FORT WORTH, Texas- Three Big 12 baseball players were selected in the First Round of the 2024 MLB Draft, marking the most first round picks for the league since 2019. This marks seven consecutive years at least one Big 12 player has been selected in the first round.
West Virginia shortstop JJ Wetherholt was the first Big 12 player off the board, selected seventh overall by St. Louis. The 2023 Big 12 Player of the Year battled injuries to hit .331 this season, leading the Mountaineer program to its first trip to Super Regionals.
Carson Benge was the top selection of the New York Mets with the 19th overall pick, after leading Oklahoma State to the 2024 Phillips 66 Big 12 Championship title as the event’s Most Outstanding Player. The outfielder hit .335 with 18 home runs for the Cowboys for the campaign, and despite being drafted as a position player-posted a 3.16 earned run average as a pitcher.
Kaelen Culpepper became the second K-State baseball player in program history to be selected in the first round, going to Minnesota with the 21st pick. The shortstop was the Most Outstanding Player of the NCAA Fayetteville Regional, batting .474, including a cycle in the opening game, as the Wildcats advanced to their first Super Regional since 2013. For the season, he led the team with a .328 batting average, earning Second Team All-American honors.
TCU’s Payton Tolle was selected in the second round as the No. 50 overall pick by Boston. The left-handed pitcher had a 3.21 earned run average to go along with a 7-4 record and struck out 125 batters, which ranked second in the Big 12 and 11th nationally.
Additionally, Texas’ Jared Thomas, who played in the Big 12 during the 2024 season, was selected in the second round by Colorado at No. 42 overall.
The MLB Draft continues Monday, July 15, starting with the third round.
First Round
7. JJ Wetherholt, SS (West Virginia), St. Louis
19. Carson Benge, OF (Oklahoma State), New York (NL)
21. Kaelen Culpepper, SS (K-State), Minnesota
Second Round
50. Payton Tolle, LHP (TCU), Boston
