Jack Dougherty drafted by the Minnesota Twins in the ninth round of MLB Draft
Day two of the 2023 MLB Draft provided some drama for the Ole Miss baseball program but there were some expected results as well.
One of them was pitcher Jack Dougherty becoming a top 10 draft pick as he did when the Minnesota Twins selected him in the ninth round. Doughtery was the 267th overall pick which comes with a slot value of $179,000.
After three seasons at the collegiate level odds are that Doughtery will end up signing with the Twins and starting his professional career. He joins catcher Calvin Harris who was also drafted on Monday.
Harris was the second Ole Miss player taken by the Chicago White Sox in the draft, going in the fourth round as the 116th overall pick.
Dougherty made 15 appearances on the mound for Ole Miss in 2023, making nine starts after working out of the bullpen for the majority of his career. He led all starters in ERA while finishing second on the team in opposing batting average (.261), saves (2), innings pitched (60.1), and strikeouts (65). Dougherty threw a career-high six innings three times over the course of the season and struck out a career-high seven batters three different times.
The Collierville, Tennessee native made a career-high 17 appearances in 2022, posting a 4-3 record with a 4.91 ERA and 61 strikeouts. He made three-consecutive scoreless appearances during Ole Miss’ postseason run in 2022, picking up a win against Arizona in the Coral Gables Regional and a save against Southern Miss in their Super Regional. Dougherty started game one of the College World Series Finals against Oklahoma and earned the win, going five-plus innings and striking out six.
Ole Miss had four current players taken in the first 10 rounds of the draft plus three high school signees.
Shortstop Jacob Gonzalez got the weekend started as the 15th overall pick in Sunday’s first round by the White Sox. Ole Miss had two players go on the first day with outfielder Kemp Alderman being selected in the second round by the Miami Marlins as the 47th overall pick.
Harris’ selection made him the highest drafted Ole Miss catcher since Stuart Tuner was drafted 78th overall in 2013. He is also the sixth Rebel catcher to be drafted in the first 10 rounds since 2016.
After a not so unexpected first day of the draft when it came to the Rebels high school signees Monday provided a little bit of drama late on day two.
Shortstop prospect Cooper Pratt was still available after the first 70 picks on Sunday and continued to fall until the sixth round when the Milwaukee Brewers took him as the 182nd overall pick.
Ole Miss now has some work to do after it was reported that transfer shortstop JD Urso is no longer with the program. Pratt was to be the plug in player there but the middle infield has a potentially large hole to fill if he opts to sign with the Brewers who are working to match his price tag.
