South Carolina Baseball: Carmen Mlodzinski Selected in First Round of MLB Draft
By Jacob Elsey
South Carolina baseball player Carmen Mlodzinski was drafted 31st overall in last night’s MLB draft.
Junior right-handed pitcher Carmen Mlodzinski was selected by the Pittsburgh Pirates with the 31st pick in the first round of the MLB draft Wednesday night. He becomes the 15th first-rounder in program history, and the first since Clarke Schmidt was taken by the New York Yankees in 2017.
His approximate pick value is slotted at $2.31 million.
Over his three-year career, Mlodzinski made 26 appearances, recording five wins, seven losses, and a save over 81.2 innings pitched.
As a freshman, he appeared in 19 games, making seven starts, and recording three wins and a save. His 45.1 innings pitched were the highest single-season output of his career.
As a sophomore, Mlodzinksi began the year as a Friday night starter, but injured his foot in his third appearance. The stress fracture kept the pitcher sidelined the rest of the season.
The Hilton Head product was 2-1 on the mound with a 2.84 ERA this past year as South Carolina’s Friday night pitcher. He held a 22:8 K/BB ratio prior to the 2020 season being cancelled by Coronavirus.
Mlodzinski also appeared in the Cape Cod League this past season. The right-hander tossed 34.1 innings, going 3-0 with a 1.83 ERA for the Falmouth Commodores. He held an impressive 43:5 K/BB ratio.
The first-round selection essentially ensures the end of Mlodzinski’s Gamecock career. There are not expected to be any more current team members drafted this year, but there could be a few members of the recruiting class plucked over the final four rounds Thursday.