Arkansas outfielders Tavian Josenberger, Jace Bohrofen and Jared Wegner were all selected on Day 2 of the 2023 MLB Draft on Monday afternoon.
A transfer from Kansas, Josenberger went No. 100 overall to the Baltimore Orioles in the third round after spending one season in Fayetteville. Following his second season in a Razorback uniform, Bohrofen was selected 184th in the sixth round by the Toronto Blue Jays. A Creighton transfer, Wegner was selected by the New York Yankees with the 282nd pick in the draft after he spent one season in Fayetteville.
Arkansas hasn't had multiple outfielders taken in the same draft since 2015, when Andrew Benintendi went No. 7 overall to the Boston Red Sox and Tyler Spoon was also drafted in the 35th round by the Red Sox.
Josenberger was the third Diamond Hog off the board in this year's draft as right-handed pitcher Jaxon Wiggins went No. 68 overall to the Chicago Cubs on Sunday and left-handed pitcher Hunter Hollan was drafted 74th overall by the Cincinnati Reds shortly after the start of round three on Monday.
Josenberger set career-highs with 10 home runs, 33 RBIs, 41 walks and 13 stolen bases with the Razorbacks in 2023 despite missing a portion of the season with a hamstring injury. The outfielder out of Kansas City slashed .286/.414/.490 with the Diamond Hogs and he posted a 1.000 fielding percentage in centerfield.
The approximate slot value for Josenberger is $671,800, according to MLB Pipeline. He is the first Hog to be drafted by the Orioles since Heston Kjerstad went No. 2 overall to Baltimore in the 2020 MLB Draft.
A native of Oklahoma City, Bohrofen saw his draft stock slide on the second day, but the Blue Jays picked him up in the sixth round. He is the first Hog to be drafted by Toronto since Zach Jackson went 102nd overall and Dominic Taccolini went 492nd overall in the 2016 draft.
The 184th pick carries a slot value of approximately $304,700, according to MLB Pipeline.
Bohrofen joined Dave Van Horn’s Arkansas team as a transfer from Oklahoma prior to the 2022 season. He spent most of that year hampered by unfortunate injury that he suffered by running into the outfield wall prior to a game in early March. Bohrofen played in 32 games and started 24 as a sophomore for Arkansas in 2022.
The 2023 season is when Bohrofen made his name known around the college baseball world. He slashed .318/.436/.612 with a team-best 16 home runs and 15 doubles. Bohrofen drove in 51 runs, scored a team-high 54 runs and he was hit by a team-best 16 pitches.
In his college career, Bohrofen slashed .281/.392/.521 and hit 21 home runs, four triples, 27 doubles and drove in 87 runs.
Despite the Razorbacks’ early exit in the Fayetteville Regional last season, Bohrofen showed scouts he has the power at the plate to play on the professional level, and his .982 fielding percentage over his three college seasons is nothing to scoff at either.
Despite having a thumb injury hold him out from April 14-May 18, Wegner still managed to rack up four doubles, two triples, 15 home runs and 51 RBIs as a Razorback. He had a team-best .457 on-base percentage and his .673 slugging percentage also led the Razorbacks in 2023.
As a graduate transfer, Wegner is an older guy who will turn 24-years-old on July 25. His slot value is projected by MLB Pipeline to be $173,100, but there is a good chance he gets less than that.
For the latest news on all of Arkansas’ MLB Draft prospects, stay tuned to HawgBeat's premium message board, The Trough, or follow along with our MLB Draft updates story.
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