BLOOMINGTON, Ind. - With Indiana's season officially over following a loss to Southern Miss at the Knoxville Regional on Sunday, the Hoosiers are set to embark on an important offseason ahead.
This offseason, Indiana has a number of players expected to be selected in the 2024 MLB Draft in mid-July.
The important thing to remember regarding the MLB Draft is that just because a player is drafted, doesn't mean that they're going to turn pro.
If a player feels as though they were selected too late in the draft, or to a situation that isn't ideal for them, a player can refuse to sign for that team and return to college -- given that the player has eligibility remaining.
Additionally, the only Indiana players that are eligible for the draft, are those who have completed their junior seasons OR will be 21 years or older by the day of the draft.
Below is a collection of all the Hoosiers who may be taken at some point throughout the 20 rounds of the upcoming MLB Draft in Arlington, Texas.
RHP - Connor Foley
Ranked as the 101st prospect eligible for the 2024 MLB Draft by Future Stars Series.
Foley, despite just finishing his sophomore campaign with the Hoosiers is draft eligible due to his age.
As a freshman, Foley was relied upon heavily out of the bullpen in many key situations for the Indiana, including in the Lexington Regional in 2023.
During the 2024 season, Foley shifted into a starter's role. He amassed a 4.71 ERA in 63.0 innings pitched with the Hoosiers. Foley struck out 82 hitters this past season.
Future Star Series on Foley: Foley burst onto the scene as a true freshman in 2023 for the Hoosiers shoving upper-90s heat and playing a key role down the stretch. As mentioned, Foley can grab 98 at his best, resting 91-94 with carry through the zone as he gets into the later of a start. The heater has performed extremely well at the collegiate level with elite whiff rates and chase rates that grade out much better than most of his peers. It's a future plus pitch and then some. He works to live at the top of the zone, his fringy command limiting effectiveness at times. His best weapon is a low-80s slider and a mid-80s changeup, both of which flash solid average. Showing an improved ability to hold velocity later into starts, plus establishing a go-to secondary are boxes scouts are looking to check for Foley as the draft approaches.
Outfielder - Carter Mathison
Ranked as the 123rd prospect eligible for the 2024 MLB Draft by Future Stars Series.
Back in 2022, Mathison set Indiana's freshman home run record, bashing 19 long balls as a true freshman.
Throughout his Indiana career, Mathison mashed 42 homers, coming up just shy of the Hoosiers' all-time career record of 47 held by Alex Dickerson.
This past season, Mathison shifted from the Hoosiers' everyday DH to Indiana's everyday center fielder. He started all 60 of Indiana's games in 2024.
Mathison hit .260 with 13 homers and 44 RBIs this season.
Future Stars Series on Mathison: Mathison has bludgeoned the Big 10 since arriving in 2022. He hit 19 homers as a freshman and immediately became one of the more feared sluggers in the midwest seemingly overnight. There's some swing and miss in his game, but it's not alarmingly detrimental. Most of his warts come outside of the strike zone. He doesn't expand the zone to extreme levels, but the swing is grooved in a way that makes it difficult to battle premium stuff off the black. Mathison is a fringy pure hitter who can get pull-happy when he slumps. In the field, he's a physical, above average runner who has strong feel for centerfield. He takes good routes to the baseball and shows a slow heartbeat. He controls his neighbors in left and right field as well. He can handle centerfield at least at an average level, probably a tick better. He can handle any of the three outfield spots.
Outfielder - Nick Mitchell
Ranked as the 204th prospect eligible for the 2024 MLB Draft by Future Stars Series.
Mitchell came to Indiana last offseason after starting his career at Western Illinois.
Known for his ability to put bat to ball, Mitchell slashed .335/.458/.512 this past season.
He also recorded five home runs and 49 RBIs this past season with the Hoosiers, walking more than he struck out.
Future Star Series on Mitchell: Mitchell was one of the most complete hitters in the Summit League since arriving to Macomb, Illinois in 2022, and he's accomplished that superlative as one of the youngest players in his class. Now at Indiana, Mitchell won't even be 21 years old on draft day despite playing three full seasons in college. He's carried a .400 batting average for much of his college career buoying above and below that mark on a number of occasions. While he doesn't possess much power, he's a prototype table-setter with his bat-to-ball skills and high on-base figures. He's a solid average runner, but draws rave reviews for his instincts on the basepaths having stolen 30 bags as a true freshman. Mitchell is likely destined for left field at the next level where his arm won't be quite so tested.
RHP - Luke Sinnard
Ranked as the 216th prospect eligible for the 2024 MLB Draft by Future Stars Series.
After spending his freshman season at Western Kentucky, Sinnard came to Indiana prior to the 2023 season.
Sinnard recorded a 4.27 ERA in 16 starts during his sophomore campaign as the Hoosiers' ace. The 6-foot-8 righty set Indiana's single-season strikeout record a season ago, setting down 114 opposition batters.
He spent the entire 2024 season on the shelf, recovering from an elbow injury.
Future Star Series on Sinnard: Sinnard is a monster of a man measuring in at 6-foot-8-inches. He's an imposing righty with an extremely high arm slot. The result is a fastball with considerable hop in the zone, though the benefits of that shape are a bit diluted since the vertical approach angle steepens the path of the ball. Sinnard will grab 95 on occasion, though he's more commonly 91-92. The slider gets good results, though its shape would be characterized as fairly generic at the next level. Sinnard's best weapon is a low-80s curveball that possesses significant depth, a pitch that plays well off his heater, especially when buried in the dirt. Sinnard checks a lot of interesting metric boxes. With his three-pitch arsenal and pitch-mirroring characteristics, he's got a chance to start at the next level. Sinnard missed the entire 2024 campaign after undergoing elbow surgery in August of 2023.
Infielder - Brock Tibbitts
Ranked as the 390th prospect eligible for the 2024 MLB Draft by Future Stars Series.
Battling through a lower body injury that held him out for a month this season, Tibbitts hit .313 with 43 RBIs in his junior campaign.
Over the weekend at the Knoxville Regional, Tibbitts collected his 200th career hit.
A former Freshman All-American, Tibbitts began the year as the Hoosiers' catcher, but spent most of his time at first base following the injury.
Future Star Series on Tibbitts: Tibbitts is well-liked in the clubhouse and is revered for his ability to call a good game. The strength in his game is at the plate, however. He possesses an average hit tool with solid average raw power and a patient approach to the game. He'll use the whole field, though almost all of his power is to the pull-side. Tibbitts is well-known in scouting circles going back to his high school days and that pedigree should do him well in the evaluation process leading up to the 2024 draft.
Infielder - Tyler Cerny
Ranked as the 412th prospect eligible for the 2024 MLB Draft by Future Stars Series.
As is the case with Foley, Cerny is eligible for the 2024 MLB Draft due to his age.
Cerny spent the entirety of his freshman season playing second base before tacking over the shortstop vacancy this past season.
An All-Big Ten third team selection in 2024, Cerny paced the Hoosiers in RBIs this season, tallying 60 of them. While playing excellent defense up the middle, Cerny slashed .315/.378/.525 as a sophomore at Indiana.
Future Star Series on Cerny: Cerny impressed as a true freshman in 2023 posting double-digit homers as a teenager and running a .276/.348/.489 slash, earning all-Big Ten freshman honors. He's a solid average defensive shortstop with with an average arm, though he's had moments in his collegiate career of making the highlight-level play. At the plate, Cerny doesn't have a carrying tool outside of what some believe to be average raw power. He's touched into it in games, as noted. Cerny largely posts fringy contact rates and has shown bloated chase rates at times, but those metrics improved during his sophomore campaign. He's draft-eligible as a 20 year old.
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