With the fall semester starting up at schools around the country, the transfer portal train has hit the brakes, and we now have a better idea of who will be playing where in 2023.
After a down year in 2022, Mississippi State was among the teams to use the transfer portal the most effectively. The Bulldogs are hoping to reload and get back into the NCAA Tournament, and according to Baseball America, they did just that.
In Baseball America's transfer portal player rankings released yesterday, Mississippi State had the most players ranked in the Top 100 with six, just ahead of a trio of SEC programs in LSU, South Carolina, and Kentucky with five a piece.
Headlining State's transfer portal haul is Memphis right-hander and All-AAC First Team pitcher Landon Gartman who comes in at #12. The former Pearl River C.C. hurler returns to his home state after a year at Memphis, where he posted a 3.56 ERA in 86 innings. Gartman had a plus fastball and curveball with good pitchability and has the potential to be an excellent weekend starter for the Bulldogs in 2023.
Following Gartman is VCU shortstop Connor Hujsak who is ranked #32. The sophomore slashed .289/.363/.526 with 12 home runs and 55 RBIs while starting 62 games at shortstop for the Atlantic 10 champions. Hujsak is a fantastic athlete, as he stole 17 bags this spring and could play a variety of roles for Mississippi State defensively next season. There are a lot of similarities to former Bulldog Kamren James in Hujsak's game, and a move to the outfield could potentially be in store.
#41 on Baseball America's list is former Samford outfielder Colton Ledbetter. The sophomore is coming off a fantastic sophomore season where he hit .318 with a 1.047 OPS and 16 home runs, earning him 2nd Team All-SoCon honors. Ledbetter turned his all-conference campaign into a stellar summer where he was named MVP of the New England Collegiate League after batting .365 with a 1.117 OPS and 11 home runs for the Newport Gulls. Ledbetter will be a crucial piece in the middle of the Bulldog lineup that features some serious left-handed power with him, Hunter Hines, and Kellum Clark, and he also has the ability to play both in the corner or in center.
The 47th-ranked transfer is former Texas reliever, Aaron Nixon. The 2021 Freshman All-American struggled in 2022 as his ERA jumped from 2.12 to 5.02, with his walks per nine almost tripling from 2.6 to 7.4. Nixon has tremendous potential and possesses some strikeout stuff, having fanned 38 hitters in 30.1 innings this spring. The Lone Star State product has been effective with his slider, and if he can harness his 95+ MPH fastball, he could be a force in the backend of the Mississippi State bullpen.
Former New Orleans 2nd baseman Amani Larry is ranked #64 and will step in to help fill the void left by All-American R.J. Yeager. The former East Central (Miss.) Community College standout was an all-around offensive threat in his one season at New Orleans as he slashed .370/.477/.578 with nine home runs and 16 stolen bases. The Bossier City, LA, native should be an excellent table setter at the top of the Bulldog order with speed and on-base ability, and he also has a fantastic glove over at 2nd base.
The second VCU transfer the Bulldogs added was left-handed pitcher Tyler Davis, who comes in at #68. A reliable lefty was a much-needed addition to Scott Foxhall's pitching staff, as Pico Kohn was the only consistent option in 2022. Davis won't wow you with his velocity, but he is very crafty and held his opponents to a .210 batting average as a sophomore with a 3.60 ERA. It is uncertain what role Davis is expected to play, but the southpaw will be a major contributor, whether it's in the starting rotation or out of the bullpen.
Mississippi State has two more transfers that were ranked outside the Top 100 in Ball State freshman RHP Nate Dohm and Duke senior middle infielder Wil Hoyle. Dohm is very unproven, having posted a 5.71 ERA in his freshman season, but the righty has untapped potential with a fastball that can reach the triple digits and could surprise some people next spring. Wil Hoyle was also an important addition for depth purposes, with Tanner Leggett exhausting all of his eligibility. The North Carolina native has 140 games under his belt in the ACC and has the versatility to play multiple positions in the infield.
