Miami Hurricanes pitcher Andrew Walters selected by Cleveland Guardians in 2023 MLB Draft
Miami Hurricanes right-handed pitcher Andrew Walters was selected with the No. 62 overall pick by the Cleveland Guardians in the 2023 MLB Draft.
Andrew Walters was a relief pitcher for Miami during his three seasons, only making one start in 71 appearances. In 102 career innings pitched, he had a 1.41 ERA and 170 strikeouts.
“Walters still leans very heavily on his one plus pitch, his fastball. The right-hander’s heater touches 99 mph, sits over 95 and misses bats because of plus life up in the zone and deception in his delivery. He’s not throwing it quite as frequently as he did in 2022 (more than 90 percent), but it’s still very much his go-to pitch. He has mixed in his mid-80s slider more frequently, and while it’s missed a ton of bats this spring, it’s a slurvy below-average offering,” wrote MLB.com.
“The reliever’s effectiveness is aided by the fact that he’s around the zone, walking fewer than two per nine in 2022 and 2023. It’s been encouraging that he’s committed to throwing his secondary pitch more with Miami, but he’ll have to find a way to sharpen it at the next level. Three years of success in the ACC won’t hurt his Draft stock, though.”
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.