The 2025 MLB Draft is in the rearview mirror, and it went well for Mississippi State baseball in more ways than one. Seven Bulldogs were selected as well as a handful of recruits.
Most notably, Diamond Dawg ace Pico Kohn went in the 4th round to the New York Yankees and Home Run King Hunter Hines was taken in the 10th by the Nationals. A pair of high school signees, shortstop JoJo Parker and pitcher Landon Harmon, went within the first three rounds and will begin their professional careers. And State did see one of their transfer additions, Rice pitcher Davion Hickson, taken early.
Here's a full run down of the players drafted from the 2025 roster, the transfer class, and the signing class...
2025 Roster
LHP Pico Kohn, 134th overall to NY Yankees
RHP Evan Siary, 235th overall to Texas
RHP Karson Ligon, 262nd overall to Toronto
1B Hunter Hines, 291st overall to Washington
LHP Luke Dotson, 333rd overall to Arizona
RHP Nate Williams, 391st overall to CHI Cubs
RHP Jacob Pruitt, 461st overall to Philadelphia
Transfers
RHP Davion Hickson, 165th overall to LA Dodgers
Signees
SS JoJo Parker, 8th overall to Toronto
RHP Landon Harmon, 80th overall to Washington
OF Jacob Parker, 573rd overall to Arizona (coming to school)
Mississippi State didn't lose any players they weren't expecting to in the MLB Draft
The MLB Draft can always bring some surprises, and often they come in the form of players you were expecting to have on your roster being drafted and choosing to sign. Luckily for Mississippi State, that wasn't the case this year.
None of the players selected weren't expected to go. There's no one that State was planning to rely on for 2026 that they're now without. Sure, pitchers Evan Siary and Davion Hickson were arms MSU would have loved to have had in their rotation next season, but it's not like Brian O'Connor and Justin Parker haven't been attacking the portal with the potential losses of them in mind. The roster stayed in fantastic shape.
The Diamond Dawgs got some positive surprises in the MLB Draft
Where State did see some surprises were with the players that weren't selected in the Draft. Neither Gerig Frei nor Noah Sullivan were drafted, and that means two massive bats return for the lineup (barring an UDFA signing). Transfers Aiden Teel and Blake Bevis both seemed like players that were likely to be selected, and State would have to sweat their potential signings. Instead, they'll be in Starkville.
Just to put things into context, MSU did not lose a single player from their projected 2026 lineup. Every batter they expected or felt no worse than 50/50 about having next season will be on the roster. As a result, we're looking at an insane amount of talent at the plate for the Bulldogs in Brian O'Connor's first season.
Oh, and it gets even better. Flame-throwing lefty Jack Bauer went undrafted and outfielder Jacob Parker chose to turn down pro ball. Between those two and catcher Peter Mershon, State has three Top 65 high school prospects that will make it to campus.
That simply does not happen these days. That's even more elite talent joining the roster that Mississippi State was not expected to have prior to the Draft.
Truly, the 2025 MLB Draft went as good as it possibly could have for the Diamond Dawgs. The 2026 roster is loaded, and Brian O'Connor looks set to field a bona fide title contender right away in Starkville.