FAYETTEVILLE, Ark. — Arkansas matched a program record with 11 players selected in the 2025 Major League Baseball Draft, tying Florida State for the most picks by any college program this year.
The Razorbacks, who finished 50-15 and reached the College World Series semifinals, saw seven players chosen Monday on the draft’s final day.
The group included pitchers Christian Foutch (Boston Red Sox, fifth round), Aiden Jimenez (Kansas City Royals, fifth), Landon Beidelschies (Atlanta Braves, sixth), Ben Bybee (San Francisco Giants, eighth) and Parker Coil (Milwaukee Brewers, 16th). Third baseman Brent Iredale (Pittsburgh Pirates, seventh) and outfielder Justin Thomas (Houston Astros, 11th) also were picked.
The Razorbacks matched their previous record set in 2013 and 2018, when the draft was 40 rounds. The Hogs and Florida State led all college programs in picks, while Georgia had 10 players drafted.
The Razorbacks also had four signees taken Monday.
Ball State transfer shortstop Dylan Grego was picked by the San Diego Padres in the 13th round, Fort Smith Northside right-hander McLane Moody by the Pirates in the 15th, Johnson County Community College right-hander Denton Biller by the Baltimore Orioles in the 16th and Fayetteville High School shortstop Landon Schaefer by the Philadelphia Phillies in the 20th.
Schaefer had already announced he would not sign professionally this year, posting on Instagram, “Staying Home,” with a caption, “See you at Baum.”
The deadline for MLB teams to sign their draft picks is July 28. Most players taken in the first 10 rounds typically sign, but some drafted later, like Schaefer, choose college over pro ball.
Foutch and Jimenez commanded the largest slot values among Arkansas players drafted on Monday, at $479,800 and $434,400, respectively.
Jimenez, who began his career at Oregon State before Tommy John surgery, retains significant negotiating leverage with multiple years of eligibility remaining.
“He’s a guy who, when he’s on, it’s up to 97 [mph],” MLB.com draft analyst Jonathan Mayo said. “We talked about how loaded that Arkansas pitching staff is. Maybe you give [him] a chance to start at the next level [he] didn’t really get at Arkansas.”
The Razorbacks’ bullpen drew strong interest. Foutch, Jimenez, Bybee and Coil worked mainly as relievers this season.
Beidelschies, a left-hander who transferred from Ohio State, started the season in the rotation before shifting to the bullpen.
“The slider is probably the best pitch,” MLB.com analyst Jim Callis said. “The changeup and control are going to be points of emphasis if he’s going to stick in the rotation at the next level.”
Bybee, at 6-foot-6 and 230 pounds, features a mid-90s fastball and intriguing upside.
“He trusts secondary pitches more than his fastball,” Callis said. “But pro teams, you’re going to take a chance on this guy in this round all the time and figure you can mold him into something.”
Among position players, Iredale and Thomas were both top 500 prospects by Baseball America last year before transferring to Arkansas from junior college.
Iredale hit 14 home runs and drove in 57 runs, but struck out 68 times in 206 at-bats.
Thomas, who began his career at Georgia, was named to the All-Tournament team at the College World Series after batting 8-for-14 with three RBIs in Omaha.
Six Razorbacks signees were ranked among the top 500 prospects by Baseball America, but only Schaefer and Moody were drafted.
The top undrafted signees, including infielder/right-hander Carson Brumbaugh, right-hander Jordan Martin, outfielder Christian Turner and infielder Alexander Peck, are expected to play key roles next season.
The Razorbacks’ 2025 recruiting class is ranked No. 3 nationally by Baseball America. The team also secured transfer commitments from Oregon State right-hander James DeCremer and Eastern Michigan catcher Brendan Kleiman on Monday.
Since the draft was shortened to 20 rounds in 2021, Arkansas has routinely kept key contributors on campus despite strong MLB interest.
