Rafe Schlesinger first of three Miami Hurricanes pitchers taken on Day 2 of MLB draft

The Cleveland Guardians selected Miami Hurricanes left-handed pitcher Rafe Schlesinger with the 113th overall pick in the fourth round on Monday, making him the first UM player selected in the 2024 MLB Draft.

He was the first of three Hurricanes selected in the fourth round, with Gage Ziehl going 119th to the New York Yankees and Herick Hernandez going 129th to the Atlanta Braves.

Here is what you need to know about where things stand for UM after two days of the draft, with Rounds 11-20 taking place on Tuesday.

Rafe Schlesinger

Schlesinger moved into the weekend rotation as a junior after spending his first two seasons in the bullpen. He had mixed results in 2024, pitching to a 5.83 ERA in 15 starts with 73 strikeouts against 25 walks over 78 2/3 innings. He had five quality starts, defined as pitching at least six innings while giving up no more than three earned runs, but also had three outings in which he gave up seven or more runs and pitched fewer than five innings.

But MLB teams always see upside in left-handed pitchers. Schlesinger’s size (6-3, 200 pounds) and pitch mix (a fastball that averages 92 mph and touches 97 mph to go along with a slider and changeup) from a lower slot add intrigue as well.

“The funk in Schlesinger’s delivery and arm slot can be a blessing and curse. It can provide for an uncomfortable at-bat for hitters, but it’s also led to inconsistent pitch execution and command, though he’s done a better job of finding the strike zone this spring,” reads Schlesinger’s scouting report from MLB Pipeline, which ranks him as the No. 147 prospect this draft cycle. “He’ll need that changeup against right-handed hitters if he wants to have a chance to start, but teams considering him early on in the Draft know he could be pretty nasty if he needs to go back to the bullpen.”

Gage Ziehl

Ziehl finished his junior season with a 3.87 ERA over 100 innings in 15 starts. He tossed a pair of complete games, on March 15 against North Carolina and March 28 against Clemson. He also had eight total quality starts, defined as pitching at least six innings while giving up no more than three earned runs. Five of those quality starts were in Atlantic Coast Conference play (UNC, Clemson twice — once in the regular season and again in the ACC Tournament — Georgia Tech and Florida State). Two of the others were against BYU and Florida.

Over his three-year UM career, Ziehl went 15-9 with a 4.07 ERA in 61 appearances (31 starts) while striking out 241 batters in 227 2/3 innings. After starting in the bullpen as a freshman, Ziehl headlined Miami’s weekend rotation as both a sophomore and a junior.

MLB Pipeline, which ranked Ziehl as the No. 89 prospect in the draft this year, broke down Ziehl as follows: “When he’s at his best, the 6-foot right-hander has three solid pitches and the ability to use his stuff late into games. His fastball has averaged around 93 mph and is up to 95 mph as a starter, while he touched 97 mph out of the bullpen as a freshman. He used to rely more on sink with his heater but has shifted to higher spin four-seamers up in the zone, and he can move it around the zone well. His best pitch now is a hard cutter-like slider thrown in the mid-80s, and he has feel for a changeup that is particularly effective against left-handed hitters.”

Herick Hernandez

Hernandez, a lefty and Hialeah native who started his college career at Miami Dade College, spent one season with the Hurricanes. He struck out 95 batters over 70 1/3 innings spanning 15 appearances (14 starts).

Baseball America noted in its scouting report that Hernandez has “intriguing fastball traits.”

“He averaged 92 mph and was up to 95 but has above-average induced vertical break on the pitch. His secondaries are both fringy at best and need work, with his mid-70s curveball perhaps better than his low-80s slider, and he’s also mixed in a firm changeup in the upper 80s.”

Hurricanes commits

Three high school players committed to Miami also have been selected through the first two days, with Pittsburgh Mount Lebanon High left-handed pitcher David Shields going No. 41 overall to the Kansas City Royals, Miami Christian shortstop Ronny Cruz going No. 90 to the Chicago Cubs and Naples left-handed pitcher Johnny King going No. 95 to the Toronto Blue Jays.

While being drafted doesn’t automatically mean these prospects won’t make it to campus, it’s highly unlikely they will. Teams draft during the first two days with a focus on signability since players have to sign in order for the allotted bonus pool money attached to that pick to count.