Three More Wildcats Selected on Final Day of MLB Draft
Kentucky pitchers Mason Moore, Dominic Niman and Travis Smith each were selected on the final day of the 2024 Major League Baseball Draft on Wednesday, bringing UK’s total draftees to seven this season.
Kentucky also had three transfer commitments selected on the final day, bringing the total to six commitments/signees drafted.
| PLAYER | POSITION | ROUND | MLB FRANCHISE |
| Ryan Waldschmidt | OF | 1 | Arizona |
| Emilien Pitre | IF | 2 | Tampa Bay |
| Ryan Nicholson | IF | 10 | LA Angels |
| Trey Pooser | RHP | 10 | Tampa Bay |
| Mason Moore | RHP | 15 | Chicago White Sox |
| Travis Smith | RHP | 15 | Milwaukee |
| Dominic Niman | LHP | 18 | Tampa Bay |
Moore, a former two-sport standout at Rowan County High School in Morehead, Kentucky, has become the most accomplished postseason pitcher in school history during his career at his home state school. He was unscored upon over the first 23.2 innings in the NCAA Tournament to open his career.
Moore went 9-4 with a 5.05 earned run average in 92.2 innings in 2024. He made 18 starts, allowed 79 hits and struck out 83. The nine victories are the second-most in the coach Nick Mingione Era behind Sean Hjelle in 2017.
Moore is 14-5 in his career, a win percentage of .737 that places him fifth on UK’s career chart. At 7.27 hits allowed per nine innings he ranks in Kentucky’s top five for his career.
Smith, from Walton, Kentucky, redshirted his freshman season before pitching the last two. In 2023, he won UK’s opening NCAA Regional game against Ball State. This season, he went 3-4 with a 6.21 ERA in 13 games, six of which were starting assignments. He struck out 33 in 37.2 innings and allowed 39 hits. He opened the season as Kentucky’s Friday night starter before a minor injury sidelined him.
Niman, from West Hartford, Connecticut, became the seventh Wildcat taken and the third by the Tampa Bay Rays when he was selected in the 18th round. The left-hander slotted right into UK’s Saturday role for much of the season, starting 16 games.
Niman finished the 2024 season 8-5 with a 6.85 ERA in 71 innings. He was the Southeastern Conference and National Pitcher of the Week after tossing a three-hit shutout against Alabama on April 6. He also shined against Arkansas (5.1 IP, two runs), Auburn (5 IP, one run) and Missouri (7 IP, two runs) in conference play as Kentucky won the league for the second time in its history.
