Oregon pitcher Isaac Ayon selected in the 20th round of the 2023 MLB Draft
Right-handed pitcher Isaac Ayon became the sixth Oregon Duck to hear his name called during the 2023 Major League Baseball Draft on Tuesday.
The Washington Nationals selected Ayon in the 20th round with the 585th overall pick.
A 6-foot-4, 235-pound junior, Ayon was expected to be Oregon’s Friday starter prior to the start of the 2023 season. But he missed the entire season due to an undisclosed injury.
Although Ducks’ coach Mark Wasikowski relayed public optimism throughout the spring regarding the possibility of Ayon making a healthy return for the postseason, he ultimately did not throw a single pitch.
During his sophomore season in 2022, Ayon posted a 5.77 ERA in 17 appearances, including 16 starts. Over the course of 87 1/3 innings, he struck out 80 batters and walked 29.
The Atlanta Braves selected infielder Sabin Ceballos in the third round with the 94th overall pick. The Minnesota Twins selected right-handed pitcher Jace Stoffal in the eighth round with the 237th overall pick.
The Miami Marlins selected center fielder Colby Shade in the ninth round with the 263rd overall pick, and the Toronto Blue Jays selected closer Josh Mollerus with the 304th overall pick.
Earlier in the draft, Oregon signee Noble Meyer was the first prep pitcher off the board when the Miami Marlins selected him with the 10th overall pick.
The Milwaukee Brewers selected Ducks’ shortstop signee Eric Bitonti in the third round with the 87th overall pick, the Philadelphia Phillies selected catcher signee Kehden Hettiger in the 11th round with the 343rd overall pick, and the Cleveland Guardians selected pitcher signee Jacob Bresnahan in the 13th round with the 398th overall pick.
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.
