2024 MLB Draft | Louisville Baseball Recap

The 2024 MLB Draft is now complete, and here are all the players with Louisville ties that were selected:

Louisville baseball right-handed pitcher Kaleb Corbett / Jared Anderson - Louisville Report

LOUISVILLE, Ky. - The 2024 Major League Baseball First-Year Player Draft is now officially in the books. While the Louisville baseball program has traditionally had a significant presence at the MLB Draft over the last two decades, this year, they didn't make as big of a splash.

In total, just two Louisville players were drafted in the 20-round draft, marking the lowest amount of Cardinals taken in a draft through 20 rounds since they had the same amount taken during this span in 2011.

Additionally, for the second year in a row, Louisville had no high school commitments drafted. Previously, the Cardinals had not had a recruiting where no verbal commit was drafted since 2015.

Below is a list of every player who was taken in the draft. All draftees have until August 1st to sign their tender:

Louisville left-handed pitcher Sebastian Gongora / Jared Anderson - Louisville Report

Sebastian Gongora

Selection: No. 339 overall, 11th round
Organization: Baltimore Orioles
Position: Left-Handed Pitcher

It wasn't until early in day three of the draft that we finally saw the first Louisville player come off the board. In fact, this draft marked the first time in the Dan McDonnell era that no Cardinals were picked in the first 10 rounds.

The 6-foot-5, 240-pound southpaw transferred to Louisville from Wright State last offseason, and immediately slid in as the Cardinals' Friday night starter. While his 6.14 ERA and 1.48 WHIP in 15 starts was a bit inflated, he struck out a team-high 89 batters to just 29 walks over 77.2 innings pitched. His 10.31 strikeouts per nine innings ranked seventh in the ACC.

Gongora joined Louisville having come off of a fantastic 2023 campaign at Wright State, one where he was named the Horizon League's Pitcher of the Year. In 16 starts, Gongora posted a 10-1 record and 3.17 ERA, while striking out 89 batters and walking only 33 over 93.2 innings pitched. Gongora also picked up East-ABCA/Rawlings All-Region First Team honors.

After redshirting his true freshman campaign in 2021, the Dayton, Oh. native had an impactful year during his first season on the bump as well. He went 5-1 with a 5.88 ERA in 16 games and 15 starts, putting up a strikeout-to-walk ratio of 81-31 in 82.2 innings.

Louisville right-handed pitcher Kaleb Corbett (54) / University of Louisville Athletics

Kaleb Corbett

Selection: No. 606 overall, 20 round
Organization: Tampa Bay Rays
Position: Right-Handed Pitcher

After Gongora went early in day three, it wasn't until towards the tail end of the draft that we saw the second (and last) Louisville player to be drafted in Corbett. With both Cardinals draftees being pitchers, this marked the first time since 2012 that Louisville did not have a position player selected in the MLB Draft.

The 6-foot, 210-pound reliever struggled some in his final season at Louisville. Making 19 appearances with one start, Corbett posted a 7.59 ERA and 1.34 WHIP over 32.0 innings of work, while striking out 37 batters and walking 12. He earned two saves, and went 1-1 on the year.

That being said, the Louisville native has shown some serious potential during his time as a Cardinal. He burst onto the scene as a true freshman in 2021, not allowing a single earned run in his first 10 relief appearances, later finishing with a 3.58 ERA in 17 appearances.

Corbett regressed some as a sophomore with an 8.10 ERA in 20 appearances, but bounced back for an incredibly strong junior year. That season, he finished with a 1.69 ERA in 21.1 innings over 18 relief outings.

He finishes his Louisville career with an ERA of 5.43 and 116 strikeouts to 46 walks, doing so in 104.1 innings pitched over 74 appearances and four starts.

(Photo of Kaleb Corbett: Jared Anderson - Louisville Report)

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