Orioles, Brewers, Rays and Nationals Select Four Promising Tulane Prospects in MLB Draft
Four MLB farm systems will be getting an infusion of Tulane Baseball talent after catcher Colin Tuft, right-handed pitcher Chandler Welch, first baseman Brady Marget and outfielder Teo Banks were selected in the 2024 MLB draft.
Tuft will be joining the Baltimore Orioles after having been picked up with the 249th pick in the eighth round of the draft. The Orioles have a brilliant track record with developing catchers into Major League talent after Adley Rustchman made his MLB debut and almost immediately became the top backstop in the American League.
Tuft is the third catcher selected by the Orioles during this year's draft and will join a host of college players in their system, a philosophy Baltimore heavily leaned into this year.
Having spent the first two years at Virginia, Tuft has plenty of postseason experience and a College World Series appearance with UVA. In 2024, Tuft hit .279 with a .946 OPS while playing both catcher and in the outfield. He is now the eighth player drafted by the Orioles in program history.
Welch, was selected 185th overall in the sixth round of this season's draft by the Milwaukee Brewers. Welch's selection was the highest a pitcher has been drafted out of Tulane since Shooter Hunt went with the 31st pick in 2008.
A right-hander, Welch compiled a team-high seven wins and posted a 4.65 ERA over 89.0 innings pitched with 88 strikeouts.
The penultimate Tulane player selected in the 2024 MLB draft was first baseman Brady Marget, who was picked 486th overall in the 16th round by the Tampa Bay Rays.
Marget played for three years with Tulane and in 2024 compiled a .331/.427/.524 slashline with 10 home runs. All of which were career highs.
The first baseman will be seen as a flier pick by the Rays, however, Tampa Bay has one of the most vaunted farm and development systems in baseball. The Milwaukee-native will have every opportunity to show that his power can translate to pro baseball.
The fourth and final Tulane Baseball player selected in this season's MLB draft was outfielder Teo Banks. The West Texas-native was picked with the 530th overall selection in the 18th round by the Washington Nationals.
Banks showed some power this season as he slugged his way to 14 home runs and a .543 slugging percentage for the Green Wave. He also showcased his speed on the basepaths with seven stolen bases.
With four players drafted in 2024, it falls just one shy of 2021's legendary class in which five players were selected. According to the school, this is the 14th time in school history that Tulane's baseball program has produced four or more draft selections.
KADE KISTNER