Miami Hurricanes land 2 players in top 65 of MLB draft for only the 2nd time since 2008

Yohandy Morales fell further than most expected on Day 1 of the 2023 MLB draft.

Andrew Walters surprisingly jumped way up into the back end of the first day Sunday.

The opening day of the MLB draft was a mixed bag for the Miami Hurricanes, but ultimately another successful one for one of the most storied programs in the country.

Morales is headed to the Washington Nationals after getting picked with the top selection of Round 2. Walters is going to the Cleveland Guardians after he was the top choice in Competitive Balance Round B.

Morales was the No. 40 pick and Walters was the No. 62 selection. It’s the first time since the 2020 MLB draft Miami had multiple players picked in the top 75 and only the second time since the 2008 MLB draft.

For Morales, it was a bit of a tumble. Most mock drafts pegged the star third baseman as a clear-cut first-round pick — he was the No. 20 prospect in the draft, according to MLB.com — and yet he slid all the way out of Round 1, past the Prospect Promotion Incentive Pick and through Competitive Balance Round A before finally landing with the Nationals to kick off the second round.

The slide, however, means the Hurricanes still haven’t had a first-round pick since catcher Zack Collins, now in the Guardians organization, went to the White Sox at No. 10 in the 2016 MLB draft.

If Morales’ landing spot was a bit of a disappointment, then Walters’ was a triumph. The star pitcher was only the No. 124 prospect in the draft and fell all the way to the Orioles in the 18th round last year, before deciding to return to Miami to try to boost his draft stock.

The decision paid off and Walters, who began his career in junior college at Eastern Florida State College in Melbourne, jumped 465 spots, from No. 527 in the 2022 MLB draft to the top 65 this year.

The first day of the draft likely also left the Hurricanes with at least one of their top recruits instead headed elsewhere: Doral Academy shortstop Adrian Santana, who signed a national letter of intent with Miami, went to the Rays with the No. 2 pick in Competitive Balance Round A — No. 31 overall — and will most likely sign a contract with Tampa Bay to begin his professional career.