2023 MLB Draft Tracker: See where Florida State, FAMU baseball players are drafted

The Major League Baseball (MLB) Draft kicked off the festivities for the 2023 MLB All-Star Game in Seattle on Sunday.

With the No. 1 pick in the draft, the Pittsburgh Pirates took LSU ace pitcher Paul Skenes and his teammate Dylan Crews (outfielder) went No. 2 to the Washington Nations. Florida outfielder Wyatt Langford went fourth to the Texas Rangers.

Round 1 of the draft started at 7 p.m. EST at Lumen Field, the home of the NFL's Seattle Seahawks.

Rounds 3-10 will be held on Monday and the draft concludes Tuesday with Rounds 11-20.

Rounds 1 and 2 will be streamed on ESPN and MLB Network, while the rest of the draft can be watched on MLB.com starting at 2 p.m.

Here's a look at the prospects selected in the draft from Florida State, Florida A&M, and the Big Bend Preps scene.

Stay tuned here for updates.

The Latest

Tuesday

Andrew Duncan selected in 19th round by Houston Astros

With the final selection of the 19th round, the Houston Astros selected Andrew Duncan. Duncan, who attended A3 Academy in Dunedin, is one of the Seminoles' top signees in the 2023 recruiting class.

The outfielder was ranked No. 295 in the Prospects Live Top 500 draft rankings.

It is unlikely he will sign being picked this late in the draft.

Ethan Chenault selected in 18th round by Philadelphia Phillies

UNC Wilmington transfer Ethan Chenault was selected with the second to last pick in the 18th round by the Philadelphia Phillies.

Chenault, who transferred to FSU earlier this summer, pitched 47 ⅔ innings this season with a 4.91 ERA, allowing 28 runs on 34 hits, walking 24 and striking out 59. He went 3-1 in 17 appearances.

The right-hander transfer is ranked at No. 377 on the Prospects Live Top 500 draft rankings.

FSU has third JUCO player drafted in Cale Lansville

FSU had its third JUCO commit selected on the third day of the MLB Draft when the San Francisco Giants selected San Jacinto College-North right-handed pitcher Cale Lansville.

Lansville was selected with the 420th selection, in the 14th round of the draft.

Carson Montgomery drafted in 11th round by San Diego Padres

FSU starting pitcher Carson Montgomery was drafted in the 11th round by the San Diego Padres with pick No. 341.

Montgomery had entered the transfer portal, so even if he doesn't sign, he's unlikely to throw another pitch for FSU.

Last season he was the Opening Day and Friday night starter but was demoted to the bullpen. He finished with a 7.00 ERA over 45 innings with 42 strikeouts and 39 walks.

This is what MLB.com said about Montgomery.

"Montgomery was a big-time pitching prospect coming out of Windermere High School in the Orlando area in 2020, ranking at No. 34 on MLB Pipeline's Top 200 list. The shortened Draft because of the pandemic -- combined with his strong commitment to Florida State -- meant Montgomery went undrafted that summer. He's shown off big stuff, albeit with very inconsistent results, in various starting roles for the Seminoles since, and there was hope for a breakthrough this spring after he threw well for Team USA in brief looks over the summer, but he struggled, which led to a quick yanking out of Florida State's rotation.

The 6-foot-3 Montgomery looks the part as a big, strong right-hander with the potential to have a four-pitch mix -- all at least average -- in the future. It starts with a fastball that he had thrown in the 94-98 mph range in the past but was averaging around 93 mph this spring, albeit with good run and sink. He complements it with a hard mid-80s slider that can miss bats, but he overthrows it at times. He uses a newer upper-80s cutter and has decent feel for a changeup, though he doesn't throw it much.

For as good as his stuff is, Montgomery's numbers haven't matched up. He can get out of sync and needs to clean up his delivery and arm action so he can throw more consistent strikes. The FSU staff's short leash hasn't helped his confidence, and his strike-throwing regressed in 2023, making his Draft stock a little tough to figure out."

FSU HS commit says he will play at FSU; Two JUCO players drafted

FSU high school commit Justin Best announced Monday evening he will be attending FSU after not being selected in the first 10 rounds of the MLB Draft.

Best, from Combine Academy (Cornelius, North Carolina), was ranked 485th in the Prospects Live Top 500 draft rankings.

The Seminoles did have another player selected in the 11th round Tuesday, as the Nationals selected Indian River State (FL) pitcher Gavin Adams with the 315th pick.

Adams, a left-hander, is projected to be a candidate to pitch in the bullpen for FSU in 2024.

JUCO outfield signee Nelson Taylor was taken in the 11th round by the Boston Red Sox with the 328th pick. Taylor committed to FSU out of Polk State College.

Monday

FSU RHP commit Trevor Harrison selected by Tampa Bay Rays in the fifth round

The Seminoles had a second high school commit drafted in the MLB Draft when right-handed pitcher Trevor Harrison was selected in the fifth round.

Harrison, who attended J.W. Mitchell HS (FL) in New Port Richey, was the top high school pitcher signee for FSU.

The slot value projected for the 156th pick is $388,900.

Harrison won’t be 18 until October and is already listed at 6-foot-4, 225 pounds and had a fastball in the 92-95 mph range this spring, according to MLB.com.

Left-handed pitcher Wyatt Crowell selected by Los Angeles Dodgers in fourth round

A second current Seminole has been selected in the MLB draft as the Los Angeles Dodgers select junior LHP Wyatt Crowell in the fourth round, 127th overall. He is the 112-ranked player in the draft.

This past season he appeared in only five games due to injury, striking out 33 batters over 20.2 innings. In his junior season, he posted a 3-0 record, recorded one save, and held a 0.87 ERA. He was a preseason second-team All-American selection.

His approximate pick value is at $516.80K according to MLB Draft Tracker.

Sunday

Starting pitcher Jackson Baumeister selected in second round by Baltimore Orioles

FSU starting pitcher Jackson Baumeister was selected by the Baltimore Orioles with pick 63 in the Competitive Balance B round in the MLB Draft.

A draft-eligible sophomore, Baumeister has the option to return to college if he does not get the signing bonus he asks for. The slot for the pick is valued at $1.24 million by MLB.com

Baumeister entered the draft as the top-ranked draft-eligible player for FSU, coming in at No. 58 on Prospects Live Top 500 draft rankings.

The right hander finished 2023 with a 5-5 record with a 5.09 ERA and 95 strikeouts in 69 innings. He finished 21st nationally with 12.39 strikeouts per nine innings. His 14-strikeout performance against Clemson on April 6 earned him ACC and National Pitcher of the Week.

Baumeister signed with FSU out of The Bolles School in Jacksonville. He finished No. 53 on the MLB Draft prospect rankings and was one of the highest-rated players to attend college in 2021

This is what MLB.com, which had him ranked as the No. 167 prospect, had to say about him.

"A solid high school prospect who was in MLB Pipeline's Top 100 as the 2021 Draft approached, Baumeister was a converted catcher whose name was moving up Draft boards. On the day of the Draft, however, he announced he would be honoring his commitment to Florida State, so he was not selected. Two years later, he's now a sophomore-eligible prospect and still offers size and projection, albeit with mixed results production-wise. After pitching almost exclusively in relief for the Seminoles as a freshman, Baumeister largely threw well as a starter in the Cape Cod League last summer and has been a constant in Florida State's rotation this spring.

"While his fastball has averaged around 93 mph, he can reach back for 97 mph on occasion and it's not hard to believe he'll get to consistently plus velocity while showing some good riding quality to it up in the zone. His mid-70s curve is playable, with the lower velocity keeping hitters off-balance. Baumeister can fold in a little cutter-like slider and a fringy changeup at times as well. While Baumeister is durable and has a fairly simple delivery, he's struggled at times with limiting walks and has been hit more than expected since he headed to college. The size and raw stuff should still intrigue teams, though they'll have to contend with the leverage he'll have as a sophomore."

FSU signee Arjun Nimmala selected by Toronto Blue Jays with 20th pick

Florida State's top signee, shortstop Arjun Nimmala, of Strawberry Crest High (Dover), was already highly unlikely to make it on campus in Tallahassee.

Now the likelihood is even lower, with the Toronto Blue Jays selecting the shortstop with the 20th pick of the first round Sunday.

Nimmala was named the Florida Gatorade Player of the Year last month after leading the Chargers to a 17-8 record and the district semifinals as a senior in 2023. Nimmala batted .479 with six home runs, 29 RBI, 30 runs scored and a slugging percentage of .904.

He has a chance to become the first player of Indian descent to play in Major League Baseball.

No one covers the ‘Noles and the Rattluhs like the Tallahassee Democrat. Subscribe using the link at the top of the page and never miss a moment.

This article originally appeared on Tallahassee Democrat: MLB Draft: Tracking the FSU and FAMU players taken in the 2023 draft