UConn players figure to lead crop of state MLB Draft picks
There will be some intrigue and suspense during the first round of the MLB Draft, as both UConn and Tennessee baseball fans, and those who follow unique prospects, keep their eyes glued to see where Reggie Crawford goes.
Crawford, a slugger and pitcher who has nominally transferred from UConn to Tennessee figures to be drafted Sunday, when the first two rounds, with compensatory picks in between, will be staged starting at 7 p.m. on ESPN and the MLB Network. There are a large number of draft hopefuls among Crawford’s former teammates at UConn, and players at other colleges and at high schools and prep schools across the state who will be waiting for that potentially life-changing phone call on Monday (Rounds 3-10) or Tuesday (Rounds 11-20). Both days start at 2 p.m. on MLB Network.
Here is a look at some of the state players considered potential picks:
UConn
Crawford might have been a top-10 pick had he not missed the season recovering from Tommy John surgery. But the Huskies, who won a school-record 50 games, the Big East regular season and tournament title and reached the Super Regional, had scouts following them all year and several players who will be considered.
No. 1 starter Austin Peterson (11-3, 3.83 ERA), who had 147 strikeouts in 110 innings, and No. 2 Pat Gallagher (11-3, 3.47), who had 110 in 103 innings, should go in the middle rounds. Both are righthanders with an array of pitches.
Catcher Matt Donlan, from Guilford, who transferred from Division II Stonehill, blossomed with his ability to throw out runners (22 of 42), and also figures to be gone by Tuesday. Zach Bushling, Casey Dana, Ben Huber, and Erik Stock are Huskies position players who could get a call Tuesday, or shortly after the draft. Infielder Christian Fedko and pitcher Jimmy Wang could get pro opportunities, according to MLB’s Draft Tracker.
High school/Prep school
Catcher Adonys Guzman at the Brunswick School in Greenwich, a Boston College commit, is ranked No. 132 on MLB.com’s prospect list, so he could be a fifth-round pick or better. Guzman is considered to have elite defensive skills. Pitcher Matt Scott, from state Class M champion Joel Barlow High in Redding, is committed to Stanford, but could be chosen. UConn commit Ryan Daniels, from Class S champ St. Paul-Bristol, and East Catholic-Manchester shortstop Alex Irizzary, committed to Maryland, are other possibilities, though they appear headed for NCAA Division I.
State colleges
Yale pitcher Mike Walsh, who has been hitting the mid-90s in the Cape Cod League, could join the several Bulldogs in the pros. Shortstop Mason LaPlante and pitcher Quinn Cleary are other Yale hopefuls. Fairfield’s Michael Sansone, a lefty pitcher from Cheshire, struck out 78 and 68 innings for the Stags. Quinnipiac’s Brandyn Garcia (74 strikeouts in 61 innings), a lefty from Granby, UHart righthander Will Nowak from South Windsor, and outfielders Braycin Hernandez at Post University and George Sutherland, who hit .292 for Sacred Heart, are also listed on MLB’s Draft Tracker.
Other state players to watch
Two state players who starred for Maryland’s NCAA Regional team, Nick Lorusso, a two-way player from Masuk-Monroe, had a .409 on-base percentage and 69 RBI in 62 games and Bobby Zmarzlak (.403 on-base), outfielder from Stamford, could get calls. Duke’s Chad Knight, who was drafted by the Yankees out of Staples-Westport, could get another call after hitting .279 in 51 games. Duke pitcher Henry Williams, from Darien, is eligible, though he redshirted in 2022 with an arm injury. Pitcher Ken Turner, from Ledyard, was drafted in 2019 and could be again, though injuries limited his 2022 season at Bryant.
Dom Amore can be reached at damore@courant.com
