and Wade Townsend.
SEC, ACC Lead The Way
In the first round of picks, college players took the spotlight with the SEC leading the way, narrowly beating the ACC with 7-6. The Big 12 and Pac-12 also had a strong showing with three and two first-round picks respectively, while the American and Conference USA each produced one.
Later on in the night, the SEC widened their lead by having a total of 19 players selected. The ACC followed with nine, while the Big 12 and Pac-12 had five and four players selected, respectively.
It’s no secret to avid college baseball followers that these statistics are a direct reflection of the abundance of talent within the major conferences and programs. In fact, they serve as a testament to the reasoning behind the NCAA Tournament’s results, culminating in an ACC-SEC showdown at the College World Series.
Rocky Top Rolls On
Tennessee had a remarkable day as they emerged as the leading school with four players drafted on Sunday. Additionally, coach Tony Vitello spent four hours on MLB Network’s set, which was a notable achievement. What’s more, none of the Volunteers’ recruits were drafted, which was a pleasant surprise.
The top four hitters in Tennessee’s lineup were all drafted, which is quite an impressive feat. The Angels selected second baseman Christian Moore with the eighth overall pick, while first baseman Blake Burke went to the Brewers in the supplemental first round. Third baseman Billy Amick was picked up by the Twins in the second round and left fielder Dylan Dreiling went to the Rangers, also in the second round. What’s interesting is that all three of the players who came to Tennessee as prep products with significant upsides – Moore, Burke, and Dreiling – improved tremendously during their time in Knoxville. Additionally, Amick transferred from Clemson via the transfer portal last summer and was also drafted, highlighting Tennessee’s ability to attract talent from both traditional recruiting and the transfer market.
As Day 2 begins, the national champions can celebrate another big day, with one minor concern being that the righthander Drew Beam still remains on the board. However, the team’s focus now shifts towards retaining its impressive recruiting class which stood at No. 2 on Signing Day.
LSU’s Recruiting Class Exits Sunday In Great Shape
LSU, Texas, Virginia and Wake Forest all had three recruits drafted on Sunday, making them the top programs in terms of draft picks. This was expected as these schools had signed top-five classes in November. While it may be disappointing for fans to see their recruits drafted, it is a common occurrence when signing elite classes.
On Signing Day, Wake’s No. 23 class was respectable. If I had reevaluated the rankings at the end of the prep season, it could have potentially moved up. Nevertheless, it must have been disappointing for the program to witness its top three recruits being chosen by other schools on Sunday.
LSU’s recruiting class came out as a winner on Sunday, despite having three commits drafted. The top-ranked prep righthander in the class, William Schmidt, declared that he would not sign and instead remain committed to LSU. Although he may still be selected due to the timing of his decision, he is now considered to be firmly committed to the Tigers. On Sunday evening, Cade Arrambide, the No. 125 ranked player in the draft class and Texas Gatorade Player of the Year, also reiterated his commitment to LSU. Along with Derek Curiel (who did officially withdraw), Arrambide and Schmidt will anchor the class, giving LSU a chance to end up with the top-ranked recruiting class.
The Seminoles and Volunteers, who both secured top-five recruiting classes in November, didn’t have any recruits drafted on Sunday. It’s still too soon to start celebrating in Tallahassee and Knoxville, but this outcome is definitely a positive sign for both teams.
