Matt Hobbs keeps building one of the top pitching staffs in the country and Saturday proved it again.
The Yankees grabbed Arkansas left-hander Hunter Dietz with the No. 35 overall pick in the MLB Draft continuing a run of first-round arms coming out of Fayetteville.
Dietz spent much of his college career fighting through injuries and only got one complete healthy season on the mound. He made that year count in a big way and turned himself into an early pick for a Major League franchise.
His final numbers backed up the hype. Dietz went 7-4 with a 3.57 ERA over 85.2 innings and struck out 131 batters, the fourth-highest single-season total in school history.
He paced the Hogs in wins, quality starts, innings and double-digit strikeout outings while limiting hitters to a .221 average.
Voters took notice too. Dietz picked up First Team All-SEC honors and landed on multiple All-American lists including a second-team selection from D1Baseball.
His slot bonus checks in at $2,826,700 and he now stands as the ninth Arkansas pitcher drafted in the top three rounds since 2021.
Razorbacks add another name to a growing list
Saturday wasn’t just about Dietz either. Fellow Hog Carson Wiggins came off the board just one pick before him at No. 27 to the Mets.
Their names now join a list that keeps getting longer for Arkansas.
Last year set the standard when four different Razorbacks heard their names in the first round. Gage Wood went No. 26 and Zach Root followed at No. 40 as part of that historic class.
The success on the mound didn’t start there though.
Hagen Smith went fifth overall back in 2024 and teammates Jaxon Wiggins and Hunter Hollan followed him in the second and third rounds that same draft.
Peyton Pallette went at No. 62 in 2022 and Kevin Kopps got picked at No. 99 in 2021, rounding out a run few programs can match.
Arkansas fans will spend the rest of the draft watching for more names from the roster.
Between the injuries Dietz overcame and the steady flow of arms leaving campus for pro ball each year the program shows no signs of cooling off.
Key takeaways
- Hunter Dietz went No. 35 overall to the Yankees becoming the ninth Razorback pitcher drafted in the top three rounds since 2021
- Dietz posted a 7-4 record a 3.57 ERA and 131 strikeouts the fourth-most in a single season in school history
- Arkansas has now had a pitcher drafted in the first round in back-to-back years under pitching coach Matt Hobbs
