3 in-state players selected in first round of MLB Draft
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Alabama has produced some Hall of Fame talent on the diamond so it’s no surprise pro scouts pay attention to every level of baseball in our state.
That was clear Sunday as three players with ties to the state were drafted in the first round of the 2025 MLB Draft including:
- Steele Hall: Hewitt-Trussville (HS), 9th overall pick, Cincinnati Reds
- Ike Irish: Auburn, 19th overall pick, Baltimore Orioles
- Riley Quick: Alabama, 36th overall pick, Minnesota Twins
Fun fact: if you like video games, all three players are now in MLB The Show 25 as part of the game’s Draft Night promotion in the Diamond Dynasty game mode.
Keep reading to learn more about that trio + see what other in-state players got selected in this year’s draft.
Hewitt-Trussville powerhouse
It was quite a weekend for Hewitt-Trussville High School’s baseball program.
The Huskies celebrated their highest draft pick ever when shortstop Steele Hall was selected ninth overall by the Reds. That’s the highest an Alabama high school baseball player was drafted since Florence’s Braxton Garrett was drafted seventh overall in 2016.
Hall becomes just the third Alabama high school player drafted in the top 10 over the last four decades.
But that wasn’t the only connection Hewitt had to the big leagues Sunday. Alabama’s Riley Quick, who was selected in the first competitive balance round, played baseball and football for the Huskies.
Another former player, Tyler Tolbert, starred in the Kansas City Royals final game before the all-star break. Tolbert singled, stole second base and score the game-winning run all in the ninth inning of a 3-2 victory over the New York Mets.
Auburn baseball
Ike Irish slid past where most mock drafts had him going but he still became the fifth highest draft pick in program history.
Irish played three seasons with the Tigers, racking up 39 home runs while finishing with a .350 batting average and a 1.060 OPS. He is the fifth player in program history to amass at least 200 hits, 45 doubles, 35 home runs and 150 RBI.
More Tigers were selected on day two of the draft including:
- Eric Snow: 6th round, 172nd overall, Toronto Blue Jays
- Dylan Watts: 7th round, 202nd overall, Toronto Blue Jays
- Cam Tilly: 7th round, 223rd overall, New York Mets
- Samuel Dutton: 10th round, 290th overall, Athletics
- Hayden Murphy: 15th round, 453rd overall, Arizona Diamondbacks
This year’s draft marks the 51st consecutive season dating back to 1975 Auburn has had at least one player selected in the MLB Draft, tied for the longest streak in the Southeastern Conference.
Alabama baseball
Riley Quick was always expected to be the first Crimson Tide player off the board during this year’s draft. He becomes the sixth first rounder in program history which includes Ben Hess who was drafted 26th overall just last year.
Quick, who was a 4-star offensive lineman recruit out of high school, appeared in 31 games on the mound across his three seasons in Tuscaloosa.
Despite a season-ending surgery in 2024, he bounced back to become the Tide’s Saturday starter for much of the 2025 season.
Alabama had more players selected during the 2025 MLB Draft including:
- Kade Snell: 5th round, 151st overall, Chicago Cubs
- Richie Bonomolo Jr.: 7th round, 224th overall, New York Yankees
State’s connections to MLB Draft
Troy catcher Brooks Bryan was selected by the Kansas City Royals in the eighth round. He’s the fourth Trojan in the last three years to get drafted.
UAB’s Logan Braunschweig will be staying in the southeast after being drafted in the ninth round by the Atlanta Braves. He was the first UAB player to be selected since 2021. College teammate Colin Daniel was drafted two rounds later, also by the Braves.
Cameron Keshock of Samford was drafted by the Pittsburgh Pirates in the 12th round.
If you’re looking for the next big league stars to come through one of the state’s minor league organizations, here’s some names to keep an eye on:
- Tyler Bremner: 2nd overall, Los Angeles Angels (Rocket City Trash Pandas)
- Billy Carlson: 10th overall, Chicago White Sox (Birmingham Barons)
- Daniel Pierce: 14th overall, Tampa Bay Rays (Montgomery Biscuits)
- Brendan Summerhill: 42nd overall, Tampa Bay Rays (Montgomery Biscuits)
- Kyle Lodise: 76th overall, Chicago White Sox (Birmingham Barons)
Which players are you most excited to see play at the next level? Let us know by tagging The Bama Buzz on Instagram, X, Facebook + LinkedIn.
