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Compared to its NFL counterpart, the MLB draft is very low key, but that doesn't mean it's not awesome. TCU fans, and fans of other Big 12 schools, should pay close attention this year as there are some big names around the conference that could go in the early rounds.
First though, if you don't know much about the MLB Draft, it's a 40 round beast, with a draft order set by record the preceding season (the right way to do things, you NBA freaks). Kids are eligible for the draft straight out of high school, junior college, or after their 21st birthday or junior year of college (whichever comes first).
This year's draft has an abundance of high school pitching talent, headlined by TCU signee Tyler Kolek.
Kolek is a right handed pitcher out of Shepherd, TX who consistently hits 100 on the radar gun. It would take an act of God to get him out of the top 3 picks in this draft, which means there's absolutely no chance he winds up on campus.
Brandon Finnegan is obviously the biggest name to watch for Frog fans, as the lefty is listed by MLB.com as the No. 15 prospect, and is projected to go somewhere between No. 17 (Kansas City) and No. 31 (Cleveland) by various people. On a personal note, if he is available at No. 30 and Texas doesn't take him, I'll personally drive to Arlington and kick Jon Daniels in the shin.
Guys like Kevin Cron, Cody Jones and Jerrick Suiter are also eligible to be drafted, and it very well could happen, but depending on where they're taken will dictate whether they return for a senior year or not.
Here's a full list of guys on TCU's current roster who are eligible for the draft tonight:
Player |
YR |
POS |
B/T |
Kevn Cron |
JR |
1B |
R/R |
Cody Jones |
JR |
OF |
S/R |
Connor Castellano |
JR |
INF |
L/R |
Derek Odell |
JR |
INF |
L/R |
Travis Evans |
JR |
LHP |
L/L |
Preston Morrison |
JR |
RHP |
R/R |
Keaton Jones |
JR |
INF |
R/R |
Jordan Kipper |
JR |
RHP |
R/R |
Brandon Finnegan |
JR |
LHP |
L/L |
Jerrick Suiter |
JR |
OF/C |
R/R |
Jeremie Fagnan |
JR |
OF |
L/R |
Garrett Crain |
JR |
INF |
S/R |
Trey Teakell |
RS JR |
RHP |
R/R |
Kyle Bacak |
SR |
C |
R/R |
Dylan Fitzgerald |
SR |
OF |
L/R |
Beyond TCU, the Big 12 has several guys that could go tonight. Keep an eye on these names from around the Big 12.All of these players appear in the Baseball America Top 500 Prospects.
Player |
YR |
POS |
B/T |
School |
Dillon Peters |
JR |
LHP |
L/L |
Texas |
John Curtiss |
SO |
RHP |
R/R |
Texas |
Mark Payton |
SR |
OF |
L/L |
Texas |
Lukas Schiraldi |
JR |
RHP |
R/R |
Texas |
Parker French |
JR |
RHP |
L/R |
Texas |
Nathan Thornhill |
SR |
RHP |
R/R |
Texas |
Harrison Musgrave |
JR |
LHP |
L/L |
West Virginia |
Sean Carley |
JR |
LHP |
L/L |
West Virginia |
Wes Benjamin |
SO |
LHP |
R/L |
Kansas |
Zach Fish |
JR |
OF |
R/R |
Oklahoma State |
A Top 500 list sounds like a ton, and it is, but if we divide that by 30, it essentially covers players that should go in the first 16 rounds. Granted, some rounds have more picks than others, based on compensatory picks/players signed in free agency that had picks attached to them, etc.