Eight Auburn players taken in record-setting MLB Draft

SPORTS Eight Auburn players taken in record-setting MLB Draft

By NOAH GRIFFITH

Assistant Sports Editor

First, it was Auburn basketball, and now it is Auburn baseball proving that a great season yields great success on draft day.

After a season full of unprecedented success and a run to the College World Series in June, eight Auburn players were selected in this year’s MLB Draft, with a program-record four of them going in the first five rounds. The turnout resulted in twice as many draftees as last year and the second most in program history in a single draft.

The Auburn baseball program continues to distinguish itself as a top program in the country. Its four players selected in the top five rounds is tied for the second most in the country with CWS foe Arkansas and also California, Oklahoma and Virginia Tech. Only Auburn’s conference rival, Tennessee, had more with five players drafted in those rounds with five.

In addition, this is the seventh year in a row that Auburn has had a player picked in the first five rounds of the draft, topping the previous school record of five straight years.

One player was taken on day one with of the draft on Sunday night, three followed on Monday and four were taken on Tuesday to wrap things up.

Here are the details of each pick:

SHANNA LOCKWOOD | AU ATHLETICS

RHP BLAKE BURKHALTER | ROUND 2 PICK 76- ATLANTA BRAVES

As the only Tiger taken on day one of the draft, Burkhalter not only led the way for the team in the draft, but Burkhalter set himself among the Auburn greats when he was taken by the hometown Braves.

On Sunday night, the Dothan, Alabama native became the highest draft pick out of Auburn’s bullpen since 1993, when Scott Sullivan was taken 62nd overall. Those two sit behind just one other Auburn great, Gregg Olson, who was selected fourth overall by the Orioles in 1988.

With a 4-2 record, 3.89 ERA, 71 strikeouts and the nation’s second-best 16 saves, the junior earned himself Second Team All-SEC and Second Team All-America selections, while being named a finalist for the NCBWA Stopper of the Year Award in his final season on the Plains.

The righty was also instrumental in the Tigers’ incredible postseason run. After a shaky ending to the regular season, he closed out the regional victory by recording the final six outs against UCLA. He then set down all eight batters he faced against Oregon State to help clinch a trip to the College World Series.

Burkhalter’s work wasn’t done there in Omaha. He put an exclamation point on his career by retiring seven more against Stanford in Auburn’s victory in his 51st, and final, collegiate appearance.

He will join his hometown team, and the reigning World Series Champions, the Atlanta Braves. The Braves went pitcher-heavy early on in the draft, as they went with a RHP for their first four draft picks.

RHP MASON BARNETT | ROUND 3 PICK 87- KANSAS CITY ROYALS

In his third and final season at Auburn, Barnett made some big strides. After making just six starts in 22 appearances in his first two seasons, he blossomed as a starter in his junior year. He started 14 games in 19 appearances and posted a 3-3 record with a 4.38 ERA. More innings meant a lot more strikeouts for the right-hander. He fanned 83 while giving out 32 free passes in just 63.2 innings. Out of Cartersville, Georgia, Barnett might have put himself higher up on the draft board with a career performance in the regional final against UCLA. He racked up 10 Ks in 5.1 shutout frames before a rain delay ended his outing.

CALLIE STANFORD | SPORTS EDITOR

RHP TRACE BRIGHT | ROUND 5 PICK 137- BALTIMORE ORIOLES

Reigning from Montgomery, Alabama, Bright was one of Auburn’s most reliable starters in 2022. He made a start in every series of the season, the only Auburn pitcher to do so, and pitched the most innings of any Auburn hurler (80.2).

Earning a 5-4 record with a 5.13 ERA, the junior missed bats all season in 2022, leading his club with 94 strikeouts. He is at his best when attacking the zone, and while strikeouts are his strength, walks held him back at times. He walked 38 this season. If Bright can limit the free passes, he has the stuff to compete at a big league level.

Looking like Auburn’s ace early in the season, he notched scoreless outings in his first three starts before struggling later on in the regular season. He threw his best baseball in the postseason, though, as he earned Auburn’s only CWS win by holding Stanford to two runs in five innings. He also increased his velocity as the season went on, getting his fastball up to 96-97 MPH in his CWS start.

SHELBY BIRCHEAT | PHOTOGRAPHER

1B SONNY DICHIARA | ROUND 5 PICK 148- LOS ANGELES ANGELS

From Hoover, Alabama to Los Angeles, California, DiChiara has swung his way to the big city. The SEC Co-Player of the Year and consensus All-American led the league and was second in the NCAA in OBP (.549), and his batting average (.383) and slugging percentage (.777) led the SEC as well His power stroke combined with his plate discipline make him a difficult out. His 22 homers as a senior were tied for the second most in Auburn history, and his 68 walks were the most in program history in a single season. Between 79 hits and 68 walks, opponents only kept him off base in two of 65 games.

SPORTS

SHELBY BIRCHEAT | PHOTOGRAPHER

LHP CARSON SKIPPER | ROUND 11 PICK 326- COLORADO ROCKIES

The senior southpaw was a big-time leader for Auburn in the run to the CWS. Skipper seemed to always come up big in the right moment, posting a 6-3 record in 27 appearances in 2022. He made five postseason outings and did some of his best work in the super regionals against Oregon State. In the game one win, he pitched three shutdown innings while sitting down five on strikes from the sixth to the eighth innings before passing the ball to Burkhalter. The Trussville, Alabama native posted 70 strikeouts to 14 walks in 2022 and posted a 4.45 ERA. In four years at Auburn, he made 70 appearances- he made nine starts, saved four games and became a staple in Auburn’s bullpen.

LHP HAYDEN MULLINS | ROUND 12 PICK 369- BOSTON RED SOX

The lefty’s draft stock might have been hurt by the arm injury that sidelined him for the end of the 2022 season. He did not pitch in the postseason for Auburn, but his strong regular season put him on the map. The six-foot-tall junior from Tennessee started his first eight games for Auburn in 2022, posting a 2-1 record with a 3.63 ERA in 11 appearances. His strength was the strikeout, as he fanned 43 batters in 2022, including nine in his start against Vanderbilt. He also saw work out of the bullpen in his freshman and sophomore years and early on in his junior year. That flexibility might prove valuable for him at the next level.

FILE PHOTO

3B BLAKE RAMBUSCH | ROUND 15 PICK 456- SEATTLE MARINERS

The Mariners got a sneaky good hitter in Rambusch. All he did in 2022 was lead Auburn in hits and post a .327 batting average.

The Austin, Texas product led off on an explosive Auburn lineup this season for one reason: he makes contact. The righty proved to be a tough strikeout, only going down on strikes 36 times in his junior season. He also went deep into counts and fouled off a lot of pitches, allowing guys behind him to pick up on the pitcher’s stuff.

“Rambo” is incredibly resilient at the plate, and he doesn’t back down with two strikes or two outs. He just makes contact and the rest takes care of itself. His speed isn’t to be underestimated either. He ranked third in the league in steals with 16 as a redshirt junior.

No matter where he plays, he carries a sure glove. He was named to the SEC All-Defensive Team in 2022 after recording a .957 fielding percentage.

SHELBY BIRCHEAT | PHOTOGRAPHER

SS BRODY MOORE | ROUND 17 PICK 517- ST. LOUIS CARDINALS

As a four-year starter at Auburn, not enough can be said about Moore. He was a leader on the 2022 Auburn team and the MVP of the Auburn Regional. His discipline at the plate has grown each year, but his defensive gems make the shortstop stand out. Like Rambusch, the Oneonta, Alabama native knows how to make contact. He struck out just 35 times in his senior season while hitting .291 in 64 starts. He racked up 158 collegiate hits and batted a career .299. Standing at 5-foot-11, Moore was key in the run to the CWS. He racked up 14 hits in the postseason while only making one error. His two-sided play gives him a chance to prove himself at the next level. If he can increase his power numbers, his team-first attitude and unselfish play style will carry him a long way. While the Cardinals are consistently a playoff team and are once again in the playoff picture in 2022, they have gone to their farm system fairly quickly and gotten big contributions from young players. There is no doubt that Moore has some work to do to get to The Show, but Moore has never been one to shy away from hard work.

So, what’s next for Auburn baseball? After a season of beating the odds, ending in a CWS bid, Auburn did what all great programs do and passed some talent on to the next level. But like all other top programs, head coach Butch Thompson and company will retool. They now have the privilege of telling recruits that the 2022 class went to two College World Series’ and produced three draftees.

Auburn baseball has now put its name on the map in almost every way possible. It posted a winning record, winning SEC record, had a player win SEC Player of the Year, hosted a Regional, took a trip to Omaha and had eight players selected in the 2022 MLB Draft.

All this to say, retooling doesn’t mean rebuilding for Auburn anymore. The Tigers are on the map, and Thompson has the Auburn program trending upward quickly. This draft just proves that even more.

CALLIE STANFORD | SPORTS EDITOR