MSU’s Jebb Drafted By Pittsburgh Pirates In Second Round Of MLB Draft
7/9/2023 11:41:00 PM | Baseball
Spartans’ highest draft pick since Mark Mulder in 1998.
EAST LANSING, Mich. -- Michigan State baseball player Mitch Jebb was drafted in the second round with the 42nd overall pick by the Pittsburgh Pirates in the Major League Baseball Draft on Sunday night.
Jebb becomes the Spartans' highest draft selection since Mark Mulder was the No. 2 overall pick in the first round in the 1998 draft. He is also the Spartans' first selection by the Pittsburgh Pirates since pitcher Cam Vieaux was selected by the Pirates in the sixth round of the 2016 MLB Draft.
With Jebb's selection in the 2023 MLB Draft, Michigan State has had 36 draft selections under head coach Jake Boss Jr., and Jebb is the highest selection in the 15 seasons under Coach Boss. MSU's last MLB Draft selection was Mason Erla in 2021.
The Saginaw, Michigan, native earned All-B1G recognition at shortstop for the third-straight year with Third-Team honors in 2023, after garnering Third-Team All-Big Ten Conference accolades in 2022 and was named to Big Ten All-Freshman Team in 2021.
As a junior in 2023, Jebb led the B1G and ranked tied for fourth in the NCAA in triples with seven, also leading the league and ranking tied for fourth in the nation in triples per game (0.14). Jebb was also third on MSU and 12th in the B1G in average (.337), and also posted a .495 slugging percentage and a .438 on-base percentage. Jebb also ranked tied for 15th in the B1G in stolen bases (14), tied for 18th in the B1G in doubles (15) and tied for 19th in the B1G in hits (68). He was also second on the team with 23 multiple-hit games, knocking three hits in seven games and two hits in 16 contests. Jebb posted a season-long 10-game hitting streak (April 15-30), along with a seven-game streak (Feb. 25-March 19), in addition to a four-game streak (May 13-18) and three different streaks of three games, finishing with at least one hit in 38 of the 50 games played. He also rapped multiple RBI in seven games, driving in a season-best three in two different games, with two ribbies in five games.
He started 50 games at shortstop, ranking second on the team in both assists (118) and fielding double plays (25), also ranking fourth in total chances (187).
The Spartans had four players drafted in the 2019 MLB Draft: Mitchell Tyranski was selected in the 12th round (pick number 371 overall) by the Los Angeles Dodgers, Indigo Diaz was selected in the 27th round (pick number 871 overall) by the Atlanta Braves and Marty Bechina was selected in the 32nd round (pick number 974 overall) by the Oakland Athletics.
In 2018, Riley McCauley was selected in the 14th round (pick number 428 overall) by the Chicago Cubs. In 2017, three former MSU players were selected MLB Draft: Alex Troop (Washington, ninth round, 283 overall), Brandon Hughes (Chicago Cubs, 16th round, 495 overall), Nathan Witt (Los Angeles Dodgers, 17th round, 520 overall) and Joe Mockbee (Chicago White Sox, 29th round, 867 overall).
MSU had four juniors selected in the 2016 draft: Cam Vieaux (sixth round, Pittsburgh), Jordan Zimmerman (seventh round, Los Angeles Angles), Dakota Mekkes (10th round, Chicago Cubs) and Matt Byars (24th round, Minnesota). The year prior, a school-record eight players were taken in 2015: Cam Gibson (fifth round, Detroit), Ryan Krill (ninth round, New York Yankees), Anthony Misiewicz (18th round, Seattle), Cam Vieaux (19th round, Detroit), Jeff Kinley (28th round, Miami), Mick VanVossen (28th round, Washington), Blaise Salter (31st round, Detroit) and Mark Weist (37th round, San Francisco).
Jebb becomes the Spartans' highest draft selection since Mark Mulder was the No. 2 overall pick in the first round in the 1998 draft. He is also the Spartans' first selection by the Pittsburgh Pirates since pitcher Cam Vieaux was selected by the Pirates in the sixth round of the 2016 MLB Draft.
From East Lansing ➡️ Pittsburgh
— Michigan State Baseball (@MSUBaseball) July 10, 2023
Congrats Mitch Jebb!!#GoGreen | #SpartansInTheBigLeagues | @jebb_mitch pic.twitter.com/5fCJ1fjK1l
With Jebb's selection in the 2023 MLB Draft, Michigan State has had 36 draft selections under head coach Jake Boss Jr., and Jebb is the highest selection in the 15 seasons under Coach Boss. MSU's last MLB Draft selection was Mason Erla in 2021.
The Saginaw, Michigan, native earned All-B1G recognition at shortstop for the third-straight year with Third-Team honors in 2023, after garnering Third-Team All-Big Ten Conference accolades in 2022 and was named to Big Ten All-Freshman Team in 2021.
Spartan ➡️ Pirate
— Michigan State Baseball (@MSUBaseball) July 10, 2023
Congrats Mitch Jebb on being drafted by the @Pirates in Round 2 (42nd overall pick)!!
Jebb is the highest Spartan since @markmulder20 in 1st round (2nd overall pick) of 1998 Draft!! #GoGreen | #SpartansInTheBigLeagues | @jebb_mitch pic.twitter.com/mzUOGlT6Sq
As a junior in 2023, Jebb led the B1G and ranked tied for fourth in the NCAA in triples with seven, also leading the league and ranking tied for fourth in the nation in triples per game (0.14). Jebb was also third on MSU and 12th in the B1G in average (.337), and also posted a .495 slugging percentage and a .438 on-base percentage. Jebb also ranked tied for 15th in the B1G in stolen bases (14), tied for 18th in the B1G in doubles (15) and tied for 19th in the B1G in hits (68). He was also second on the team with 23 multiple-hit games, knocking three hits in seven games and two hits in 16 contests. Jebb posted a season-long 10-game hitting streak (April 15-30), along with a seven-game streak (Feb. 25-March 19), in addition to a four-game streak (May 13-18) and three different streaks of three games, finishing with at least one hit in 38 of the 50 games played. He also rapped multiple RBI in seven games, driving in a season-best three in two different games, with two ribbies in five games.
He started 50 games at shortstop, ranking second on the team in both assists (118) and fielding double plays (25), also ranking fourth in total chances (187).
The Spartans had four players drafted in the 2019 MLB Draft: Mitchell Tyranski was selected in the 12th round (pick number 371 overall) by the Los Angeles Dodgers, Indigo Diaz was selected in the 27th round (pick number 871 overall) by the Atlanta Braves and Marty Bechina was selected in the 32nd round (pick number 974 overall) by the Oakland Athletics.
In 2018, Riley McCauley was selected in the 14th round (pick number 428 overall) by the Chicago Cubs. In 2017, three former MSU players were selected MLB Draft: Alex Troop (Washington, ninth round, 283 overall), Brandon Hughes (Chicago Cubs, 16th round, 495 overall), Nathan Witt (Los Angeles Dodgers, 17th round, 520 overall) and Joe Mockbee (Chicago White Sox, 29th round, 867 overall).
MSU had four juniors selected in the 2016 draft: Cam Vieaux (sixth round, Pittsburgh), Jordan Zimmerman (seventh round, Los Angeles Angles), Dakota Mekkes (10th round, Chicago Cubs) and Matt Byars (24th round, Minnesota). The year prior, a school-record eight players were taken in 2015: Cam Gibson (fifth round, Detroit), Ryan Krill (ninth round, New York Yankees), Anthony Misiewicz (18th round, Seattle), Cam Vieaux (19th round, Detroit), Jeff Kinley (28th round, Miami), Mick VanVossen (28th round, Washington), Blaise Salter (31st round, Detroit) and Mark Weist (37th round, San Francisco).
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