Photo by: Mississippi State Athletics
Mets Draft Ginn in Second Round of 2020 MLB Draft
June 11, 2020 | Baseball
Ginn becomes fourth Diamond Dawg selected by New York Mets in the past three seasons
by: Greg Campbell, Assistant Director/Communications
STARKVILLE – As a third Diamond Dawg went off the board at the start the second round, the Mississippi State baseball program had a program-record three student-athletes picked in the first two rounds of the 2020 Major League Baseball First Year Player Draft. JT Ginn was taken by the New York Mets in the second round with the 52nd overall pick on Thursday (June 11).
Mississippi State tied for the fifth most picks in the country with three. Their three picks in the first two rounds were tied for the most in 2020 (Miami (Fla.), Texas A&M). In the 56 drafts since 1965, State has had at least three student-athletes drafted on 33 occasions.
Ginn is the 175th Bulldog student-athlete drafted for a total of 215 draft picks all-time. State has seen 64 taken in the first 10 rounds with 32 selected in the first five rounds, including 17 first rounders. Ginn joins Justin Foscue (No. 14 overall) and Jordan Westburg (No. 30 overall) as Diamond Dawgs taken in the 2020 MLB Draft.
The three picks in the first two rounds were just ahead of the 1985 draft, which saw three players go in the first four rounds. Foscue (1st round; 2nd overall), Westburg (1st round; 30th overall) and Ginn (2nd round; 52nd overall) each went in the first 52 picks, while Will Clark (1st round; 2nd overall), Rafael Palmeiro (1st round; 22nd overall) and Bobby Thigpen (85th overall; 4th round) are just behind, going in the first 85 picks.
JT Ginn | RHP | Brandon, Mississippi
The 2019 National Freshman of the Year, Ginn made one start in 2020 before being sidelined due to injury. During the 2019 campaign, Ginn was the No. 2 starter on one of the most dominant pitching staffs in the NCAA. In 86 1/3 innings pitched over 17 starts he piled up an 8-3 record, tying Paul Maholm (2001) for the most victories by a Bulldog freshman. He compiled a 3.13 ERA and limited the opposition to just a .220 batting average against. His 105 strikeouts marked just the second 100-strikeout effort by an MSU freshman in program history, joining Eric DuBose (109; 1995).
Ginn won each of his first six career starts and along with his national freshman of the year laurels, Ginn was the second Mississippi State rookie to earn Southeastern Conference Freshman of the Year (Jake Mangum; 2016). An SEC All-Freshman Team pick, the right-hander was selected by the Los Angeles Dodgers with the 30th pick in the first round of the 2018 MLB Draft.
Overall, in 18 career starts he only walked 21 batters and surrendered just 13 extra base hits. Over his 89 1/3 innings pitched, he finished his career with a 3.22 ERA and a .222 batting average against. Ginn allowed three-or-fewer earned runs in 15 of 18 career starts and walked two-or-fewer batters in 17 of 18 starts.
STARKVILLE – As a third Diamond Dawg went off the board at the start the second round, the Mississippi State baseball program had a program-record three student-athletes picked in the first two rounds of the 2020 Major League Baseball First Year Player Draft. JT Ginn was taken by the New York Mets in the second round with the 52nd overall pick on Thursday (June 11).
Mississippi State tied for the fifth most picks in the country with three. Their three picks in the first two rounds were tied for the most in 2020 (Miami (Fla.), Texas A&M). In the 56 drafts since 1965, State has had at least three student-athletes drafted on 33 occasions.
Ginn is the 175th Bulldog student-athlete drafted for a total of 215 draft picks all-time. State has seen 64 taken in the first 10 rounds with 32 selected in the first five rounds, including 17 first rounders. Ginn joins Justin Foscue (No. 14 overall) and Jordan Westburg (No. 30 overall) as Diamond Dawgs taken in the 2020 MLB Draft.
The three picks in the first two rounds were just ahead of the 1985 draft, which saw three players go in the first four rounds. Foscue (1st round; 2nd overall), Westburg (1st round; 30th overall) and Ginn (2nd round; 52nd overall) each went in the first 52 picks, while Will Clark (1st round; 2nd overall), Rafael Palmeiro (1st round; 22nd overall) and Bobby Thigpen (85th overall; 4th round) are just behind, going in the first 85 picks.
A really special two days 🙌#STATEtoTheShow pic.twitter.com/UpM64TndVC
— Mississippi State Baseball (@HailStateBB) June 12, 2020
JT Ginn | RHP | Brandon, Mississippi
The 2019 National Freshman of the Year, Ginn made one start in 2020 before being sidelined due to injury. During the 2019 campaign, Ginn was the No. 2 starter on one of the most dominant pitching staffs in the NCAA. In 86 1/3 innings pitched over 17 starts he piled up an 8-3 record, tying Paul Maholm (2001) for the most victories by a Bulldog freshman. He compiled a 3.13 ERA and limited the opposition to just a .220 batting average against. His 105 strikeouts marked just the second 100-strikeout effort by an MSU freshman in program history, joining Eric DuBose (109; 1995).
Ginn won each of his first six career starts and along with his national freshman of the year laurels, Ginn was the second Mississippi State rookie to earn Southeastern Conference Freshman of the Year (Jake Mangum; 2016). An SEC All-Freshman Team pick, the right-hander was selected by the Los Angeles Dodgers with the 30th pick in the first round of the 2018 MLB Draft.
Overall, in 18 career starts he only walked 21 batters and surrendered just 13 extra base hits. Over his 89 1/3 innings pitched, he finished his career with a 3.22 ERA and a .222 batting average against. Ginn allowed three-or-fewer earned runs in 15 of 18 career starts and walked two-or-fewer batters in 17 of 18 starts.
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