The third and final day of the 2023 MLB draft provides 10 more rounds for amateur players from across the country to have their names called by major league franchises.
Here are the players with connections to the state of Michigan who will now forever be recognized as baseball draftees:
AROUND THE STATE ON DAY 2: Players from Michigan picked in Rounds 3-10
DAY 1: Michigan State baseball’s Mitch Jebb goes No. 42 to Pittsburgh Pirates in 2023 MLB draft
Vitals: 6 feet 2, 200 pounds
Bats/throws: Right/right.
Drafted: 13th round (No. 393 overall) to Tampa Bay Rays.
The buzz: The Chicago native had a solid season at the plate for the Spartans, posting a slash line of .318/.441/.529 in 213 plate appearances over 49 games for MSU. The engineering science major showed a definite improvement in plate judgment, going from 18 walks in 2022 (while making the Big Ten All-Freshman team) to 31 in 2023 despite keeping his strikeouts at 37 both years. Broecker has been up-and-down in wood-bat leagues, however, with a .666 OPS in 2021 in the Northwoods League, an .858 OPS last year in the New England Collegiate Baseball League and a .446 OPS this summer in the NECBL.
Vitals: 6-4, 199 pounds
Bats/throws: Left/right.
Drafted: 16th round (No. 493 overall) to Philadelphia Phillies.
The buzz: The Howell alumnus, an all-state performer in high school, showed electric stuff in his first full season as a starter in Ypsi, striking out 107 with just 25 walks over 78 innings. Those strikeouts tied for third-most in EMU history and led the MAC this season. Still, the 22-year-old was hurt on pitches in the strike zone, giving up 66 hits en route to a 4.62 ERA for the Eagles. When he was on, however, he was nearly unhittable, such as his April 29 game against Niagara on the road, in which he struck out 12 over 6⅔ innings while allowing just two hits and no runs.
Vitals: 5-10, 205 pounds
Bats/throws: Right/right.
Drafted: 17th round (No. 511 overall) to Baltimore Orioles.
The buzz: A Maryland native who starred in high school in Ohio, Barnhart showed his leap forward for the Chargers in 2023 — when he struck out 61 in 43⅔ innings while walking only 10 — was no fluke in the MLB Draft League. After posting a 2.06 ERA with Hillsdale, Barnhart pitched for the Mahoning Valley Scrappers — managed by former Tigers slugger Dmitri Young — and put up a 1.00 ERA over 18 innings, though he had a bit of trouble controlling the strike zone: 11 walks to go with 30 strikeouts.