Longhorns Country

Longhorns P Lucas Gordon Drafted No. 179 Overall to Chicago White Sox

The Big 12 Pitcher of the Year heads north, selected by the Chicago White Sox in the 2023 draft.

Connor Zimmerlee

Longhorns P Lucas Gordon Drafted No. 179 Overall to Chicago White Sox
Longhorns P Lucas Gordon Drafted No. 179 Overall to Chicago White Sox /

Taking the mound for the Texas Longhorns on Friday nights in 2023, staff ace Lucas Gordon led the way for a resurgent pitching staff. Commanding the flow of the game, there were few times when Gordon looked rattled. Instead, he calmly fired in pitch after pitch. 

He was untouchable at times, making hitters look foolish with a nasty changeup that completely dropped off the table before they knew what happened. That, paired with a low 90's fastball, made cracking him a near impossible task. 

After dominating opponents on the mound all season long, the crafty southpaw earned Big 12 Pitcher of the Year honors. Far and away the Longhorns' best pitcher, he finished with a 7-2 record and a sparkling 2.63 ERA - racking up a team-high 103 strikeouts while only walking 34 in 102.2 innings of his work. 

The reward for his brilliant season? Gordon heard his name called in the 2023 MLB draft on Monday, with the Chicago White Sox selecting him in the sixth round with the No. 179 overall pick. 

Of course, there is still an outside chance that Gordon opts not to sign with the White Sox and instead return for one more season in Austin. Doing so would be risky, but could pay off.

The slot value for his pick is approximately $317.4 thousand, a number he could aim to improve with another dominant showing in 2024. However, the most likely outcome we see is Gordon pursuing his professional career and closing his chapter in Texas. 

You can find Connor Zimmerlee on Twitter @Connorjz98

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Connor Zimmerlee
CONNOR ZIMMERLEE

Connor Zimmerlee is a writer and reporter for the FanNation network. Zimmerlee received his Bachelor's of Journalism from the University of Texas at Austin and graduated from Northwestern's Medill School of Journalism with a Master's of Science in Journalism with a Specialization in Sports Media. 

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