How college baseball players in Kentucky fared in the 2023 MLB Draft

Christian Knapczyk is the centennial man.

The shortstop became the 100^th Louisville baseball player to be selected in the MLB Draft since 2007 when the Cleveland Guardians picked him Monday in the fifth round. The Cardinals added three more draft picks before the event concluded Tuesday.

The MLB Draft began Sunday, but the Cardinals didn’t have any players to go in the first few rounds. Catcher Jack Payton was projected to be the first Louisville player off the board but wasn’t selected until Tuesday.

Kentucky, too, had to wait a while before any of its players were picked. Pitcher Austin Strickland was the first, taken in the eighth round by the Pittsburgh Pirates. He and fellow pitcher Magdiel Cotto will remain teammates after the Pirates picked Cotto three rounds later.

Here’s a list of all the local players who were drafted and where they ended up:

2023 MLB draft: Ryan Hawks’ ‘instant value’ and other Louisville baseball players, commits

Louisville’s Christian Knapczyk (SS): Cleveland Guardians

Round/overall pick: Fifth round, 161^St overall

Knapczyk was the first Cardinal taken in this year’s draft after being the team’s second-leading hitter (.331) in the spring despite being in and out of the lineup with injuries. Ranked No. 157 on the MLB’s Top 250 prospect list, the Illinois native was an all-ACC third team selection this past season and leaves Louisville with a career batting average of .328 with 137 runs scored, 70 RBIs, 43 stolen bases and three home runs.

Round/overall pick: Seventh round, 212th overall

The lefty from Iowa was left out of the MLB’s Top 250 prospect list but was the 212th pick and Louisville’s second selection for the 2023 cycle. Despite posting a 2-4 record in 19 appearances, Kuehner had a team-leading five saves with a 3.99 ERA and 54 strikeouts in 38⅓ innings pitched. The four-year pitcher ends his time at Louisville with a 3.69 career ERA and 193 strikeouts in 165⅔ innings of work.

Round/overall pick: Eighth round, 247th overall

Hawks’ winding collegiate journey paid off with him hearing his name called in the MLB Draft. After overcoming injuries and working his way into a starter role, he’ll head west to join the Seattle Mariners’ organization. Hawks ended his college career as a Friday night starter, posting a 5-3 record and 4.58 ERA with a team-best 80 strikeouts in 2022 with a 4.75 career ERA and 149 strikeouts over 130⅔ innings in three seasons.

Round/overall pick: 11^th round, 330^th overall

While it took longer than expected, Payton will follow in the footsteps of his brother, Mark, as an MLB Draft pick. He struggled to stay on the field this season, but Payton still led the team in batting average (.374) and tied with Ryan McCoy for most home runs (12) and runs scored (43). The 2023 Buster Posey Award finalist ends his college career with a .356 all-time hitting clip, 106 runs scored, 97 more batted in and 16 home runs.

Western Kentucky’s CJ Weins (P): Boston Red Sox

Round/overall pick: Sixth round, 178^th overall

The journeyman’s college career included stops at Wabash Valley (Illinois) Community College and South Carolina before spending his final year of eligibility with the Hilltoppers. Used primarily as a reliever, Weins had a 4.35 ERA with 42 strikeouts to go along with eight saves and a 1-2 record in 31 innings on the hill.

Kentucky’s Austin Strickland (P): Pittsburgh Pirates

Round/overall pick: Eighth round, 227^th overall

In his final season at UK, Strickland posted a 4-2 record with one save and fanned 58 batters in 55⅓ innings of work. The Ohio native recorded a 5.04 ERA with three starts in 20 appearances.

Kentucky’s Magdiel Cotto (P), Pittsburgh Pirates

Round/overall pick: 11^th round, 317^th overall

The lefty started at South Carolina but spent the last two years at Kentucky where he started nine games and made 31 appearances. In 2023, Cotto had a 6.00 ERA and struck out 26 batters in 18 innings on the mound. The South Carolinian’s lone win of the season came against Dayton on April 4.

Round/overall pick: 12^th round, 349^th overall

Martin only spent one year at Kentucky after a three-year career at University of the South in Tennessee, but provided the Wildcats with 26⅓ innings, posting a 1-1 record with eight starts in nine appearances. He tallied 30 strikeouts and notched a 4.44 ERA in his final college season.

Eastern Kentucky’s Will King (C), Atlanta Braves

Round/overall pick: 12^th round, 609^th overall

Another Buster Posey Award finalist, Will King started 45 games this season at Eastern Kentucky, which included 21 contests as the designated hitter. He had a team-high .346 batting average and totaled 47 RBIs, 47 runs scored and 12 home runs to end his final season with the Colonels.

Reach Louisville football, women’s basketball and baseball beat writer Alexis Cubit at [email protected] and follow her on Twitter at @Alexis_Cubit.

This article originally appeared on Louisville Courier Journal: MLB Draft 2023 sees 9 Louisville, Kentucky, WKU, EKU players selected