Diamondbacks take Kentucky OF Ryan Waldschmidt with No. 31 pick in MLB Draft

PHOENIX — With the No. 31 overall pick in the MLB Draft, the Arizona Diamondbacks selected Kentucky outfielder Ryan Waldschmidt on Sunday.

The D-backs’ first two picks were outfielders, as they took high school center fielder Slade Caldwell with the No. 29 selection. They drafted prep shortstop JD Dix with the No. 35 pick and Puerto Rican catcher Ivan Luciano No. 64 overall.

Waldschmidt slashed .333/.469/.610 in 2024 for the Wildcats, his second season with Kentucky after transferring from Charleston Southern. The right-handed hitter blasted 14 home runs and stole 25 bases en route to making Second Team All-SEC, overcoming a torn ACL suffered in summer 2023.

MONSTER WALDY BOMB 💣💥💪

💻https://t.co/YOPxm0OSKe (SECN+)#WeAreUK | @ryanwaldy21 pic.twitter.com/zvxHsYW5rZ

— Kentucky Baseball (@UKBaseball) May 16, 2024

“The year Ryan had at Kentucky was unbelievable,” D-backs director of amateur scouting Ian Rebhan said. “In the best conference in college baseball, he performed. He doesn’t strike out. He walks a lot. … He checked a lot of boxes as a really interesting, proven college bat.

“We see him being able to play all three outfield spots. He played left field a lot at Kentucky, but when we scouted him, we saw him as an above average runner. He can probably go out and play center field.”

Waldschmidt has 55 (above average) hit, power and speed tools, according to MLB Pipeline. The 21-year-old has more size than the 5-foot-9 Caldwell at 6-foot-2, 205 pounds.

The Florida native struck out 45 times and produced 41 walks in 273 plate appearances as a Junior in 2024.

Rebhan said Waldschmidt showed last season he was past the ACL injury and that it is not a concern from the D-backs’ perspective going forward.

Ryan Waldschmidt was a standout performer for @UKBaseball and projects as a potential first-round pick in next month's MLB Draft!

He joined #MLBTonight to discuss the evolution of the Wildcat baseball program, his experience facing Paul Skenes in the SEC and more. pic.twitter.com/XjBaSrdwOA

— MLB Network (@MLBNetwork) July 1, 2024

 

MLB awarded the D-backs with the 31st pick after outfielder Corbin Carroll won National League Rookie of the Year, a new incentive from the 2022 collective bargaining agreement called the prospect promotion incentive.

The draft provision was set up to reduce service time manipulation. The Baltimore Orioles grabbed the No. 32 pick for Gunnar Henderson winning American League Rookie of the Year.

The Diamondbacks entered the draft with $12,662,000 in bonus pool funds to use on their picks, and the slot value of the 31st pick was $2,904,000.

Day 1 of the MLB Draft involved the first two rounds, compensatory rounds, Competitive Balance rounds and prospect promotion incentive selections for 74 picks in total.

The MLB Draft lasts 20 rounds.

Rounds 3-10 make up Day 2 on Monday, and the final 10 rounds are on Day 3 Tuesday.

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