Four Kentucky baseball players were taken in the first 10 rounds of the 2022 MLB Draft, giving head coach Nick Mingione a total of 29 draft picks since 2017, including 19 in the top 10 rounds.
Shortstop Ryan Ritter came off the board first, selected by the Colorado Rockies in the fourth round. Right-handed pitchers Tyler Guilfoil (8th round, Houston Astros) and Sean Harney (8th round to Tampa Bay Rays), along with infielder Chase Estep (9th round, New York Mets) followed to close out day one.
Ritter, a junior from the Chicago area became the sixth Wildcat to win the prestigious Rawlings Gold Glove Award this season as the nation’s top defensive shortstop.