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Two Auburn baseball signees taken early in MLB Draft

Cole Pinkstonby: Cole Pinkston07/09/23ColePinkston
Syndication: Zanesville Times Recorder
(Sam Blackburn/Times Recorder/2022 archived photo/USA TODAY NETWORK)

Two Auburn baseball signees will not be headed to Auburn. They instead have been drafted early on in the 2023 MLB Draft.

With Auburn baseball having some success by making the playoffs two years in a row, the recruiting has followed. Fortunately and unfortunately, the Tigers have scouted and recruited well enough for their signees to be taken by the MLB before ever making it to Auburn.

Colt Emerson – Pick No. 22 – Seattle Mariners

Colt Emerson, an Auburn baseball signee out of John Glenn High School in New Concord (Ohio) was drafted No. 22 overall by the Seattle Mariners in the first round of the 2023 MLB Draft. Emerson, who has been committed to the Tigers since August 2020, was the No. 14 overall player, the No. 4 shortstop, and the No. 1 player in the state of Ohio, according to Perfect Game.

Perfect game says that Emerson has a chance to be an excellent infielder.

Colt Emerson is a 2023 SS/IF with a 6-0 185 lb. frame from Cambridge, OH who attends John Glenn. Medium athletic build with good present strength. 6.77 runner in the sixty. Primary middle infielder on defense, moves well laterally and shows good range, has a clean exchange and release with some carry on his throws, plays with good body control, fundamentally sound defender. Left handed hitter, hits from a relaxed slightly open stance, has a whole field approach from a balanced base that gives him consistent bat speed, showed he could both lag and turn the barrel in games. Polished all around player with good tools and better skills. Good student, verbal commitment to Auburn.

Kevin McGonigle – Pick No 37 – Detroit Tigers

Another Auburn signee, Kevin McGonigle from Aldan (Penn.) Monsignor Bonner High School, was drafted No. 37 overall in the first round to the Detroit Tigers. According to Perfect Game, McGonigle was the No. 7 overall player, the No. 3 best shortstop, and the No. 1 player in Pennsylvania.

Perfectgame.org says McGonigle had the tools to be a professional hitter.

Kevin McGonigle is a 2023 SS/2B/3B with a 5-11 185 lb. frame from Aldan, PA who attends Monsignor Bonner HS. Recorded a 6.56 second 60-yard dash time. Physical build with quick twitch athleticism and a compact frame overall. Primary shortstop with smooth hands and synced up upper and lower halves. Methodical actions with clean footwork and throws up to 86 mph across the diamond. Left-handed hitter with a relaxed and even start. Simple toe tap timing trigger with a short and direct path. Compact levers and controls them very well with innate feel and terrific barrel accuracy. Hard line drive contact to both gaps in batting practice with plus bat speed. Really professional hitter with good underlying batted ball data to show the power. Among the best in his class in terms of hit tool projection. Tremendous student. Verbal commitment to Auburn. Named to the 2022 PG All-American Classic.

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