Clemson Baseball 2023 Draft Prospects; Things To Know Before Sunday’s Round 1 Of The MLB Draft
Several present and prospective Clemson baseball players may be selected in the 2023 MLB Draft, which begins on Sunday.
Several present and prospective Clemson baseball players may be selected in the 2023 MLB Draft, which begins on Sunday.
Several present and prospective Clemson baseball players may be selected in the 2023 MLB Draft, which begins on Sunday.
In addition to Rounds 1 and 2, Rounds 3 through 20 are scheduled for Monday and Tuesday at 7 p.m. ET. With Round 2 airing on MLB Network and ESPN+, Round 1 will be on ESPN.
The players and commitments from Clemson Baseball, who may be taken in the first 20 rounds of the draft, are listed here.
Caden Grice may start on Day 1
Caden Grice, a pitcher, and first baseman, had a breakthrough year in 2023 as both a starter and a regular batter. With a 3.35 ERA and an 8-1 record in 14 starts, Grice was the Tigers’ weekend ace. In his debut season as a weekend starter, he had a team-high 101 strikeouts and a.196 opponent batting average.
Grice was Clemson’s top hitter, hitting.307 with a slugging percentage of.618 and leading the team with 18 home runs. As the best two-way player in the country after the season, he was given the John Olerud Two-Way Player of the Year Award.
Which team Grice is selected by might determine whether he will be a pitcher or a batter in the major leagues. According to Baseball America and MLB Pipeline, Grice is the 124th-best prospect in the draft. In Round 2 on Sunday, he may depart already. He might decide to return to Clemson and try to move up in the 2024 draft, but college prospects selected without completing their undergraduate careers lose leverage and money.
Clemson has agreed to observe
Dillon Head, an outfielder, and Sammy Stafura, a shortstop, are committed to Clemson and routinely rank among the top prospects in the state. They could decide against attending Clemson if they are picked highly.
Baseball America and MLB Pipeline have Head, a left-handed batter from Illinois, listed at No. 34 and No. 27, respectively. In his most recent mock draft, Jim Callis of MLB.com has Head going to the Minnesota Twins with pick 34 in the supplemental first round.
Stafura, born in New York, is ranked 32nd by MLB Pipeline and 39th by Baseball America. The Yankees select Callis at number 26 in their mock draft.
Aidan Knaak, a right-handed pitcher from Florida, is another recruit to watch. Although he is a top-200 talent, he is less highly regarded than Head or Stafura. Tryston McCladdie and Jarren Purify, two shortstops, are rated among the top 400 prospects by Baseball America.
Players from later rounds
Along with Grice, the selection process might include catcher Cooper Ingle and infielder Blake Wright, who just completed their junior seasons at Clemson. Both might be chosen in the middle or late rounds, and they could then decide to sign a contract.
In terms of average, Ingle was Clemson’s third-best hitter (.328). According to Baseball America, he is ranked 232 on the MLB Pipeline and among the top 200 players.
Wright, who started at third base most of the season, had a.250/.326/.401 slash line. He is listed as a shortstop prospect by Baseball America and is ranked No. 293.
Ryan Ammons, a redshirt junior left-hander, graduate infielder Benjamin Blackwell, graduate infielder Riley Bertram, and graduate outfielder Tyler Corbitt are a few of Clemson’s other starters from this season that are eligible for the tournament.
