The Ole Miss baseball team has a number of current players and recruits eligible for the 2019 MLB Draft. Follow along here to see where the players go this week.
Round 2, Pick 68: Grae Kessinger – Houston Astros
Kessinger is the first Rebel taken off the board. The Astros gain the anchor of the Ole Miss infield as Kessinger showed time and time again that he was among the best defensive players in the SEC all season. He was no slouch at the plate either, boasting a .332 batting average with 47 RBI in 2019.
Round 5, Pick 159: Will Ethridge – Colorado Rockies
The Friday starter for the Rebels holds a 2.91 heading into Super Regionals. He’s 7-6 in his 15 starts with 71 strikeouts and 22 walks in 89.2 innings of work. He’ll join former Rebel star Ryan Rollison in the Rockies’ farm system.
Round 5, Pick 163: Thomas Dillard – Milwaukee Brewers
The big man patrolling left field for the Rebels was selected by the Brewers in the fifth round. Dillard holds a .312 batting average with 60 RBIs with 13 home runs in 2019. He’s able to play in the field or get behind the plate and catch, but his hay will most likely be made on offense with a powerful bat and smart base running.
Round 6, Pick 172: Cooper Johnson – Detroit Tigers
Johnson has been regarded as one of the top defensive catchers since he came out of high school. The junior is one of the best in the business when it comes to receiving pitches and catching base stealers, throwing out 18 of 23 runners. Johnson struggled badly at the plate early in his career, but has improved in 2019. He has a .265 batting average and 30 RBIs as the team heads to Fayetteville.
Round 21: Parker Carraci – Toronto Blue Jays
Caracci is a favorite in the bullpen for Ole Miss fans. The closer from Jackson caught fire in 2018, but had a rough start to his 2019 season. He saw a rejuvenation late this year in the postseason. Carracci has 11 saves this season in 23 apperances.
Round 22: Cole Zabowski – Detroit Tigers
The first basemen struggled early in 2019 after being named to the 2018 SEC All-Defensive Team. However, he’s continue to be a leader with a .316 batting average and 11 homers with 48 RBIs. He’ll join Cooper Johnson in the Tigers’ farm system.
Round 27: Zack Phillips – Kansas City Royals
The lefty pitcher was a mainstay in the Ole Miss bullpen. The Texarkana native started some midweek games and came in for relief on the weekends. in 59.0 innings pitched in 2019, he racked up 51 strikeouts with a 5.19. He could be a player that decides to come back to Oxford for a senior season. with a spot in the rotation opening up.
Round 29: Houston Roth – Baltimore Orioles
The junior RHP was a 2017 Freshman All-American for Ole Miss. Roth came in for relief mostly in 2019 for the Rebels, pitching 37.2 with 44 strikeouts. He’s another candidate to return and start on the weekends with the departure of Will Ethridge.
