NC State catcher Jacob Cozart drafted 48th overall by Cleveland Guardians
NC State has a long lineage of successful catchers that have heard their names called in the MLB Draft under coach Elliott Avent, headlined by Patrick Bailey (first round pick by the San Francisco Giants, No. 13 overall in 2020) and Andrew Knizner (seventh round pick by the St. Louis Cardinals, No. 226 overall in 2016). Now, junior Jacob Cozart will join that group.
The Wolfpack’s star backstop was selected 48th overall by the Cleveland Guardians in the second round of the MLB Draft on Sunday, July 14.
Cozart was the first Pack player to be picked in this year’s draft, yet another Wolfpacker to make it to the next level under coach Elliott Avent in his 27 seasons in Raleigh.
This past season, the 6-foot-3, 222-pound catcher had a career-best .305 batting average, which led to a .437 on-base percentage and a .601 slugging percentage. Cozart added a career-high 19 homers with 52 walks, the second-most in a single season in program history. He also had seven doubles and one triple at the plate.
Cozart flashed a red-hot bat at the Athens Super Regional this postseason. He went 6-for-14 with three home runs and four RBI to help propel NC State to its second College World Series appearance in the last four seasons.
Going into the draft, Cozart was considered one of the top collegiate catchers available. He was viewed as the No. 42 overall prospect by MLB.com and the No. 82 player available by ESPN, and was ranked the third-best college catcher by Perfect Game.
“There are differences of opinion as to whether his offense or defense stands out more, but the consensus is that he’s one of the top catchers in the college class,” MLB.com’s scouting report wrote. “That alone should put him in the top three rounds, and he could go higher if he shows more consistency on both sides of the ball.”
Cozart finished his NC State career with a .287 average, 29 doubles, three triples, 33 home runs and 121 RBI in three seasons. He walked 93 times with 111 strikeouts in 677 total plate appearances with the Wolfpack.
