South Carolina senior pitcher selected in MLB Draft
On Monday, the Minnesota Twins selected South Carolina baseball senior pitcher Matthew Becker in the 2025 MLB Draft. The Twins snagged the left-handed arm in the 19th round. He was the No. 569 pick. With later picks like Becker, no slot value accompanies draft spots. He is the third current Gamecock to hear his name called in the draft, joining Ethan Petry and Nathan Hall.
Becker was the second pitcher from the 2024 Gamecocks selected by the Twins. In last year’s draft, right-hander Eli Jones came off the board in the seventh round. Utility player Jonah Bride, an older player than Becker and Jones, is also in the organization.
Stay on top of all things Gamecocks for just $1 for 7 days—lock in this special offer today!
During his South Carolina baseball career, Becker bounced between the starting rotation and the bullpen but showcased some big-time strikeout stuff. In total, he struck out 263 batters in 193.1 innings pitched. Free passes were a bugaboo at times (he walked 100 batters and hit 23), but if he can tighten up his control, the Chapin native has a higher ceiling at the next level than most 19th-round picks.
Top 10
- 1New
Top 25 College QBs
Ranking best '25 signal callers
- 2
Top 25 Defensive Lines
Ranking the best for 2025
- 3
Big Ten Football
Predicting 1st loss for each team
- 4Hot
College Football Playoff
Ranking Top 32 teams for 2025
- 5Trending
Tim Brando
Ranks Top 15 CFB teams for 2025
Get the Daily On3 Newsletter in your inbox every morning
By clicking "Subscribe to Newsletter", I agree to On3's Privacy Notice, Terms, and use of my personal information described therein.
Becker had a role all four years he wore garnet and black. He made between 18 and 21 appearances and at least four starts each season. Becker was the SEC co-Pitcher of the Week as a freshman in 2022 after holding the Texas Longhorns to just one run over six innings. He struck out 11 batters in the outing. As a sophomore the next year, he earned a win over the rival Clemson Tigers.
South Carolina will be replacing a bunch of arms from its 2025 squad next season. Including Becker, the Gamecocks are losing eight of 10 players who made a start this spring and eight of their top 10 pitchers in terms of bullpen usage. The lefty made six starts and 13 relief appearances as a senior.
