Virginia Tech RHP Drue Hackenberg selected by Atlanta Braves in 2023 MLB Draft

Virginia Tech pitcher Drue Hackenberg has heard his name called in the 2023 MLB Amateur Draft. The Atlanta Braves selected him with the No. 59 overall pick in the second round.

Hackenberg burst onto the scene as a freshman in 2022 with a 10-2 record and a 3.30 ERA. That helped him consensus freshman All-American honors and set some high expectations for his sophomore season. However, things didn’t go as planned as he finished with a 5.70 ERA and a 5-8 record for Virginia Tech.

Hackenberg did, however, record his first career complete game against Florida State as he struck out 12 Seminoles and allowed three runs to get the victory. Despite the rough year, he got the chance to showcase his skills at the MLB Draft combine. Now, he’s preparing to start his journey to the big leagues.

More on the 2023 MLB Draft

The 2023 Major League Baseball Draft will begin during All-Star week, with the first two rounds getting underway at 7 p.m. ET on Sunday, July 9. Rounds 3-10 will then begin at 2 p.m. ET on Monday, July 10, with rounds 11-20 starting at 2 p.m. ET on Tuesday, July 11.

This year’s MLB Draft is a historic one, as a draft lottery was used to determine the order for the first time. The Washington Nationals, Pittsburgh Pirates and Oakland Athletics each had a 16.5% chance to receive the No. 1 overall pick. Ultimately, Pittsburgh won the right to have the first selection, with Washington finishing right behind them at No. 2. Oakland, however, fell all the way down to No. 6 overall.

While the MLB Draft is always unpredictable, the consensus is that this year’s top prospects both hail from LSU, who won the 2023 College World Series. Pitcher Paul Skenes and outfielder Dylan Crews headline this year’s class, which is considered a deep one.

Within the first ten rounds of the draft, each slot is assigned a certain value. Each team has a bonus pool that they are able to spend on these picks, and players will sign at, above or below their assigned slot value.

In rounds 11-20, there is no assigned slot value and MLB teams are free to spend up to $150,000 to sign their picks from the second half of the draft. If they exceed the $150,000 mark, that added amount will be deducted from their bonus pool.

Following the final day of the 2023 MLB Draft, selected players will have until August 1 to sign a contract.