Vanderbilt LHP commit Alex Clemmey selected by the Cleveland Guardians in 2023 MLB Draft

One of the most highly touted pitchers in the country has finally heard his name called, as left-handed pitcher and Vanderbilt commit Alex Clemmey has been selected with the No. 58 overall pick of the 2023 MLB Draft by the Cleveland Guardians.

Clemmey is a 6-foot-6, 205-pound prospect out of Bishop Hendricken high school in Middletown, Rhode Island whose fastball has already touched 98 miles per hour before his 18th birthday later this month.

He was named the Gatorade Player of the Year for the state, ending the season with a 6-1 record and a 0.59 ERA. Clemmey struck out 84 batters in his 35.2 innings pitched, allowing just seven hits on the season versus the 137 batters he faced his senior year.

Clemmey committed to Vanderbilt last fall, saying that today would be the day he was making his decision regarding a professional or collegiate career moving forward.

“It’s going to come down to a draft day decision,” Clemmey said to the Providence Journal. “I have a great opportunity wherever I go.” 

More on the 2023 MLB Draft

The 2023 Major League Baseball Draft will begin during All-Star week, with the first two rounds getting underway at 7 p.m. ET on Sunday, July 9. Rounds 3-10 will then begin at 2 p.m. ET on Monday, July 10, with rounds 11-20 starting at 2 p.m. ET on Tuesday, July 11.

This year’s MLB Draft is a historic one, as a draft lottery was used to determine the order for the first time. The Washington Nationals, Pittsburgh Pirates and Oakland Athletics each had a 16.5% chance to receive the No. 1 overall pick. Ultimately, Pittsburgh won the right to have the first selection, with Washington finishing right behind them at No. 2. Oakland, however, fell all the way down to No. 6 overall.

While the MLB Draft is always unpredictable, the consensus is that this year’s top prospects both hail from LSU, who won the 2023 College World Series. Pitcher Paul Skenes and outfielder Dylan Crews headline this year’s class, which is considered a deep one.

Within the first ten rounds of the draft, each slot is assigned a certain value. Each team has a bonus pool that they are able to spend on these picks, and players will sign at, above or below their assigned slot value.

In rounds 11-20, there is no assigned slot value and MLB teams are free to spend up to $150,000 to sign their picks from the second half of the draft. If they exceed the $150,000 mark, that added amount will be deducted from their bonus pool.

Following the final day of the 2023 MLB Draft, selected players will have until August 1 to sign a contract.