Day 2 of the MLB Draft has officially concluded, and ten rounds in, it couldn't be going any better for Mississippi State.
On Sunday, shortstop signee Jett Williams and juniors Landon Sims and Logan Tanner heard their names called, which was to be expected. The unknown was what would occur with a trio of pitcher signees in Southaven southpaw Bradley Loftin, Juco righty Colby Holcombe, and both-handed pitcher Jurrangelo Cijntje. Neither of them were selected on day 2, and with teams' money allotment pool going way down in the bottom ten rounds, it is safe to say that these three will be pitching for Mississippi State this spring.
Bradley Loftin was the 77th-ranked player on MLB.com's draft board and will be a major piece for Mississippi State's pitching staff over the next three seasons. The 6'3" 187-pound lefty has a fastball that sits in the low to mid-90s that touches 95, but his best pitch is his changeup that he throws in the mid-70s and gets hitters to chase.
The 134th ranked player on MLB.com's draft board was Northeast Mississippi C.C.'s Colby Holcombe, a 6'7" 225-pound righty that brings the heat. Holcombe's fastball touches up to 99 MPH and also has a plus slider that helped him set a school record with 115 strikeouts. The Florence, AL, native pitched for a 2.60 ERA and 31 walks in 65.2 innings and threw a complete game in four of his twelve starts. Mississippi State may still have to sweat out today with Holcombe as he is a junior college guy who may be looking to jump to the next level, but the chances of that happening have drastically decreased with him falling outside the top ten.
Some scouts tabbed Jurrangelo Cijntje as the most intriguing prospect in the draft due to his ability to pitch from both sides. Originally from Curaçao, Cijntje moved to the U.S. at age 16 and can throw in the mid-90s from the right side and the low 90s with his left. Cijntje's frame is on the smaller side for a pitcher at 5'11", 167-pounds, which could have caused him to fall, but he should be an impactful player for Mississippi State.
Mississippi State also has some assurance on prospects considered lower draft risks, but they are still some fantastic gains in Madison Central catcher Ross Highfill and Jackson Academy outfielder Dakota Jordan. Highfill is an athletic catcher with some great defensive tools and power potential who will compete for the starting spot immediately. Jordan may not make as immediate of an impact with Colton Ledbetter coming in from Samford and Kellum Clark expected to return, but the Mississippi Gatorade Player of the Year possesses a big-time mix of power and speed.
The only negative for Mississippi State today was Bill Knight being selected in the 10th round by the Seattle Mariners. Knight entered the transfer portal and had announced a commitment to Mississippi State after four seasons at Mercer, and hit 17 home runs this season. The Bulldogs will presumably evaluate other outfield options in the transfer portal to fill out the outfield.
It shouldn't get lost in the shuffle that a pair of current also got their professional shot today as right-hander Preston Johnson was picked in the 7th round by the Orioles and outfielder Brad Cumbest was selected in the seventh round. Both were major pieces on Mississippi State's 2021 national championship squad, and it is no surprise to see them get drafted, even if it was a bit earlier than they were projected.
Overall, today was an absolute win for Chris Lemonis as only one piece of his 2022 signing class is expected to take the professional route now. Perfect Game ranks the Bulldogs' recruiting class number 6 in the country. Of the teams in the top 6, Mississippi State is one of two teams to have just one signee drafted; LSU, Vanderbilt, Louisville, Ole Miss, and all had multiple signees selected, and Arkansas was the only other team with just one.
