FSU baseball: Wyatt Crowell selected with No. 127 pick in 2023 MLB Draft

FSU baseball saw another one of its pitchers selected in the 2023 MLB Draft. FSU ace pitcher Wyatt Crowell got drafted with the No. 127 pick overall in the fourth round by the Los Angeles Dodgers.

Crowell likely would have gotten drafted much higher if he didn’t injure his arm and miss 95 percent of the season after requiring Tommy John surgery.

Crowell only appeared in five games, with one start in the 2023 season. He was lights out, finishing the season 3-0 with 33 strikeouts and 11 walks in 20.2 innings.

Crowell had a 0.87 ERA, with opposing batters only hitting .132 against him.

In his last and only starting appearance, Crowell went six innings, allowing three hits, four walks, and 10 strikeouts. Before the injury, Crowell possessed a mid-90s fastball with one of the nastiest sliders in college baseball. He’s devastating against left-handed hitters.

Crowell has a sleight frame at 6’0″ and 169 pounds, but with a nice easy motion where the ball explodes out of his hand.

Crowell worked mostly out of the bullpen in his time at FSU baseball, and that’s likely where he’ll make his mark in the professional ranks. He’s a guy teams can bring into high-leverage situations to get batters out because he’s able to miss bats with his pitches.

Crowell expected to go high in the MLB Draft after the 2023 season, so it’s not like FSU baseball wasn’t expecting him to be gone. However, it’s a major league arm they won’t have at their disposal in 2024, but they didn’t have him for 2023 for the most part, so it’s a situation they’ve already experienced.

Tommy John surgeries have come a long way since back in the day, and I’d expect Crowell to make some noise if he can stay healthy. Good luck to Wyatt. It was a pleasure watching him in the garnet and gold.