The Miami Marlins added a proven college bat on Saturday when they selected Arkansas infielder Camden Kozeal in the third round of the MLB Draft with the 87th overall pick.
That slot carries a suggested bonus value of $929,700.
Kozeal spent two seasons wearing the Arkansas uniform after he transferred in from Vanderbilt.
He quickly turned into a clubhouse leader and a name Hogs fans grew to trust in big moments.
This past season he moved to shortstop, a spot he hadn’t played much before arriving in Fayetteville.
Even out of position he handled the defensive workload well, showing enough range and hands to hold down the job every day.
Numbers backed up the hype
Kozeal put together a season that stacks up with the best in program history.
He hit .318 with a .410 on-base percentage and a .653 slugging mark. His 20 home runs and 71 RBI both topped the Razorbacks and he added a team-best 59 runs scored along with 78 hits.
Those 20 homers ties him for fourth most in a single season by an Arkansas hitter, putting him in the same group as Chad Spanberger, Andrew Benintendi and Rodney Nye.
That’s serious company for anyone who has worn a Razorback jersey.
His glove work matched his bat too. Kozeal turned 28 double plays and posted a .970 fielding percentage with just seven errors across 234 total chances, numbers that show he did more than just survive the position switch.
Awards piled up during draft year
The production earned Kozeal Third Team All-America honors from both the NCBWA and Perfect Game.
He also picked up First Team ABCA/Rawlings South All-Region recognition and made the SEC All-Tournament Team.
He was a semifinalist for the Brooks Wallace Award, which goes to the top shortstop in the country, and for the Tony Gwynn Community Service Trophy.
Off the field he made the SEC Academic Honor Roll and the SEC Community Service Team, rounding out a well-balanced college career.
Kozeal is the fifth Arkansas player picked in this year’s draft, another sign of the pipeline Dave Van Horn’s program keeps sending toward pro ball.
The Razorbacks will now watch a former building block chase his next step while pointing to another draft class that reached deep into the diamond.
Key takeaways
Camden Kozeal went to the Miami Marlins with the 87th overall pick in round three, a slot carrying a suggested bonus value of $929,700
His junior season numbers included a .318 average, 20 home runs and 71 RBI, tying him for fourth most homers in a single season by an Arkansas hitter
Kozeal earned Third Team All-America honors from the NCBWA and Perfect Game while also standing out as a Brooks Wallace Award semifinalist after moving to shortstop
