Where every NC college and HS baseball player was selected in the 2025 MLB Draft

The state of North Carolina was well-represented in the 2025 MLB Draft after a barrage of local college and high school players were selected by professional clubs on Day 2.

Nearly four dozen selections came fewer than 24 hours after a handful, primarily from UNC and Wake Forest, were chosen on Day 1.

N.C. State led the way with the highest pick of the day when the Tampa Bay Rays selected pitcher Dominic Fritton in the fourth round.

UNC’s Jake Knapp did not garner much pre-draft attention — he is nearly 25 and relies heavily on his fastball — despite being the national pitcher of the year. He was picked in the eighth round, following his teammate Aidan Haugh, who was drafted in the sixth.

Duke had four players taken off the board on the second day of selections, most of which came in the eighth round.

Twenty-eight players with ties to North Carolina were selected in the first 10 rounds and are likely to sign with their new organizations due to pressure from the clubs to complete deals, according to MLB.com. Teams could face penalties if they do not sign the selected players. From 2012 to 2023, only 46 players taken in the top 10 rounds — out of roughly 4,000 selected — did not sign.

Conversely, the 20 players taken in the back half of the draft will have to weigh financial options that now include NIL deals and education packages, as well as the potential to improve their draft stock and re-enter the draft at a later date.

NC State MLB draft picks

Dominic Fritton: The Tampa Bay Rays selected starting left-handed pitcher Dominic Fritton in the fourth round as the No. 117 overall pick. Fritton, from Fuquay-Varina, was an All-ACC third team selection in 2025. He finished with a 4.47 ERA in 86 ⅔ innings pitched this season. Fritton went 5-6 in his third season with N.C. State.

Fritton recorded 107 strikeouts and 39 walks, while allowing 54 runs and 43 earned runs against opponents this season. The junior relies on his fastball but has struggled with consistency in his three-year Wolfpack career.

Estimated slot value: $648,400

Shane Van Dam: Righty pitcher Shane Van Dam was the second Wolfpack pitcher to get the call. The Kansas City Royals selected the junior with pick No. 278 in the ninth round.

Van Dam appeared in just three games this season and recorded a 4.50 ERA with four strikeouts and four walks. He only threw eight innings and held opposing players to a .233 batting average.

Estimated slot value: $198,600

Justin DeCriscio: Wolfpack shortstop Justin DeCriscio will be part of the San Diego Padres organization after the club selected him as the 310th pick in the 10th round of the draft.

In his lone season at N.C. State, DeCriscio recorded a .289 batting average and contributed 55 hits, 22 extra base hits, 44 RBIs and scored 45 times. Additionally, the senior drew 23 walks and struck out 22 times, giving him a strikeout rate under 10% on the season.

Estimated slot value: $187,600

UNC MLB draft picks

Aidan Haugh: Tar Heels right-handed pitcher Aidan Haugh was selected by the Tampa Bay Rays as the No. 177 pick in the sixth round. Haugh was unranked in the MLB.com Top 250 prospect list.

Haugh finished the season with a 3.72 ERA and 5-4 record in 75 innings pitched. He contributed 85 strikeouts on the season and ranked No. 2 in the ACC with 32 strikeouts looking. Haugh, however, struggled at times with command and placement, giving up a team-high 11 home runs. The Zebulon, North Carolina, native also led the Tar Heels in runs allowed (37), tying Jason DeCaro who threw eight more innings. UNC was 3-7 since the beginning of April when Haugh pitched.

The Minnesota Twins selected Haugh in the 16th round of the 2024 draft, No. 488 overall, but he opted to return to school in 2025.

Estimated slot value: $367,900

Jake Knapp: The Chicago Cubs drafted right-handed pitcher Jake Knapp as the No. 241 pick in the eighth round. Knapp earned National and ACC Pitcher of the Year honors for his unblemished record, finishing 14-0 and leading the Tar Heels to an NCAA Super Regional. The graduate student ranks No. 1 in program history for the most wins without a loss and is tied for most wins in a single season.

He led the nation in total wins and logged a 2.02 ERA, which led the ACC and ranked No. 4 in the country, in 102 ⅓ innings pitched. He threw 88 strikeouts and walked just 16 batters. Knapp was responsible for 27 runs, including 23 earned runs, 72 hits and six home runs.

The Greensboro native topped the conference and ranked No. 3 in the country with a 0.86 WHIP rate. He also led the ACC with a 5.5 strikeout-to-walk ratio and giving up 1.41 walks per nine innings.

Knapp is a consensus All-American, earning first team honors from the College Baseball Hall of Fame, American Baseball Coaches Association, National College Baseball Writers Association and D1Baseball.com. He was a third team selection by Baseball America and second team honoree by Perfect Game.

Head coach Scott Forbes praised Knapp’s consistency as a Friday-night starter for the Tar Heels, always setting the team up for success in a series.

“He’s always A-plus competitiveness. That’s why he’s our Friday guy,” Forbes said in June after Knapp helped the Tar Heels defeat Arizona, 18-2, to open the Super Regional. “Great pitchers made big pitches in the biggest situations. They have a knack for that. They’re better in the tougher situations. He had two really tough ones. To get out of those [innings] with only one run in those innings, was really big for us.”

Estimated slot value: $225,400

Duke MLB draft picks

James Tallon: The Philadelphia Phillies selected James Tallon, a junior left-handed pitcher, as the 191st pick in the sixth round. Tallon finished the season with a 3.96 ERA in 36 ⅓ innings, with 50 strikeouts and 19 walks. He held opponents to a .208 batting average. Tallon contributed 14 career saves in his three years with the Blue Devils, ranking No. 2 in program history.

Additionally, Tallon was responsible for 18 runs and 16 earned runs during his 21 appearances.

The pitcher had a stellar freshman season when he earned All-ACC freshman honors. He was named to two freshman All-America lists in 2023 and was an NCBWA First Team All-America the same season.

Estimated slot value: $327,800

Owen Proksch: Duke lefty pitcher Owen Proksch was selected No. 265 overall in the ninth round by the Texas Rangers. Proksch spent three seasons with the Blue Devils and solidified himself as a Friday pitcher midway through the 2025 season. He recorded a 4.68 ERA with 91 strikeouts this season. He pitched 65 ⅓ innings and held opponents to a .224 batting average.

Estimated slot value: $205,100

Wallace Clark: The Arizona Diamondbacks selected senior shortstop Wallace Clark with the No. 273 pick in the ninth round. Clark earned the Most Outstanding Player award for the Athens Regional after helping the Blue Devils advance in the NCAA Tournament. He recorded nine hits, three RBIs, four runs and a pair of home runs in the regional.

On the season, Clark hit .307 with 65 runs, 69 hits, 18 doubles and nine home runs in his senior campaign. He drew 55 walks and 19 hits by pitch, moving him to 43 total and No. 3 in Duke’s all-time list.

Estimated slot value: $200,800

Andrew Healy: Junior pitcher Andrew Healy became the 275th pick of the draft when the Minnesota Twins selected the left-hander. Healy spent three seasons with the Blue Devils and, in the most recent season, logged a 7.29 ERA in 42 innings pitched. He had 37 strikeouts and gave up 18 walks. He struggled this past year after notching sub-3.80 ERAs in his freshman and sophomore seasons.

Healy earned freshman All-America honors from Perfect Game, NCBWA and Collegiate Baseball in 2023.

Estimated slot value: $200,000

East Carolina MLB draft picks

Dixon Williams: East Carolina second baseman Dixon Williams was selected at No. 136 overall by the Atlanta Braves. The senior was a surprise pick after going unranked in the Top 250 prospects. Williams had a .299 batting average with 61 runs and 60 hits. He finished with 28 extra base hits, including 14 home runs.

Estimated slot value: $539,700

Ethan Young: ECU added a second draft pick when the St. Louis Cardinals selected Ethan Young at No. 150 in the fifth round. The right-handed pitcher finished the season with a 3.84 ERA and 92 strikeouts in 70 ⅓ innings pitched. Young went 5-0 and added three saves in 2025.

Estimated slot value: $470,100

Wake Forest MLB draft selections

Cameron Nelson: Wake Forest got its third draft pick of the year when sophomore outfielder Cameron Nelson was selected No. 138 overall by the Colorado Rockies. He was also a surprise pick after being an unranked prospect. The sophomore hit .318 with 20 runs, 21 hits and 19 RBI in 22 appearances this season.

Estimated slot value: $529,100

Joe Ariola: Joe Ariola became the fourth Wake Forest draft pick this season after the Arizona Diamondbacks selected the left-handed pitcher as the No. 213 pick in the seventh round. He finished with a 5.11 ERA in 24 ⅔ innings this season. Ariola can be a tough pitcher to hit against, holding opponents to .169 but lacked consistency. He recorded 40 strikeouts and walked 28.

Estimated slot value: $274,100

NC high school picks

Briggs McKenzie: The Atlanta Braves selected senior left-handed pitcher Briggs McKenzie in the fourth round as the No. 127 overall pick. He dropped in the draft after being listed as the 69th-best prospect by MLB.com entering the selections. McKenzie attended Corinth Holders in Wendell, North Carolina, and helped the team earn a spot in the 4A East Regional.

He is a two-time All-State honoree, All-Region player, four-time Greater Neuse River All-Conference selection and North Carolina Gatorade Player of the Year finalist. McKenzie was committed to LSU.

Estimated slot value: $588,900

CJ Gray: Right-handed pitcher CJ Gray was selected in the draft at No. 140 by the Los Angeles Angels. The high school senior played at A.L. Brown in Kannapolis, North Carolina, where he threw more than 2,000 pitches in his preps career. Gray batted .508 and recorded 11 home runs in his senior season.

Estimated slot value: $519,100

Coy James: Coy James is a senior shortstop from Davie High School, southwest of Winston-Salem, and selected No. 142 overall by the Washington Nationals.

Estimated slot value: $508,900

More NC MLB draft picks

Aidan West: N.C. State signee Aidan West was selected No. 135 overall by the Los Angeles Dodgers. West is an infielder from Ellicott City, Maryland.

Estimated slot value: $544,900

Zane Taylor: The Oakland A’s drafted UNC Wilmington right-handed pitcher Zane Taylor No. 141 overall.

Estimated slot value: $513,900

Tanner Thach: UNC-Wilmington’s all-time home run leader Tanner Thach was the No. 227 pick in the eighth round. He was selected by the Colorado Rockies.

Estimated slot value: $247,200

Danny Thompson: UNC-Greensboro right-handed pitcher Danny Thompson was selected No. 232 by the Toronto Blue Jays.

Estimated slot value: $238,600

Ryan Sprock: Elon third baseman Ryan Sprock joined the list of draft picks as the 239th pick this season. The Minnesota Twins selected the NCBWA Third Team All-American in the eighth round.

Estimated slot value: $227,800

Justin Mitrovich: Elon right-handed pitcher Justin Mitrovich heard his name called by the Minnesota Twins as the 269th pick of the draft.

Estimated slot value: $202,900

Jackson Steensma: Appalachian State pitcher Jackson Steensma was selected No. 272 by the Seattle Mariners. He missed the season due to an injury.

Estimated slot value: $201,300

Blake Gillespie: Charlotte 49ers right-handed pitcher Blake Gillespie was drafted by the New York Yankees as. the No. 284th pick in the ninth round. He spent one season with the 49ers.

Estimated slot value: $196,600

Draft selections from rounds 11-20

This story was originally published July 14, 2025 at 4:40 PM.

Jadyn Watson-Fisher

The News & Observer