Six Louisville Cardinals selected in 2025 MLB Draft
After a wild ride to their sixth College World Series in program history, six Louisville baseball players were drafted in this week’s 2025 Major League Baseball draft.
RHP Patrick Forbes — Round 1, 29th overall, Arizona Diamondbacks
The Cardinals’ ace was fantastic in his second season as a full-time pitcher. The 6-foot-3, 220 pound right-hander 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).
Forbes is now the tenth Cardinal to be taken in the first round and the first since catcher Henry Davis was taken No. 1 overall in 2021.
INF Jake Munroe — Round 4, 109th overall, Los Angeles Angels
Munroe was a hidden gem for head coach Dan McDonnell. Coming from John A. Logan, a junior college in Illinois, Monroe had expectations, but many didn’t see the 2025 season he had coming. As a junior, Munroe was one of just two players on the roster to start in all 66 games and hit .346 with 61 RBIs and 13 homers.
He was one of three Cardinals named to the College World Series All-Tournament team. In the tournament, Munroe hit a dazzling .378.
C Matt Klein — Round 6, 167th overall, Colorado Rockies
It really doesn’t get more “Louisville” than Cards catcher Matt Klein. Klein was born and raised in the Ville, attending Trinity High School and playing for Louisville for three seasons. However, the backstop’s season was riddled with a wrist injury that kept him out for over a month. Klein returned for the postseason and was a consistent piece in Louisville’s run to the CWS.
In just 33 games, Klein slashed .310 with five homers and 33 RBIs.
RHP Tucker Biven — Round 13, 381st overall, Washington Nationals
Biven, another Louisville-area guy, started off his college career as a relief pitcher and closer before making the transition to being a weekend starter in 2025. With strong bullpen potential, the New Albany, Indiana, native was crucial for the Cards in the postseason. In the College World Series, he combined for five scoreless innings against Oregon State and Arizona.
OF Eddie King Jr. — Round 16, 473rd overall, Pittsburgh Pirates
Despite being one of the oldest players on the roster to see significant time in the lineup, King was one of the most electric. If you were to look at the numbers amongst hitters in the NCAA tournament, the outfielders’ stats would immediately catch your eye. King missed all of his freshman season with an injury, but became a focal point in the lineup thereafter. The 6-foot-2 Lynwood, Illinois, product had a hit in every game in the final month of the season — that’s a 12 game hit streak with a majority of those coming in the postseason.
King was named the MVP of the Nashville Regional, where Louisville edged out No. 1 overall seeded Vanderbilt.
LHP Justin West — Round 18, 554th overall, New York Yankees
West put up a 4-3 record in 54.2 innings this past spring, and despite a sputtering start to the year, he capped it off by pitching some of the best baseball he has in his career. Out of the bullpen in the postseason, the southpaw had a team-best 0.93 ERA, giving up just one run in his final six appearances. The junior from Paducah has an opportunity to return to Louisville or sign his contract offer.
McDonnell has now had 111 players selected, and six in one draft is the most for the Louisville baseball program since 2021.
