Duke baseball's Beshears, Mooney, Boucher selected in 2023 MLB Draft to San Diego, Cleveland, Tampa Bay

On Monday afternoon, Duke was able to claim three more draft picks in its history. 

Jay Beshears, Alex Mooney and Adam Boucher were both selected in the 2023 MLB Draft, going in the sixth, seventh and 10th rounds to San Diego, Cleveland and Tampa Bay, respectively. 

Beshears was selected 191st overall Monday by the Padres, becoming the first Blue Devil off the board in this year’s amateur draft. The junior only spent one year at Duke, transferring from Northwestern before the beginning of the 2023 season. In his lone season in Durham, the second baseman was a key cog in a Blue Devil operation that came one game short of advancing to the College World Series. Beshears had a team-best .333 batting average to go along with 15 home runs and 56 RBIs, providing a steady presence for head coach Chris Pollard at the top of the order.  The middle infielder also led Duke in on-base percentage, a stat that certainly impressed San Diego’s scouting department and bodes well for his future career. 

The next domino to fall in was shortstop Mooney, who was selected 218th overall by the Guardians. Much like Beshears, the sophomore was an ever-present force for this year’s Blue Devil squad, as he was one of two players to start every game of the season for Pollard’s team. The All-ACC first team selection had the second-highest batting average on the team behind Beshears, coming in at .315 at year’s end. Mooney was also tied for the team lead in hits with 80 and paced the Blue Devils in doubles and stolen bases as he racked up 20 and 21 in those respective categories. 

Boucher was the final Blue Devil selected Monday, going 303rd to the Rays. The junior right-hander tallied an ERA of 4.95 to end the season, completing 40 innings in 29 games played. He was a key piece of Pollard's pitch-by-committee approach, especially early in the season, where he logged five starts.

Barring a decision to return to school, Beshears, Mooney and Boucher will begin their professional careers immediately, with minor league assignments likely soon to follow after the draft. 

Editor's note: This article has been updated following Boucher's selection by the Rays Monday evening. It was originally published after Mooney's selection Monday afternoon.