Most TCU players taken in MLB draft in 2 years, including 5 pitchers, Fort Worth native
Six TCU baseball players were selected in the 2021 MLB Draft, including five on Tuesday, the third and final day of the draft.
It’s the most Horned Frogs selected in a draft since a school-record nine were drafted in 2019.
Left-hander Russell Smith was the highest TCU player drafted with the 51st overall pick in the second round by the Milwaukee Brewers on Monday. Of the six TCU players drafted, five are pitchers.
The other five Frogs were taken in rounds 11-20 on Tuesday.
Smith was 7-3 in 15 starts with a 101 strikeouts and 20 walks in 82 1/3 innings in 2021.
The Frogs’ six drafted players are the third-most in the Big 12. Texas Tech led the conference with nine and Texas had seven. Kansas State and West Virginia each had four players, Oklahoma and Oklahoma State each had three, and Baylor had two.
Right-hander Johnny Ray was taken in the 12th round by the Chicago White Sox. Outfielder Phillip Sikes was taken in the 18th round by the Boston Red Sox. Right-hander Harrison Beethe was taken in the 18th round by the Kansas City Royals.
In the 20th round, right-hander Marcelo Perez was taken by the Los Angeles Angels and left-hander Haylen Green was taken by the White Sox.
Sikes, the lone non-pitcher, earned All-America honors after batting .329 with a team-high 63 RBIs, 19 doubles, five triples and 11 home runs.
Beethe, a graduate of Arlington Heights High School, had a 3.18 ERA in 14 appearances for TCU.
The two-time All-American Green, who spent five seasons with the Frogs, pitched 168 2/3 innings over 88 career appearances.
Since new head coach Kirk Saarloos joined as an assistant and recruiting coordinator in 2013, TCU has had 45 players, including 27 pitchers, selected in the MLB draft.
There are currently 24 TCU alumni in professional baseball, including six in the major leagues.
This story was originally published July 13, 2021 at 5:11 PM.
