Émilien Pitre drafted by the Tampa Bay Rays with the No. 58 pick in the 2024 MLB Draft

Kentucky second baseman Émilien Pitre was drafted by the Tampa Bay Rays with the 58th pick in the Second Round of the 2024 MLB Draft Sunday night.

The slot value for the 58th pick is $1,525,200. The slotting system assigns specific dollar values to each draft position. These dollar values are MLB’s “recommended” bonus amount for the player drafted at whatever position they are picked at.

The Repentigny, Quebec, Canada native burst onto the scene in 2023 when he hit for a .318 average with 16 doubles, one home run, and 51 RBI in his first season as a starter. For his efforts, he was named Second Team All-SEC and was selected to the SEC All-Defensive Team.

Pitre was given high expectations upon his second full season in 2024, and he all but surpassed them. He hit for a .301 batting average in 2024 with 20 doubles, 10 home runs, and 58 RBI and was named an All-American by D1Baseball. He was named to the SEC All-Defensive Team for the second time and secured a spot on the 2024 All-Lexington Regional Team.

“[Waldschmidt] and [Émilien] Pitre both are as good of players as I’ve coached,” Nick Mingione said following Kentucky’s win over Vanderbilt on May 17.

Pitre joins former teammate Ryan Waldschmidt (31st to Diamondbacks) as the second Wildcat drafted. Sunday night marked the first time in Kentucky Baseball program history that two Wildcats were taken in the first 60 picks. Former right-handed pitcher Travis Smith and right-handed pitcher Mason Moore will now wait for their names to be called in the Draft.