Gino Groover selected in the second round of MLB Draft
The question was not if but when Gino Groover from NC State baseball would get his name called in the Major League Baseball (MLB) Draft. The answer was the second round.
The Arizona Diamondbacks selected Groover with the No. 48 overall pick in the draft, which carries a signing bonus slot value of $1.78 million.
TheWolfpacker.com surveyed the top prospect lists from MLB.com, D1Baseball.com (which was college players only), ESPN.com, The Athletic, Sporting News and Prospects Live prior to the draft.
All six had Groover rated among the top 100, and five had him in the top 75 with Prospects Live leading the way at No. 41.
That suggested that Groover had a chance of hearing his name called Sunday, July 9, which featured the top two rounds and the first 70 selections. With the pick by the Diamondbacks, NC State baseball fans have almost certainly seen the versatile Gino Groover take his last at-bat for the Wolfpack.
Groover played third base in 2023 and also has experience at second, first and corner outfield. The Charlotte transfer had a .348 batting average during two seasons for NC State and had 23 homers and 97 runs batted in (RBI) in 114 games and 489 at-bats.
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The MLB Draft continued with rounds 3-10 on July 10 and the 20-round affair concluded July 11.
After Groover’s selection, most of the attention from NC State baseball’s perspective turned to recruits, including right-handed prep pitchers Landen Maroudis and Chance Mako, UNC Wilmington pitcher and transfer portal addition Brett Banks and high school catcher Alex Sosa.
Maroudis, a product of Largo (Fla.) Calvary Christian High, was chosen in the fourth round by the Toronto Blue Jays with the No. 121 pick overall. Banks was selected by the New York Mets in the 11th round with the 336th pick overall. Mako and Sosa went undrafted and have enrolled at NC State.
Go here for a complete roundup of Wolfpack players selected in the draft.
MLB.com Scouting Report On Gino Groover
“Groover has quality bat-to-ball skills and likes to attack pitchers early in the count. He has tremendous feel for the barrel and drills line drives from foul pole to foul pole, though his ability to make contact does cut into his walk totals. His left-handed swing is relatively flat but he has the hitting ability, bat speed and strength for 20-homer power if he can add more leverage.
“With well-below-average speed and fringy at best arm strength, Groover’s defensive options are limited. Primarily a first baseman in his first two college seasons, he has moved to third base with the hope that he might be adequate there. He also has played second base and the outfield corners, and he does have fast hands, but his lack of quickness and range is a concern at any spot.”
