Reviewed by: Liv George
27 players from Alabama schools selected during 2024 MLB Draft
Reading time: 4 minutes
Three players from the state of Alabama were selected during the first two rounds of the 2024 MLB Draft, setting the tone for a busy week in Secaucus, New Jersey.
By the end of the three-day event, a total of 27 players from Alabama high schools or colleges were selected in the draft.
Keep reading to find out some of the first names off the board + see the full list of players with Alabama ties who were drafted this week.
Day 1 selections
It was no surprise to see some in-state players come off the board during the first two rounds of the draft Sunday.
The first name called was Alabama pitcher Ben Hess, who was selected by the New York Yankees with the 26th overall pick. Hess is the fifth Crimson Tide player to ever be selected in the first round of the draft.
The Yankees (kinda) stuck with the Alabama pipeline for its second round pick too, selecting Vanderbilt pitcher Bryce Cunningham with the 53rd pick. Cunningham attended Headland High School, striking out 77 batters and posting a 0.76 ERA as a senior.
Next up was Oxford’s Carter Johnson, who was drafted 56th overall by the Miami Marlins. The shortstop was the 22nd high school player selected in the draft.
Representing Alabama high schools
A total of 16 players who went to high school in Alabama were selected in this year’s draft.
Here’s the complete list:
- Bryce Cunningham, P, Headland | 53rd overall pick, New York Yankees
- Carter Johnson, SS, Oxford | 56th, Miami Marlins
- Chase Allsup, P, Dothan | 127th, Baltimore Orioles
- A.J. Causey, P, Sparkman | 138th, Kansas City Royals
- Tanner Jones, P, Thorsby | 167th, Kansas City Royals
- Will Turner, OF, Auburn | 207th, Boston Red Sox
- Joseph Sullivan, OF, Vestavia Hills | 223rd, Houston Astros
- Logan Samuels, P, Winfield | 251st, Atlanta Braves
- Colby Holcombe, P, Central-Florence | 277th, Toronto Blue Jays
- Will Cannon, P, Central-Phenix City | 359th, Cincinnati Reds
- Trent Hodgdon, P, Smiths Station | 509th, Cincinnati Reds
- Jay Thomason, P, Auburn | 518th, Minnesota Twins
- Connor Gatwood, P, Baker | 562nd, Los Angeles Angels
- D’Marion Terrell, 1B, Thompson | 577th, Toronto Blue Jays
- Chase Williams, OF, Stanhope Elmore | 580th, Los Angeles Dodgers
- Carter Frederick, OF, Chelsea | 587th, Kansas City Royals
Players drafted from 8 Alabama colleges
While Ben Hess was the first player from Alabama selected, the Crimson Tide finished with six current players drafted plus two former players. That list also included:
- Luke Holman, P | 71st, Cincinnati Reds
- Gage Miller, 2B | 92nd, Miami Marlins
- Greg Farone, P | 208th, San Francisco Giants
- Ian Patrutz, OF | 351st, St. Louis Cardinals
- Pierce George, P | 379th, Chicago White Sox
- T.J. McCants, OF | 469th, Chicago White Sox
- Colby Shelton, 3B | 590th, Washington Nationals
Auburn had three players drafted including Chase Allsup and Will Cannon, listed in the high school section above. The Tigers also saw pitcher Tanner Bauman drafted by the New York Yankees in the ninth round.
South Alabama had two players drafted including Will Turner and Joseph Sullivan, the grandson of legendary Auburn football player and Heisman Trophy winner Pat Sullivan.
Pitchers A.J. Causey and Tanner Jones were teammates at Jacksonville State before leaving for bigger colleges for their senior seasons. They were both drafted by the Kansas City Royals in back-to-back rounds.
Other players with ties to Alabama colleges included:
- Randy Flores, SS, Alabama State | 232nd, Los Angeles Angels
- Logan Samuels, P, Montevallo | 251st, Atlanta Braves
- Kole Myers, OF, Troy | 280th, Los Angeles Dodgers
- Garrett Howe, SS, Samford | 325th, Cleveland Guardians
- Bryce Alwine, P, Southern Union | 536th, Detroit Tigers
- Michael Ross, P, Samford | 548th, Minnesota Twins
Which players will you be keeping up with at the next level? Let us know by tagging The Bama Buzz on Instagram, X, Facebook + LinkedIn.
