Michigan State shortstop Mitch Jebb selected by Pittsburgh Pirates in 2023 MLB Draft

Michigan State shortstop Mitch Jebb has been selected by the Pittsburgh Pirates with the 42nd pick in the second of the 2023 MLB Draft.

The former Spartans star had his best season yet in East Lansing in 2023, playing in 50 games and accumulating a batting average of .337 at the plate. Additionally, Jebb smacked 68 hits on the season, including 15 doubles, seven triples and a home run, en route to driving in 36 runs in the process.

The Saginaw, Michigan native entered the season at No. 44 among MLB prospects, and it’s evident he didn’t do much to sway that opinion, as he’s entering the next level with much fanfare.

In the MLB, Mitch Jebb will hope to take his game to the next level, and it’s tough to argue with his potential after watching him get the job done continuously for Michigan State.

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.