Here are the players with ties to North Carolina selected in the 2021 MLB Draft
The 2021 Major League Baseball First-Year Player Draft is taking place on July 11–13, 2021 in Denver, Colorado.
Here are the players with North Carolina ties being selected.
Pick #16: Kahlil Watson, SS, Wake Forest HS (NC), Miami Marlins
First on the list, Kahlil Watson was selected by the Marlins and is the first prep shortstop to be selected in the first round since Corey Seager in 2012, according to MLB.com. For his career at Wake Forest High School, Watson holds a .477 batting average and 61 steals. Watson, 18, also committed to NC State.
Pick #23: Gavin Williams, RHP, East Carolina, Cleveland Indians
Gavin Williams led the ECU Pirates to the Nashville Super Regional in the NCAA Division I Baseball Championship tournament. Williams finished the season with 130 strikeouts and a 10-1 record in 15 appearances.
Pick #24: Ryan Cusick, RHP, Wake Forest, Atlanta Braves
Originally from Sudbury, Mass., Cusick joined the Demon Deacons in the 2019 season and amassed 206 career strikeouts. Cusick stands at 6’6 and 235 pounds, and he led his team with 108 strikeouts this season. He led the ACC with 13.9 strikeouts per nine innings.
Pick #41: Connor Norby, 2B, East Carolina, Baltimore Orioles
Connor Norby finished his sophomore season as an All-American, along with his teammate, Gavin Williams. Norby finished the season with 102 hits, 64 runs, 51 RBIs and a .415 batting average.
Pick #75: Tyler McDonough, 2B, NC State, Boston Red Sox
Tyler McDonough led the Wolfpack in 2021 with 79 hits and 58 runs, while also batting .339. He also tied for first place with 15 home runs. Though NC State’s tournament run was cut short, he managed to total 11 hits and 6 runs during its run.
Pick #89: Jose Torres, SS, NC State, Cincinnati Reds
Jose Torres, a teammate of Tyler McDonough, finished the season with 57 hits and 44 RBIs in 52 appearances this season. In 69 career games, Torres totaled 77 hits with a .300 batting average and 13 home runs. He was named as a Freshman All-American by Collegiate Baseball in 2020.
Pick #90: Austin Love, RHP, UNC, St. Louis Cardinals
Finishing 12th in the nation with 129 strikeouts thrown, Austin Love is the first Tar Heel to be drafted to the major leagues in 2021. He finished his UNC career with 210 strikeouts in 183.2 innings pitched.
Pick #97: Mason Miller, RHP, Gardner-Webb, Oakland Athletics
A former transfer from Waynesburg, Mason Miller held an 8-1 record for the Runnin’ Bulldogs. He tossed 121 strikeouts on the season with a 3.30 ERA.
Pick #138: Caleb Roberts, C, UNC, Arizona Diamondbacks
The second Tar Heel off the board, Caleb Roberts ends his UNC career with 86 hits and 68 runs in 112 games played. This season, he posted 51 hits, 44 runs and 10 home runs.
Pick #140: Evan Justice, LHP, NC State, Colorado Rockies
Evan Justice tossed 74 strikeouts in 59.2 innings pitched in 2021. He also delivered a 5-2 record, bringing his career record to 11-2. After four seasons at NC State, Justice recorded a total of 147 Ks.
Pick #147: Ethan Murray, SS, Duke, Milwaukee Brewers
Ethan Murray, who played three seasons at Duke, totaled 135 career hits and nine career home runs. This season, Murray tallied 62 hits and 22 RBIs in 54 games played.
Pick #165: Austin Murr, 1B, NC State, Detroit Tigers
Austin Murr, a junior first baseman, was a big piece of the NC State team’s run to the College World Series. He started every game in the NCAA tournament at his position and batted .364 through eight games. He hit .320/.509/.375 in 52 starts in the regular season. In his Wolfpack career he did not make an error in 70 games played (69 starts).
Pick #180: Justice Thompson, OF, UNC, Cincinnati Reds
Justice Thompson played 54 games this past season for the Tar Heels, hitting .304 with 8 doubles and 7 home runs. The sophomore has some size at 6 feet, 4 inches and 204 pounds, and showed strong range in the outfield.
Pick #208: Joey Loperfido, OF, Duke, Houston Astros
Joey Loperfido spent all four years of college as a Blue Devil, totaling 201 hits and 96 RBIs at Duke. He led the team in runs, hits, and batting average in his senior season.
Pick #264: Spencer Packard, OF, Campbell, Seattle Mariners
Spencer Packard recorded 73 hits and 67 RBIs, leading the team in both, with a .371 batting average. Packard made the Greenville Regional All-Tournament Team and NCCSIA Second Team All-State Team in 2019.
Pick #304: Peter Matt, OF, Duke, Chicago Cubs
Peter Matt played his graduate season at Duke in 2021 after four seasons at Penn. The seasoned veteran recorded 65 hits, 45 runs and 41 RBIs during his lone season at Duke.
Pick #311: Austin Vernon, RHP, NCCU, Tampa Bay Rays
Austin Vernon missed the 2020 season due to injury, but managed to play three seasons as an Eagle. During that time, he threw 182 strikeouts in 53 games. Vernon led the team with 109 strikeouts in 2021.
Pick #313: Jack Carey, RHP, Duke, Pittsburgh Pirates
Jack Carey spent three seasons as a Blue Devil, recording 123 total strikeouts and posting a record of 9-5. He tossed as many as nine strikeouts twice this season.
Pick #324: William Fleming, RHP, Wake Forest, Seattle Mariners
A member of the 2019 All-ACC Academic Team, Fleming finished his Wake Forest career with 124 strikeouts thrown. This season, he contributed 65, with a season-high of eight against Notre Dame.
Pick #340: River Ryan, RHP/IF, UNC Pembroke, San Diego Padres
River Ryan brings a well rounded game to the MLB Draft, playing both sides of the ball. During his collegiate career, Ryan contributed 114 strikeouts in 93 innings pitched, while also adding 182 hits and 119 RBIs.
Pick #345: Mike Rothenburg, C, Duke, Detroit Tigers
Switch-hitter Mike Rothenburg begins his professional journey after finishing second on the Blue Devils with 42 RBIs. In his time at Duke, he finished with 128 RBIs to go along with 146 hits and 113 runs.
Pick #354: Corey Rosier, OF, UNCG, Seattle Mariners
Corey Rosier served as the best offensive asset for the Spartans in 2021, leading the team in hits, runs, RBIs and homeruns. He notched a season-high four hits against Western Carolina.
Pick #356: Landen Roupp, RHP, UNCW, San Francisco Giants
Landen Roupp earned First-Team All-CAA in 2021 as well as CAA Pitcher of the Year. As a Seahawk, he led the team with 118 strikeouts and eight wins.
Pick #401: Bobby Seymour, 1B, Wake Forest, Tampa Bay Rays
A Third Team All-ACC performer in 2021, Bobby Seymour led the Deamon Deacons in batting average, hits, runs, RBIs and home runs. With the 21 he hit this year, Seymour totaled 38 home runs for his Wake Forest career.
Pick #428: Jonny Butler, OF, NC State, Oakland Athletics
Jonny Butler finished 2021 with 76 hits and 53 RBIs. Additionally, he hit 18 career home runs as a member of the Wolfpack. Butler’s career batting average sits at .313.
Pick #430: Adam Smith, RHP, UNCW, San Diego Padres
Adam Smith tossed 83 strikouts in the course of his college career in Wilmington. He also has a career ERA of 2.37 in 35 appeareances as a Seahawk.
Pick #431: Antonio Menendez, RHP, Wake Forest, Tampa Bay Rays
Antonio Menendez missed the 2021 season due to injury, but still delivered a solid career as a Demon Deacon. He made the All-ACC Academic Team in 2019 and he threw 125 strikeouts in his career.
Pick #436: Payton Green, SS, Green Hope HS (NC), Boston Red Sox
Payton Green is the second North Carolina prep player selected in the 2021 MLB Draft. He is from Cary, NC and initially committed to NC State.
Pick #438: Shane Muntz, C, Wake Forest, Arizona Diamondbacks
Shane Muntz played all four seasons at Wake Forest, serving as a pitcher and as a field player. Last season, he recorded 43 hits, 34 RBIs and 30 runs. He added 13 home runs as well.
Pick #446: Brooks Baldwin, SS, UNCW, San Francisco Giants
In 2021, Brooks Baldwin made First-Team All-CAA as well as ABCA Second-Team All-Atlantic Region. This season, he recorded 79 hits, 49 runs and a .325 batting average.
Pick #481: Aaron McKeithan, C, UNCC, St. Louis Cardinals
Aaron McKeithan recorded 50 hits and three home runs in 2021. He made 61 appearances on the season and made a season-high four hits against Western Carolina.
Pick #485: Terrell Tatum, OF, NC State, Chicago White Sox
In four seasons at NC State, Terrell Tatum finished with 108 hits, 86 runs and 63 RBIs. In 2021, he hit 12 home runs, on of six players on the team to hit double-digit home runs.
Pick #499: Luca Tresh, C, NC State, Kansas City Royals
In his last season with the Wolfpack, Luca Tresh made 53 hits and recorded 43 RBIs on the year. He contributed 15 home runs as well, which was tied for first on the team.
Pick #503: Brendan Collins, RHP, UNCG, Washington Nationals
Brendan Collins spent just one season at UNCG, appearing in 16 games. He delivered 51 strikeouts on the season, including a season-high eight on two separate occasions against VMI.
Pick #530: Bryce McGowan, RHP, UNCC, Colorado Rockies
Bryce McGowan led the 49ers with 99 strikeouts and seven wins last season in 16 games played. He finished his college career with 162 strikeouts thrown in 156.2 innings pitched.
Pick #536: Hunter Dula, RHP, Wingate, San Francisco
Hunter Dula threw 68 strikeouts this season for Wingate, which placed him second on the team. He finished with a 7-2 record and a 3.38 ERA.
Pick #555: Justice Bigbie, 1B, Western Carolina, Detroit Tigers
In his final season with the Catamounts, Justice Bigbie recorded 77 hits and 64 runs with a .395 batting average, which tied him for first on the team. His career hit total sits at 245, with 27 home runs to go along with them.
Pick #571: Thomas Francisco, 1B, East Carolina, St. Louis Cardinals
Thomas Francisco was a Second-Team All-American Athletic Conference selection in 2021 for the Pirates. In doing so, he recorded 87 hits and 64 runs with a .354 batting average. He finished his career with 18 home runs, as well.
Pick #576: Reid Johnston, RHP, NC State, Cleveland Indians
Reid Johnston led the Wolfpack with 96 strikeouts in 2021 while also holding a 9-3 record. Johnston threw 227 strikeouts across four seasons at NC State. with a 3.93 ERA.
Pick #587: Trendon Craig, OF, Louisburg College, Baltimore Orioles
Trendon Craig led Louisburg in runs, home runs, hits and RBIs in 2021. He also finished with a batting average of .420, which was second on his squad. Craig appeared in 41 games this season.
Pick #596: Vance Honeycutt, SS, Salisbury HS (NC) , San Francisco Giants
Vance Honeycutt, a UNC commit, is the third North Carolina high school player taken in 2021. According to perfectgame.org, he ranks 17th overall in the state of North Carolina.
This list will be updated as players are drafted.
This story was originally published July 12, 2021 at 1:52 PM with the headline "Here are the players with ties to North Carolina selected in the 2021 MLB Draft."
