2023 MLB Draft: Brand new Gamecock pitcher taken in 4th round

South Carolina baseball just added pitcher Matt Duffy to the team via the transfer portal in the last week. The Canisius College defection was stellar in the Metro Atlantic Athletic Conference in 2023 and was the league’s Pitcher of the Year. On Monday, Duffy was selected in the 4th round of the 2023 MLB Draft by the Boston Red Sox.

Duffy’s selection in the draft was a little bit of a surprise. He was expected to be taken but the 4th round was higher than most projections. Prospects Live, for example, had Duffy as the 323rd-ranked prospect in the 2023 MLB Draft. Instead, the right-handed pitcher went 200 spots higher.

During his Canisius College career, Duffy has been an excellent performer. In 2023, his ERA was higher than one would think because of some bad luck and two less-than-stellar performances. On the season, he struck out 119 batters while only allowing 118 total bases. He also fanned that many hitters despite pitching just 83 1/3 innings on the season.

Duffy’s control is a plus, as well. For his entire career (211 1/3 innings), he struck out just 59 hitters. His 273/59 strikeout-to-walk ratio is one of the best overall numbers in the country in recent years of college baseball. Finding pitchers who can strike out a lot of batters without walking many is hard to do, so Duffy’s selection by Boston makes sense.

Now, Duffy has a decision to make. As a 4th-round selection, he could be offered a contract worth around $500,000. That is a lot of money to pass up for any player, especially one that is not guaranteed a spot in the starting rotation if he stays in college.

Duffy joins Jack Mahoney and Will Sanders as South Carolina baseball players to be selected in the 2023 MLB Draft. As of now, it is unclear whether he will continue the transfer process and enroll at the University of South Carolina or if he will head to the pro game.