This past season saw 11 former Arkansas baseball players play in the big leagues, but that number is likely to grow in the coming years.
Since 2017, excluding the pandemic-altered MLB Draft that shortened to five rounds, you need more than one hand to count the number of Razorbacks who were drafted. All together, Arkansas has had a total of 57 draft picks over the past eight years, and now many of them are making their way through the minors. It’s a safe bet at least a few will eventually make The Show.
Here is our list of the top 10 candidates to make their MLB debut next.
Top 10 Pro Hogs to Watch
No. 10 – Jared Sprague-Lott, Athletics
A lot of what this list comes down to is whether or not the player is in the right system to be promoted. In no way am I suggesting that Sprague-Lott will debut the year after being drafted in the ninth round, before ever taking a minor-league at bat, but the Athletics have been aggressive at promoting infielders as they attempt to rebuild. Although Jacob Wilson was a first-round pick, others like Max Schuemann, Brett Harris and CJ Alexander all made their debuts this year as infielders and former Day 3 draft picks of the Athletics.
No. 9 – Ryan Costeiu, Los Angeles Angels
No team has been more aggressive in promoting prospects than the Los Angeles Angels under general manager Perry Minasian. The Angels have had three straight draft classes where their prospect is the first from the draft class to debut in the MLB, often skipping Triple-A Salt Lake. For example, pitcher Chase Silseth made his debut in 2022, despite being an 11th-round pick in 2021. Costeiu could be next on Minasian’s list to fast-track – a 2.84 ERA in 18 starts in High-A certainly helps.
No. 8 – Jaxon Wiggins, Chicago Cubs
Wiggins finally made his pro debut earlier this year after returning from Tommy John surgery that cut his Razorback career short. Unfortunately, the same problems that plagued him at Arkansas still persist. Wiggins was described as having “issues staying in the zone.”
“The Cubs have challenged him to lean into his athleticism and really execute his pitches, hammering the zone,” wrote The Athletic’s Sadaev Sharma. “If he can do that, then they believe he can thrive with a ‘good luck hitting this’ mentality.”
No. 7 – Connor Noland, Chicago Cubs
Noland has made steady progress since being drafted in the ninth round in 2022, finishing the year with nine Triple-A starts. The numbers took a little bit of a turn for the worse when he was promoted, with a 5.29 ERA in Triple-A compared to a 2.50 ERA in 16 starts in Double-A, but Noland is continuing to progress up the Cubs system.
No. 6 – Lael Lockhart, Detroit Tigers
Lockhart finds himself in an interesting position. After the Tigers traded away Jack Flaherty and Andrew Chafin at the trade deadline, the Tigers looked to be ready to give some new faces a chance at the MLB level while the team reset for 2025 and beyond – except that’s not what happened. Instead, the Tigers caught fire and pulled off one of the most improbable comebacks from more than 10 games behind in the wild card race to make the ALDS. How aggressive president of baseball operations Scott Harris wants to be in free agency will likely determine Lockhart’s future in the organization. He has a 5.93 ERA in Triple-A.
No. 5 – Kevin Kopps, San Diego Padres
Kopps continues to grind away in the dreaded Pacific Coast League, famously known for high elevations and thin air where the ball tends to fly – especially in El Paso where the Padres Triple-A affiliate is based. In 50 games, Kopps has a 5.86 ERA in 50 2/3 innings.
No. 4 – Matt Cronin, Washington Nationals
A couple of years ago, Cronin likely would have been at or near the top of this list. He shot through the Nationals system, ending up in Triple-A as early as 2022. However, he struggled in 2023 before eventually getting shut down and having back surgery. Cronin is now back on the up, accumulating a 1.42 ERA in High-A and Double-A in 2024.
No. 3 – Michael Turner, Chicago White Sox
The opportunity is there. The White Sox trio of catchers were really bad. Martin Maldonado had a minus-1.3 Wins Above Replacement (WAR) before being let go midway through the season. Turner was sent to the Arizona Fall League mainly to work with top pitching prospects in the system, but is 14-for-39 (.359) at the plate and one of the league’s top-hitting catchers. As already proven with Grant Koch, another unheralded Razorback catching prospect, if the situation is right, you will get your chance.
No. 2 – Hagen Smith, Chicago White Sox
Smith is the most talented and has the highest ceiling of anyone on this list. However, Chicago does seem willing to wait a while before bringing its new shiny toy into the rotation. Smith not finishing the year in Double-A, after a few appearances in High-A to start his career, indicates that there’s no immediate urgency to bring him to the big leagues.
No. 1 – Peyton Pallette, Chicago White Sox
People may be surprised to see Pallette picked over Smith to debut first. It’s simply due to each player’s specific situation. Speaking to Sox Machine’s James Fegan, Palette’s career has really taken off since moving to the bullpen. In 15 innings at Double-A, Pallette has a 1.80 ERA. Although it isn’t impossible for Smith to break camp with the team in 2025, the White Sox have no reason to rush their prized prospect after losing 120 games in 2024.
The chances of the White Sox needing a reliever on short notice are much higher than general manager Chris Getz and new manager Will Venable feeling comfortable bringing Smith up to the big leagues too early.
Check him doing work here:
Other Arkansas Players to Watch
Arkansas has had its fair share of players who have made it to arbitration and beyond, carving out nice MLB careers. The likes of Dallas Keuchel and Andrew Benintendi, after all, are former all-stars. Here are three players still looking to establish their place in the big leagues…
Heston Kjerstad, Baltimore Orioles
The situation with Heston Kjerstad has been status quo for about two years now: always the first one to come up and help the big league team, but never a spot full-time on the 26-man roster. He was optioned and recalled three times and only played 39 games at the MLB level in 2024, but he did manage to take his first two postseason at bats for the Orioles.
Dominic Fletcher, Chicago White Sox
Fletcher had every chance during the back-half of the White Sox historically terrible season, and the offensive numbers were less than stellar. Fletcher already is a Gold Glove-caliber defender, but in order to occupy a corner outfield spot at the major league level, the bat must come along. Since rejoining the big-league roster on July 29 until the end of the season, Fletcher hit .223 in 158 plate appearances with just one home run to go with five walks and 32 strikeouts.
Isaiah Campbell, Boston Red Sox
Campbell seemed to have carved out a nice role as a leverage middle innings reliever with the Seattle Mariners in 2023, finishing the season with a 4-1 record with a 2.53 ERA. After being traded to the Red Sox in the offseason, though, Campbell’s numbers were unsightly to say the least. He made eight appearances with a 16.20 ERA before being shut down with right elbow inflammation for the rest of the season.
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