Four prospects who played at Alabama high schools and colleges were chosen on the opening night of the 2024 MLB First-Year Player Draft.
The 30 Major League teams chose 73 players on Sunday night, with former Alabama pitcher Luke Holman going to the Cincinnati Reds at No. 71.
Holman was among the eight players picked during Competitive Balance Round B, which followed the second round. Major League Baseball uses a formula that combines revenue, winning percentage and market score to award competitive-balance picks to teams that fall in the bottom 10 in revenue or market size. On Sunday night, six teams got Competitive Balance Round A selections after the first round.
The Reds chose Holman from LSU, where he transferred for the 2024 season after playing for the Crimson Tide in 2022 and 2023.
For LSU in 2024, the 6-foot-4 right-hander posted a 9-4 record with a 2.75 earned-run average in 16 starts. In 91.2 innings, Holman struck out 127 batters and yielded 57 hits and 33 walks.
While at Alabama, Holman had a 7-6 mark with a 4.05 ERA in 31 games, including 15 starts. In 100 innings with the Crimson Tide, Holman struck out 111 batters and yielded 79 hits and 39 walks.
The players with Alabama baseball roots who preceded Holman in MLB’s 60th summer draft were:
· Alabama pitcher Ben Hess, who was chosen at No. 26 by the New York Yankees.
· Vanderbilt pitcher Bryce Cunningham (Headland), who was chosen at No. 53 by the New York Yankees.
· Oxford High School shortstop Carter Johnson, who was chosen at No. 56 by the Miami Marlins.
Johnson is an Alabama commitment.
The MLB First-Year Player Draft resumes at 1 p.m. CDT Monday with the third through 10th rounds. MLB.com will stream the selections.
Mark Inabinett is a sports reporter for Alabama Media Group. Follow him on Twitter at@AMarkG1.
