Duke RHP Adam Boucher selected by Tampa Bay Rays in 2023 MLB Draft

Duke was just one game away from the College World Series, having a great season in Durham. Now, the program is being rewarded at the 2023 MLB Draft, with another Blue Devils player being selected on Monday evening. Right-handed pitcher Adam Boucher was picked by the Tampa Bay Rays with the No. 303 overall pick in the 10th round.

In 29 appearances for Boucher, just five of them were starts. He pitched 40 innings, having a 4.95 ERA with just five home runs allowed. Opponents hit .224 against Boucher, striking out on 59 occasions and being walked 25 times.

With Boucher only playing three seasons of college baseball, he does not have to sign with the Rays. He could decide to return to Duke for his senior year and re-enter the MLB Draft in 2024. A tough decision will have to come from the talented pitcher.

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.