Virginia Tech outfielder Jack Hurley selected by Arizona Diamondbacks in 2023 MLB Draft
Lives are changing in Seattle as names continue to fly off the board at the 2023 MLB Draft. Virginia Tech Hokies outfielder Jack Hurley is the latest, being selected by the Arizona Diamondbacks. Hurley was the No. 80 overall pick in the third round, earning his ticket into the professional game.
Hurley comes out of Virginia Tech, spending three seasons in Blacksburg. He was a career .321 hitter with the Hokies, having 37 home runs and 129 RBIs. A career OPS at 1.014 is an impressive one, showcasing what time of hitter the Diamondbacks will be getting.
Most of Hurley’s time out in the field was in left field, being a reliable defender for Virginia Tech. An impressive overall player who now sees his baseball dreams coming true. A special moment for Hurley and the rest of his family after being selected.
Now, the work toward earning a big league call-up will begin. Hurley will start in rookie ball and hopefully continually make his way up the minor league system throughout the next few years. If he does make it to the Majors, it will be a proud moment for everyone involved with the Virginia Tech program.
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.