Eight Diamond Hogs selected in first 10 rounds of MLB Draft

LOS ANGELES (KAIT) - Arkansas baseball has eight players heading to the pros. The Diamond Hogs rank second in all of NCAA with eight players taken in the first 10 rounds of the MLB Draft.

Arkansas standout Cayden Wallace became the 23rd Razorback in school history to be drafted in the first two rounds of the MLB Draft. The third baseman was selected with the 49th overall pick in the second round by the Kansas City Royals.

With the 49th overall pick, the @Royals select @RazorbackBSB third baseman Cayden Wallace, No. 31 on the Top 250 Draft Prospects list.

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— MLB Draft (@MLBDraft) July 18, 2022

Wallace, a sophomore, slashed .298/.387/.553 with 37 extra-base hits over 67 games in 2022. He hit 20 doubles and 16 home runs, driving in 60 runs, all team-highs.

He was the 24th Diamond Hog in school history to be named a Freshman All-American, blasting 14 home runs over 60 games in 2021.

Wallace was ranked MLB.com’s 31st best MLB Draft prospect. The slot value for the 49th pick is valued at $1.5 million

He was the first of three Diamond Hogs to be taken in the first three rounds. Right-hander Peyton Pallette was taken 62nd overall by the Chicago White Sox and infielder Robert Moore was selected by the Milwaukee Brewers with the 72nd pick.

With the 62nd overall pick, the @WhiteSox select @RazorbackBSB right-handed pitcher Peyton Pallette, No. 43 on the Top 250 Draft Prospects list.

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— MLB Draft (@MLBDraft) July 18, 2022

With the 72nd overall pick, the @Brewers select @Razorbacks_BSB second baseman Robert Moore, No. 108 on the Top 250 Draft Prospects list.

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— MLB Draft (@MLBDraft) July 18, 2022

Pallette missed all of 2022 due to recovering from Tommy John Surgery. He started 11 games in 2021, putting up a 4.02 ERA in 11 starts, striking out 67 and walking 20 in 56 innings pitched. The slot value for the 62nd pick is over $1.1 million.

Moore, the first Razorback to win a Gold Glove award, hit .232 with 29 extra-base hits in 2022. The slot value for his pick is at $914,900.

Day two of the MLB Draft was a successful one for the Diamond Hogs. Shortstop Jalen Battles was the first Hog taken on day two, going to the Tampa Bay Rays with the 164th pick in the fifth round.

Three Diamond Hogs were taken in the ninth round: left-handed pitcher Evan Taylor (262nd pick by the Miami Marlins), right-hander Connor Noland (263rd to the Chicago Cubs) and catcher Michael Turner (281st, Chicago White Sox).

Pitcher Zebulon Vermillion wrapped up day two of the draft, going in the 10th round to the New York Mets.