MLB Draft Recap: Illinois
July 17, 2023
The 2023 MLB draft was held in Seattle, WA this year with the first round beginning on July 9th and the final pick being called on July 11th. This year, just like every year, the state of Illinois was well-represented, and we’re going to spend some time dissecting those draft picks and their future destinations. We will break down the players that were drafted out of college and high school, beginning with the high school prospects.
drafted out of high school
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Dillon Head OF / LHP / Homewood Flossmoor, IL / 2023Round 1, Pick 25, San Diego Padres 5/08/23 |
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Blake Wolters RHP / OF / Mahomet Seymour, IL / 2023Round 2, Pick 44, Kansas City Royals 5/13/23 |
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Zander Mueth RHP / Belleville East, IL / 2023CB-B, Pick 67, Pittsburgh Pirates 5/11/23 |
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George Wolkow 3B / OF / Downers Grove North, IL / 2023Round 7, Pick 209, Chicago White Sox 2/05/23 |
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Jake Zitella 3B / SS / St. Charles East, IL / 2023Round 16, Pick 486, New York Mets 5/06/23 |
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Dominic Voegele RHP / SS / Columbia , IL / 2023Round 20, Pick 595, Arizona Diamondbacks 5/27/23 |
drafted out of college
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Jack Mahoney SS / RHP / St. Viator hs / 2020 (SOUTH cAROLINA)Round 3, Pick 77, Colorado Rockies 5/13/23 2023 STATS: | 7-4 | 84.1 IP | 86 H | 45 R | 39 ER | 8 HR | 29 BB | 84 K | 4.80 | 1.36 | |
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Isaiah Coupet LHP / Homewood-Flossmoor HS / 2020 (Ohio state)Round 4, Pick 109, Colorado Rockies 3/03/23 2023 STATS: | 4-3 | 50.2 IP | 41 H | 23 R | 20 ER | 5 HR | 16 BB | 72 K | 3.55 | 1.13 | |
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Emmett Olson LHP / Maine West HS / 2020 (Nebraska)Round 4, Pick 110, Miami Marlins 7/01/23 2023 STATS: | 6-3 | 82 IP | 68 H | 46 R | 41 ER | 14 HR | 30 BB | 80 K | 4.50 | 1.20 | |
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Christian Knapczyk SS / 2B / Joliet Catholic HS / 2020 (LOuisville)Round 5, Pick 161, Cleveland Guardians 4/20/23 2023 STATS: | 212 PA | 169 AB | 40 R | 56 H | 8 2B| 1 3B | 1 HR | 24 RBI | 19 SB | .331 | .455 | .408 | .863 | |
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CJ Weins RHP / 3B / Lockport HS / 2018 (Western KentuckY)Round 6, Pick 178, Boston Red Sox Weis started his collegiate career at Wabash Valley, one of the nation’s premier junior college destinations. In two seasons with the Warriors, he accumulated a 5-0 record with seven saves and 54 strikeouts in 27.1 innings pitched. He was also named an All-American in his freshman season at Wabash. Weins then transferred to South Carolina before transferring to Western Kentucky for his fifth season. After throwing a combined 22.2 innings in two seasons for the Gamecocks, he finally found his groove for the Hilltoppers, throwing 31 innings pitched and striking out 42 to only eight walks. 2023 STATS: | 1-2 | 31 IP | 18 H | 15 R | 15 ER | 2 HR | 8 BB | 42 K | 4.35 | 0.84 | |
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Jack Wenninger RHP / Cary-Grove HS / 2020 (Illinois)Round 6, Pick 186, New York Mets 5/10/23 2023 STATS: | 6-4 | 80.1 IP | 69 H | 42 R | 41 ER | 10 HR | 28 BB | 76 K | 4.59 | 1.21 | |
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Chase Gockel RHP / Edwardsville HS / 2018 (Quincy University)Round 9, Pick 264, Los Angeles Angels Gockel started his collegiate career at Parkland College, transferred to Charleston Southern, Illinois State, and finished his career at Quincy University, one of the top NCAA Division II programs in the Midwest. Struggling at his two previous stops, Gockel found time as a reliever for the Hawks, finding success in his time where he struck out 57 in 32 innings of work. 2023 STATS: | 3-0 | 32 IP | 12 H | 11 R | 8 ER | 20 BB | 57 K | 2.25 | 1.00 | |
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Charlie Szykowny INF / Shepard HS / 2018 (UIC)Round 9, Pick 270, San Francisco Giants Szykowny was a standout at Wisconsin-Stout for four years, batting over .300 in each of those seasons with 22 home runs, 96 RBIs and 47 extra base hits. He transferred to Illinois-Chicago for his senior season where capped off his stellar collegiate career with 16 homers and 55 RBIs, batting to a .355 average, earning him the Missouri Valley Conference Newcomer of the Year Award. Szykowny finished off his collegiate career hitting .368 with 38 home runs, 151 RBIs and 61 extra base hits. 2023 STATS: | 237 PA | 203 AB | 47 R | 68 H | 11 2B | 3 3B | 16 HR | 55 RBI | 2 SB | 21 BB | .355 | .426 | .655 | 1.081 | |
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Riley Gowens RHP / Libertyville HS / 2018 (ILlinois)Round 9, Pick 279, Atlanta Braves Gowens missed the 2019 and 2020 seasons at the University of Illinois due to injury, but was able to play three seasons injury free for the Fighting Illini. Gowens earned All-Big Ten freshman honors after striking out 58 in 50.1 innings pitched in 2021, also earning the Collegiate Baseball Newspaper National Player of the Week in that same season. He finished his college career with 201 strikeouts to 71 walks, throwing 177 innings for the Illini. 2023 STATS: | 2-3 | 60 IP | 71 H | 47 R | 42 ER | 10 HR | 16 BB | 75 K | 6.30 | 1.45 | |
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Jack Payton C / Brother Rice HS / 2020 (Louisville)Round 11, Pick 330, San Francisco Giants 4/20/23 2023 STATS: | 214 PA | 179 AB | 43 R | 67 H | 10 2B | 1 3B | 12 HR | 41 RBI | 8 SB | 22 BB | .374 | .472 | .643 | 1.115 | |
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Cole Conn C / OF / St. Charles East HS / 2020 (UIC)Round 12, Pick 346, Oakland Athletics Conn spent three seasons at Illinois-Chicago, and after an impressive freshman season where he hit 10 home runs with 34 RBIs, Conn earned Freshman All-American honors, was named the Horizon League Freshman of the Year, and All-League Second Team. Conn led the team in home runs his freshman year, tied for second his sophomore year, and tied for third his junior year. He finished his college career with 24 home runs, 102 RBIs and a .273 batting average. 2023 STATS: | 230 PA | 181 AB | 45 R | 42 H | 12 2B | 1 3B | 7 HR | 26 RBI | 16 SB | 33 BB | .232 | .377 | .425 | .803 | |
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Bryan Broecker C / 3B / Notre Dame HS / 2020 (Michigan state)Round 13, Pick 393, Tampa Bay Rays Broecker spent three seasons at Michigan State University, but only played two due to redshirting his first season. In his first freshman year, Broecker was named to the All-Big Ten Freshman Team after a successful spring where he had eight extra base hits, 25 RBIs and a .271 batting average. He added more power this past season, hitting eight home runs, 36 RBIs, 10 extra base hits, and a .318 batting average. He was named to the Buster Posey National Collegiate Catcher of the Year Award Watch List. 2023 STATS: | 213 PA | 170 AB | 39 R | 54 H | 8 2B | 2 3B | 8 HR | 36 RBI | 1 SB | 31 BB | .318 | .441 | .529 | .971 | |
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Ernie Day RHP / Taft HS / 2020 (Campbell)Round 14, Pick 427, Seattle Mariners Day played two seasons at Iowa Western and posted an overall record on the mound of 8-1. He transferred to Campbell where he made 14 appearances and started two games. He struck out 28 in 21.1 innings of work. 2023 STATS: | 1-1 | 21.1 IP | 23 H | 23 R | 16 ER | 2 HR | 19 BB | 28 K | 6.75 | 1.97 | |
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Connor Oliver LHP / Oak Forest HS / 2019 (Miami OH)Round 17, Pick 499, Kansas City Royals Oliver started his career at Wichita State before transferring to Wabash Valley where he posted a 9-1 record on the mound with a 1.87 ERA and 92 strikeouts in 57.2 innings pitched. He then transferred to Texas Christian University before finishing his career at Miami University where he earned Second-Team All-MAC honors, finishing the season with a team-best 3.89 ERA. 2023 STATS: | 2-6 | 78.2 IP | 71 H | 51 R | 34 ER | 4 HR | 46 BB | 102 K | 3.89 | 1.49 | |
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Drew Pestka RHP / Carterville HS / 2022 (John A Logan)Round 18, Pick 528, Cincinnati Reds 10/05/22 2023 STATS: | 7-2 | 68.1 IP | 60 H | 36 R | 28 ER | 31 BB | 85 K | 3.69 | 1.33 | |
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Matt Jachec RHP / Hampshire HS / 2019 (INDIANA STATE)Round 18, Pick 548, Cleveland Guardians 5/10/23 2023 STATS: | 7-4 | 104.1 IP | 101 H | 51 R | 47 ER | 15 HR | 17 BB | 104 K | 4.40 | 1.13 | |
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Derek Salata RHP / 1B / Nazareth HS / 2018 (Illinois State)Round 19, Pick 556, Oakland Athletics Salata headlinded the Illinois State pitching staff in 2023, capping off a successful career in Normal. This season, he threw 75 innings and struck out 88 while pitching to a 4.08 ERA. Salata was also named the Collegiate Baseball News National Pitcher of the Week after tossing six innings with 11 strikeouts in a game against Belmont. 10/15/22 2023 STATS: | 5-6 | 75 IP | 72 H | 35 R | 34 ER | 6 HR | 27 BB | 88 K | 4.08 | 1.32 | |
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Ryan Ignoffo SS / RHP / Cary-Grove HS / 2018 (Eastern Illinois)Round 20, Pick 593, Miami Marlins Ignoffo played five seasons at Eastern Illinois, and really started to excel his last two seasons with the Panthers, posting a .395 batting average with 14 home runs and 58 RBIs in 2022, earning First-Team All-OVC honors for his efforts. Ignoffo led the OVC in batting average, home runs and RBIs in both 2022 and 2023, and in 2023 he earned first team All-Region honors by the ABCA and was a finalist for the John Olerud Two-Way Player of the Year Award. 2023 HITTING STATS: | 286 PA | 236 AB | 65 R | 79 H | 13 2B | 2 3B | 15 HR | 60 RBI | 29 SB | 36 BB | .335 | .434 | .598 | 1.031 | 2023 PITCHING STATS: | 1-1 | 44 IP | 36 H | 26 R | 24 ER | 7 HR | 24 BB | 49 K | 4.91 | 1.36 | |
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