2025 MLB Draft has deep Illinois baseball flavor

The 2025 MLB Draft was one of intrigue for Illinois baseball fans, as they saw two former players as well as two signees taken in this year's iteration.

Signee Jack Wheeler from Morris High School in Illinois was selected in the sixth round by the Texas Rangers. The third baseman is a part of the Illini 2026 recruiting class and may still end up in Champaign in the event he does not sign with the Rangers. He would certainly be a player to watch out for next year.

Starting Pitcher Tyler Schmitt was drafted in the 17th round by the San Diego Padres. Schmitt had a 4.80 ERA last season, racking up 58 strikeouts and 5 wins across 80.2 innings pitched and 15 games.

His career ended with a bang in the Big Ten tournament against Michigan, in which he went 7 innings and struck out nine Wolverine batters in a dramatic 6-5 10-inning thriller victory. Schmitt's legacy as an Illini will forever be cemented in this moment as one of the brightest spots of the season.

Fellow Pitcher Julius Sanchez was drafted a round later in the 18th round by the Texas Rangers. With the Illini, Sanchez appeared in just 3 games early in the year. However, in his career as an Illini, he posted a 6.58 ERA accumulating 62 strikeouts across 79.1 innings.

To round out the draft, signee Ike Young was selected in the 20th round by the Tampa Bay Rays. The right-handed pitcher out of Monticello High School in Illinois will almost surely head to Champaign as a potential MLB contract is likely far down the road in his career.

Seeing former players go to the draft is always a fun occasion for any program, and having talent that professional teams took a chance on bodes well for some being injected into the roster.

While actual playing time for these players may be few and far between, having Illini throughout the MLB gives fans familiar faces to root for and follow throughout their careers.