7/8/2023 baseball Edit

Two FSU pitchers among those who could be taken in 20-round MLB Draft

Jackson Baumeister had 95 strikeouts in 69 innings. (FSU sports information)

Bob Ferrante • TheOsceola

Editor

The MLB draft begins on Friday and a pair of Florida State pitchers are among the most prominent names who could be selected.

Junior left-hander Wyatt Crowell and sophomore right-hander Jackson Baumeister could be selected, although neither are likely to be picked in the first two rounds on Sunday night. Baumeister is a draft-eligible sophomore.

Crowell went 3-0 with a 0.87 ERA, 33 strikeouts and 11 walks in 20.2 innings in five appearances in 2023, including one start, before he suffered a season-ending Tommy John injury. He had surgery in April and is considered the No. 95 prospect in the draft by theAthletic.com’s Keith Law, who worked in the Toronto Blue Jays’ organization.

Baumeister went 5-5 with a 5.09 ERA, 95 strikeouts and 29 walks in 69 innings. He had 14 strikeouts in an April win over Clemson, and Baumeister closed the regular season by retiring 17 of 18 batters at one point in a no decision at Louisville.

A few other potential draft picks include right-hander Doug Kirkland (3-3, 6.86 ERA, 48 strikeouts and 32 walks in 39.1 innings) and shortstop Jordan Carrion (.265 batting average, 10 doubles, 26 RBI and 24 runs). Another right-hander, Carson Montgomery, just entered the transfer portal but was viewed as a coveted MLB pick coming out of high school.

FSU also has a number of high school and junior-college signees who could be drafted. The Seminoles have landed four junior-college pitchers — Gavin Adams, Carson Dorsey, Cale Lansville and Nelson Taylor — for the 2024 season.

The MLB draft begins with rounds 1 and 2 on Sunday at 7 p.m. on ESPN and MLB Network. Rounds 3-10 will be held on Monday (streamed on MLB.com) and rounds 11-20 on Tuesday (streamed on MLB.com). The Pittsburgh Pirates have the No. 1 overall pick.

A condensed, 20-round draft means MLB teams are more selective and reach tentative financial agreements ahead of making picks. FSU had three draft picks in 2022 — left-handers Parker Messick (Cleveland) and Bryce Hubbart (Cincinnati) and second baseman Brett Roberts (Miami) — with all three signing.