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Connelly Early and Ethan O'Donnell Taken on Day 2 of 2023 MLB Draft

Virginia pitcher Connelly Early and center fielder Ethan O'Donnell heard their names called on the second day of the MLB Draft

Matt Newton

Virginia Athletics

Two more Virginia baseball players heard their names called on the second day of the 2023 MLB Draft. UVA pitcher Connelly Early was picked in the fifth round and Cavalier center fielder Ethan O'Donnell was selected in the sixth round of the MLB Draft on Monday. With Kyle Teel and Jake Gelof coming off the board on the first night of the draft on Sunday, Virginia has now had four players selected in the 2023 MLB Draft, matching the four Cavaliers that were drafted in 2022. 

Connelly Early was selected with the No. 151 overall pick in the fifth round of the MLB Draft by the Boston Red Sox. 

With Early shipping up to Boston, the stage is set for a future battery to be formed between Early and Kyle Teel, who was drafted by the Red Sox with the No. 14 overall pick in the first round on Sunday. In just one season together, Early and Teel developed some solid chemistry, resulting in highly successful seasons for both the pitcher and the catcher and the entire UVA baseball team, which advanced to the College World Series for the sixth time in program history. 

In his first season at Virginia after transferring from Army, Early was tabbed a Third-Team All-ACC selection, a Third-Team All-American by Collegiate Baseball Newspaper, a Second-Team All-American by Perfect Game, and a First-Team All-American by the National Collegiate Baseball Writers Association. Looking at Early's production this season, those accolades were well-deserved. In 18 starts, Early turned in a 12-3 record with a 3.09 ERA and 100 strikeouts to 23 walks in 87.1 innings. Moving into UVA's starting rotation just in time for the postseason, Early delivered three quality starts in the NCAA Tournament, striking out 10 batters in Virginia's regional-clinching win against East Carolina, pitching seven scoreless innings with eight strikeouts in UVA's win over Duke in game 2 of the Super Regional, and giving up just two earned runs in five innings against TCU in the College World Series. 

17 picks later, another Virginia junior and former transfer was taken off the board, as UVA center fielder Ethan O'Donnell was drafted with the No. 168 overall pick in the sixth round. 

O'Donnell joins another former Cavalier in Andrew Abbott, who is currently in the midst of a remarkable rookie campaign pitching for the Reds. In his first season at UVA after transferring from Northwestern, O'Donnell proved without a doubt that he can hang in the ACC, earning a First-Team All-ACC selection. At the plate, O'Donnell batted a career-high .354 and totaled 90 hits, 13 home runs, 57 RBI, 18 doubles, and had 27 multi-hit games, including three games with four hits. O'Donnell was arguably even better in the field, recording six outfield assists and committing only one error all season en route to becoming just the second player in program history to be named to the ABCA/Rawlings Gold Glove Team. 

The draft scouting report on MLB.com had this to say about O'Donnell's chances of making it as a big league center fielder: "Scouts like his swing and think he has the chance to hit for average. There's some sneaky pop in there too, he has the ability to drive the ball to all fields, with some over-the-fence power particularly to his pull side. O'Donnell runs well and has shown an improved acumen for stealing bases. That speed also helps him defensively in center field, where he has a chance to stick at the next level."

With one year of eligibility remaining, Early and O'Donnell both have the option of returning to Virginia for their senior seasons, but they'll have to turn down significant guaranteed money in order to do so. According to the slot values distributed from the MLB to each franchise, the No. 151 overall pick is valued at $408,500, an estimate of the figure Connelly Early may be offered upon signing with the Boston Red Sox. Ethan O'Donnell meanwhile, is valued at $384,400 as the No. 168 overall pick for the Cincinnati Reds. 

For just the third time in program history and the first time since 2017, four Cavaliers were picked in the first six rounds of the MLB Draft. Virginia has now produced 147 all-time MLB Draft selections, 98 of which have come during the Brian O'Connor era. 

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Published
Matt Newton
MATT NEWTON

Matt launched Virginia Cavaliers On SI in August of 2021 and has since served as the site's publisher and managing editor, covering all 23 NCAA Division I sports teams at the University of Virginia. He is from Downingtown, Pennsylvania and graduated from UVA in May of 2021.

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