With the MLB Draft being held Sunday through Tuesday in Seattle, a handful of local products at the high school, college, and junior college levels are slated to be picked.
Here are the players with local ties that have a chance of hearing their names called in the 2023 MLB Draft:
Aidan Knaak, Bishop Verot RHP
The right-hander is at the very top of this list, with the best chance to be selected on Day 1 or early on Day 2. Multiple big league clubs have a first-round grade on Knaak, who got up to 96 MPH at the MLB Combine in Phoenix last month.
Knaak was a 2023 Southwest Florida Baseball Player of the Year finalist after finishing the season with a 9-3 record to go along with a 1.24 ERA. He struck out an area-leading 116 batters, which ranked fourth statewide while facing the likes of Stoneman Douglas, Calvary Christian, Aquinas (Calif.), and Cypress (Calif.).
Teams will have to come at Knaak with an aggressive slot bonus to try and woo him away from Clemson, as he is already on campus in South Carolina.
Trifecta of Aces: Verot’s Knaak, Naples’ King, Canterbury’s Schrowe all dealing on mound
Jay Beshears, Duke INF
Beshears started his collegiate career at Northwestern before transferring to Duke this past season. The junior started all 59 games, leading the team with a .333 average while scoring 58 runs. He led the team in on-base percentage (.438) while slugging a respectable .586. Beshears was a Naples Daily News All-Area First Team selection in 2019 after hitting .561 with a team-high 32 hits for Community School as a junior.
Beshears was one of three local products at the MLB Combine, alongside Knaak and Florida Southwestern’s Marty Gair. At 6-foot-4, Beshears’ ability is appealing to multiple big-league clubs as a mid-round college bat.
Giovanni DiGiacomo, Duke OF
DiGiacomo probably would’ve stayed at LSU if the best college hitter in the country didn’t play the same position in Dylan Crews, who will be one of the top three players chosen come Sunday.
DiGiacomo, who spent time at Naples and Canterbury in the mid-2010s, spent his graduate year playing for the Blue Devils. He started 53 of 61 games, hitting .268 with 36 runs scored and 34 walks. DiGiacomo was a News-Press Baseball Player of the Year finalist in 2018.
Edrick Felix, FGCU INF
Felix was named as a Collegiate Baseball Second Team All-American and an NCBWA All-American along with being the first FGCU ASUN Player of the Year after setting a new single-season record of 25 home runs and 83 RBI.
Felix slugged .774 this season with FGCU, finishing tied for fifth in the nation with 188 total bases. Felix is an attractive pick and could go anywhere from the third to the 10th round of the upcoming draft.
Eagles Flex: Record-breaking power helps lead FGCU to best start in baseball program history
Marty Gair, Florida SouthWestern RHP
Gair had a strong year for the Bucs, finishing with a 1.75 earned run average over 36 innings with 52 strikeouts. At 6-foot-6 and 230 pounds, Gair’s frame is very appealing to big-league clubs, along with his fastball that has previously hit triple digits.
Depending on where Gair gets drafted, he is currently signed with FGCU. His frame and potential make him a likely weekend starter should he choose to suit up for the Eagles and coach Dave Tollett in 2024.
Michael Graziano, Naples OF
Graziano has had multiple big league clubs contact him to see if he can be swayed from going to college at Georgia Tech, which could put him in a position to be picked. Graziano has received high praise from other area coaches, with multiple coaches believing he has the potential to be a five-tool player at the next level.
While Graziano is not going on Day 1, he could be selected in the later rounds. Graziano was a three-time Naples Daily News All-Area First Team selection, totaling 114 hits in a Naples uniform with 105 runs scored, and 62 stolen bases. For his career, he hit .386 over 93 games played with an on-base percentage of .486.
Tyler Kennedy, Florida SouthWestern RHP
Kennedy is another Buc that has a legitimate shot at getting drafted. Scouts like his 6-foot-4, 220-pound frame with a fastball that sits mid to upper 90s. In 14 appearances, Kennedy went 4-5 with a 4.99 earned run average, striking out 59 across 48 2/3 innings pitched.
LJ McDonough, FGCU RHP
McDonough, FGCU’s go-to reliever, was a strong option for the Eagles this year, pitching to a 2.47 earned run average and a 7-2 record. The Wichita State transfer struck out 11.60 hitters per nine innings, eclipsing Chris Sale’s 11.53 K/9 ratio.
Alejandro Rodriguez, FGCU C/INF
Rodriguez was a reliable catcher this season for the Eagles, hitting .329 with 23 extra-base hits and 50 RBI. In the field, Rodriguez was virtually mistake-free, committing just eight errors across 439 total chances for a fielding percentage of .982. He will be 24 in December, but many clubs will likely be willing to take a chance on the Puerto Rico native who hit over .320 in each of his three seasons with FGCU.
AJ Shaver, Florida SouthWestern OF
Shaver was a standout at the plate for FSW this season, hitting .403 with 19 home runs while adding 24 doubles. His 63 RBI rank second-most by any FSW hitter in program history. He became the first FSW hitter to earn All-American accolades, being named a second-team All-American by the NJCAA.
Shaver could add to the illustrious list of FSW products drafted, which currently sits at 10 dating back to 2016. The Bucs have had seven draftees over the last two seasons. Should Shaver not go pro, he is set to play for Troy next year.
How to watch the 2023 MLB Draft
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Sunday (Rounds 1 and 2) TV: ESPN, MLB Network
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Monday (Rounds 3-10) Live stream: MLB.com
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Tuesday (Rounds 11-20) Live stream: MLB.com
Follow Southwest Florida Sports Writer Alex Martin on Twitter: @NP_AlexMartin. For the best sports coverage in Southwest Florida, follow @newspresssports and @ndnprepzone on Instagram.
This article originally appeared on Fort Myers News-Press: SWFL players that could be picked in 2023 Major League Baseball Draft