The first member of the 2022 Diamond Hogs is off the board.
The Kansas City Royals selected former Razorback third baseman Cayden Wallace with their second-round pick — No. 49 overall — in the MLB draft Sunday night. The 20-year-old Greenbrier native is the highest-drafted Arkansas player since 2020, when the Baltimore Orioles selected outfielder Heston Kjerstad second overall.
The 49th pick carries a slot value of approximately $1.58 million.
In two seasons in Fayetteville, Wallace slashed .289/.379/.528, making a sizable impact at the heart of the Arkansas order.
Wallace earned a spot on the All-Southeastern Conference Freshman Team in 2021, when the Hogs held the No. 1 ranking for most of the season. As the right fielder, he slashed .279/.369/.500, picking up a second-team Freshman All-American nod from Baseball America.
In 2022, Wallace posted even better numbers, leading the Razorbacks to the College World Series. His .298 average and .940 OPS failed to land him any conference or national honors, but paired with his slick play at third base, he significantly improved his draft stock.
Wallace joins a list of six other former Razorbacks selected in the top 49 picks in the Dave Van Horn era. Kjerstad, outfielder Andrew Benintendi, right-handed pitcher Ryne Stanek, third baseman Zack Cox, third baseman Logan Forsythe and left-handed pitcher Nick Schmidt round out the group.
Wallace is the third former Hog to become a Kansas City draft pick in the past five seasons, joining left-handed pitcher Caden Monke and outfielder Eric Cole.
