Draft Recap Article

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2023 MLB Draft recap

A
by Jake Ness

nother MLB draft has come and gone, and the 2023 draft once again saw
plenty of Frederick Keys hear their names called. Five Frederick Keys were
selected, including four from the 2023 team.

The first Key off the board in 2023 was right-handed pitcher Nolan Santos. Santos
was selected in the 7th round by the Minnesota Twins. Santos made four starts for
the Keys in 2023, striking out 21 batters while walking just four across 20 innings.
A Miami native, Santos pitched to a 3.51 ERA in 97 innings for Bethune-Cookman
in 2023, striking out 138 batters. This included nine starts of double-digit strikeouts.
With his selection in the seventh round, Santos also became the first player drafted
out of an HBCU in the 2023 draft.

A 2022 Key came off the board in the ninth round, when right-handed pitcher
Zach Fruit was drafted by the Baltimore Orioles. Fruit threw 22 innings for the Keys,
striking out 36 batters while walking just seven. He continued his great strikeout
numbers into his 2023 season for Troy, striking out 92 over 69.2 innings, while also
locking down five saves

The first Key off the board on day three was 2023 outfielder Brennan Orf, who was
selected by the Toronto Blue Jays in the 13th round. While Orf only played in ten
games with the Keys, he made his presence felt with the bat in that short time. Orf
went 8-24 while knocking in five runs. He also drew nine walks, bringing his on
base percentage to .529. Orf wrapped up his collegiate career among one of the
top hitters in program history at Southern Illinois University Edwardsville. Orf was a
career .325 hitter and his .675 slugging percentage is a program record.

Catcher Brady Cerkownyk was next, heading to the Detroit Tigers in the 15th
round. Cerkownyk was one of the top junior college players in the nation in 2023
for Connors State. Not only did he hit .304, but he slugged 27 home runs and 23
doubles. He was also the only junior college player to make the Golden Spikes
watchlist, an award that recognizes the top collegiate player in the country every
season.

Finally, 2023 Keys outfielder AJ Shaver was selected by the Philadelphia Phillies in
the 17th round. Shaver showed off plenty of tools for the Keys, hitting .270 with three
home runs, while also stealing eight bases. After beginning his collegiate career at
Florida State, Shaver put up a historic 2023 season at Florida Southwestern State.
He hit .403 with 19 home runs and stole 28 bases. This campaign led him to being
honored as the Southern Conference Player of the Year and saw him selected as a
2nd team NJCAA All-American.

The Keys send our congratulations to these players and look forward to following
their successes at the next level.

Ticket office: 301.815.9939


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