Arizona Diamondbacks select Louisville pitcher Patrick Forbes No. 29 overall
In Sunday night’s 2025 Major League Baseball draft, the Arizona Diamondbacks selected Louisville pitcher Patrick Forbes with the No. 29 overall pick.
The right-hander was critical in Louisville’s run to their sixth College World Series appearance in school history. Forbes is the tenth Cardinal to be selected in the first round of the MLB draft, and he’s the first to be taken in the first round since the Pittsburgh Pirates took Henry Davis with the No. 1 overall pick in 2021. Head coach Dan McDonnell now has 106 players drafted into the MLB.
Forbes was the No. 1 player in Kentucky (Bowling Green) and the state’s Mr. Baseball coming out of high school and made the full-time transition to the mound after his freshman season with the Cards. As a freshman in 2023, Forbes started 25 games (17 as a designated hitter, seven in left field, and one in center). However, the rubber wasn’t kind to him that season. Forbes made 14 appearances in relief and struggled with a 7.71 ERA, totaling 10 strikeouts in 9.1 innings.
The 6-foot-3, 220-pound Forbes worked his way to four starts as a sophomore in 12 appearances. He pitched a 3.72 ERA in 29 innings.
This past year, Forbes was one of the nation’s best starters. He flashed elite control, striking out 117 and walking just 34 in 71.1 innings pitched. The Cards’ ace boasted a 4.42 ERA and was second in the ACC in strikeouts behind Florida State’s Jamie Arnold (No. 11 pick by the Athletics).
As a prospect, Forbes is valuable. He’s got great athleticism at a position in which it seems to be a luxury, and with limited college baseball mileage on his arm, there’s a tremendous level of upside for Forbes, who continues to improve on the hill. The righty is explosive coming towards the plate, and his fastball consistently sat in the mid-90s throughout the season. Still, there’s work to do when it comes to his offspeed pitches and pitches with movement like his curveball and slider.
He will be given the option to sign with the D-Backs or return to college baseball next season with Louisville or another program.
Louisville went 42-24 in 2025, and the Cardinals’ season ended in the bracket final of the College World Series after a magical postseason run through the No. 1 overall regional at Vanderbilt and ACC foe Miami (FL) in the super regional.
