The Major League Baseball Draft in this day and age has some differences from its earlier versions. There are way less rounds, with it now being 20 rounds as opposed to it once going past 40 rounds. The event is also now held in July, as opposed to being held in the past while NCAA baseball teams were at The College World Series.

What has stayed the same throughout the draft history and still rings true today is that players from the high school and college ranks within Mississippi are going to be among the most desired on the board.

On Sunday in the first round, Jackson Prep infielder Konner Griffin became the first high school player to be selected when Pittsburg selected him at number nine.

Griffin was Gatorade national player of the year for a Prep team that finished 39-4 and won the MAIS 6A state championship. Griffin was a monster on the mound, putting up a 10-0 record and 0.72 ERA.

On the basepaths, Griffin stole 87 bases while batting for a .559 average and slugging nine home runs. The son of Belhaven head softball coach Kevin Griffin, Konner Griffin will make somewhere around 7 million dollars in his rookie contract. He projects as a position player at the MLB level.

Another Mississippi-made athlete came off the board at the 12th pick when the Boston Red Sox selected Madison Central alum Braden Montgomery. Montgomery initially played two years of college ball at Stanford before transferring to play last year for a Texas A&M squad that finished second in the nation.

Montgomery suffered an injury during the postseason, but his body of work over the last three seasons at the plate was more than enough to earn him a slot that will pay out over 5 million dollars over his rookie deal.

With the 15th pick of the draft, the Seattle Mariners used their selection on Mississippi State pitcher Jurrangelo Cijntje. The Bulldogs have a proud tradition of producing some standout professional players over the years and Cijnte produced lots of buzz during his time in Starkville.

Much of that buzz came from the fact that Cijntje is a switch-pitcher, able to use either arm, but he’s most likely to pitch as a righty as a pro.

The Toronto Blue Jays used the 59th pick in the second round to select Mississippi State pitcher Khal Stephen. A 6-foot-4 transfer from Purdue, Stephen has four pitches including a mid-90s fastball.

Another big arm from Starkville came off the board in the third round when the New York Mets selected Mississippi State pitcher Nate Dohm. The 6-foot-4 Dohm pitched two seasons for the Bulldogs after transferring from Ball State following his freshman season.

Maybe the member of the 2024 Mississippi State roster with the highest draft expectations, except Cijntie, was outfielder Dakota Johnson. A standout during his prep days at Jackson Academy, Johnson was thought to be a possible top 30 pick, but slid to the fourth round, where he was picked number 116 by the San Francisco Giants.

Brooks Auger, another Mississippi State pitcher, was selected number 190 in the sixth round by the Los Angeles Dodgers. Auger first began his career at Hinds Community College.

The Giants picked Southern Mississippi junior pitcher Niko Mazza with the pick number 238 in the eighth round. Mazza played his high school baseball at Madison-Ridgeland Academy. The Washington Nationals used the 260th selection in the ninth round on University of Mississippi infielder Jackson Ross.

Another Mississippi State pitcher came off the board in the ninth round when the Toronto Blue Jays used the 277th selection on Colby Holcombe. Holcombe began his career at Northeast Mississippi Community College.

When the draft resumed for its final day on Tuesday, players with Magnolia State ties selected included Mississippi State pitcher Tyson Hardin (12th round, Milwaukee Brewers), Mississippi State outfielder Connor Hujsak (13th round, Tampa Rays), Mississippi State pitcher Tyler Davis (15th round, Kansas City Royals), Ole Miss third baseman Ethan Lege (15th round, Pittsburgh Pirates), Ole Miss pitcher Connor Spencer (16th round, Oakland A’s) and Ole Miss pitcher Xavier Rivas (16th round, New York Yankees).