MLB Draft Rewind: 2013

Arkansas finished the 2013 season with a 39-22 record and an 18-11 mark in SEC play. The Razorbacks’ 18 wins in league play were the most since 2010 and Arkansas won seven of 10 conference series for the first time since the 2004 season.

The Razorbacks reached the regional final of the NCAA Manhattan Regional. After dropping the opening game of the regional to Bryant, Arkansas bounced back with victories over Wichita State and Bryant before falling to host school Kansas State in the regional championship.

It also featured the 1,000th career win for head coach Dave Van Horn, as the Razorbacks won an 8-2 game against San Diego State on March 9 to seal it.

The 2013 draft featured a school record 11 Razorbacks drafted, including players in the first, second and third rounds for the first time in school history. Two of the players went on to play in the MLB, including one who continues to pitch in the Bigs.

It was the most players drafted in the country, as 10 went on to sign professional contracts.

2013 MLB DRAFT
Ryne Stanek (RHP) – Tampa Bay Rays – 1st Round (29)
Colby Suggs (RHP) – Miami Marlins – 2nd Round (73)
Barrett Astin (RHP) – Milwaukee Brewers – 3rd Round (90)
Dominic Ficociello (INF) – Detroit Tigers – 12th Round (366)
Trent Daniel (LHP) – Colorado Rockies – 17th Round (499)
Brandon Moore (RHP) – Milwaukee Brewers – 17th Round (512)
Jacob Morris (OF) – Chicago White Sox – 24th Round (723)
Tyler Wright (LHP) – Seattle Mariners – 26th Round (777)
Randall Fant (LHP) – Houston Astros – 29th Round (857)
Eric Fisher (INF) – Miami Marlins – 30th Round (892)
Matt Vinson (OF) – Arizona Diamondbacks – 37th Round (1,110)

Stanek, from Overland Park, Kansas, came to the Razorbacks after turning down a third-round selection in the 2010 draft, improving his stock to a first-round pick in 2013 after three years with the Hogs. Forty-five of his 48 appearances on the mound were starts, including all 33 in his final two seasons, opening his freshman campaign with 15 games, going 4-2 with one save and a 3.94 ERA, striking out 41. He was dominant in year two, putting together an 8-4 record in 17 starts, lowering his earned run average to a 2.82 clip in 92.2 innings pitched. He punched out 83 in 2012 and 79 in 2013, as his starts were virtually guaranteed in victory, going 10-2 in 16 of them, with a whopping 1.39 ERA over 97.1 frames on the mound. His 2013 earned run average ranked third in school history, while his career mark was good for eighth at 2.55, picking up First Team All-SEC honors, as well as All-America status for his performance as a junior. Stanek was impressive through minor league ball, working his way up to a big-league debut in 2017 with the Rays. He pitched 21 games as a rookie reliever, totaling 29 strikeouts in 20 innings. In year two, Stanek delivered with a 2.98 ERA in 59 games, starting 29, ringing up a career-high 91 batters in 66.1 innings of work. His 2019 season featured 41 games with the Rays, 27 starts, with a 3.40 earned run average and 61 strikeouts, before getting traded to the Marlins, where he would throw 22 times and earn one save. He will begin his seventh season of pro ball and fourth in the Majors in 2020 with Miami.

Suggs, a native of Sulphur Springs, Texas, was dominant from the moment he stepped on an Arkansas mound in 2011 to when he left as a junior in 2013. As a freshman, Suggs relieved 12 games, going 2-1 with a 0.90 ERA in 20 innings, striking out 22. In 30 games and 39.0 frames in 2012, he went 7-1 with a 1.38 earned run average and 36 K’s, before wrapping up his college career with 13 saves in 2013, appearing on the mound 23 times while putting together a 1.74 ERA and 29 strikeouts. He allowed just 15 runs in 79.2 college innings, as his 13 saves ranked second for a single season at Arkansas and is good enough for sixth in a career. He would go on to pitch four years of pro baseball, hovering in the various levels of “A” ball, pitching in 78 games, striking out 94 batters in 95.7 innings of work. He rejoined the Arkansas staff as an assistant and was a member of the 2018 College World Series coaching staff.

Astin, an Arkansan from Forrest City, pitched three years for the Razorbacks from 2011-13, lowering his ERA and raising his strikeout totals every year as his amount of innings went up. He put together a 2.72 clip in 27 games as a freshman, going 5-2 with three saves in 59.2 innings of work, striking out 57 batters to earn Freshman All-America honors. He rung up 61 in 2012, winning three games and closing the book on 11 saves in 32 games for a 1.99 earned run average. Moving into a starting role in 2013, Astin went 4-4 with one save, working a 1.79 ERA over 90.2 innings on the mound, striking out 74 to conclude college ball with 12 wins, 192 strikeouts and a career 2.11 earned run average, which ranks fourth in school history, also finding his name in the record books for saves (15) at third and appearances (77) at fifth. He spent two years with the Brewers organization before finding a new home with the Reds system in 2015, using the next three years working his way up to an MLB debut in 2017 with Cincinnati. He pitched six times in the Bigs, totaling eight innings and two strikeouts.

Ficociello, from Fullerton, California, came to Arkansas after getting selected in the 23rd round of the MLB Draft in 2010. He debuted with one of the best seasons by a freshman in Razorback history, racking up 75 hits in 61 games, including 15 doubles, a triple and four home runs, as well as 50 RBIs and 29 runs scored, earning Freshman All-America honors, as well as Freshman All-SEC and All-SEC Defensive Team accolades. His 75 hits tied for the freshman record at Arkansas until Heston Kjerstad and Casey Martin joined the squad in 2018. Ficociello was just as effective in year two, producing 73 hits in 67 contests, with 15 doubles, a triple and six homers to go with 41 RBIs and 45 runs scored. His junior campaign saw reduced playing time in 46 games, resulting in 41 hits, 17 RBIs and 21 runs, heading off to the Detroit organization as a 12th-round pick. He worked his way up to Triple-A Toledo in 2017 after five years progressing through the system, spending the first 90 games in Double-A Erie hitting .306 with 101 knocks in 90 games. It was the third time in his career to produce a 100-hit season, racking up 146 in 2014 in Single-A West Michigan and 105 in 2016 Erie. He returned to Double-A in 2018 for a 98-hit season before playing the 2019 season in Independent ball with the Winnipeg Goldeyes.

Daniel returned to the Razorbacks in 2013 and pitched 22 games, all but one in relief, working a 2.55 ERA with one save in 24.2 innings, striking out 24 batters before heading off to the Colorado system as a 17th-round pick. He spent three years in the system, pitching a total of 119 games in the three levels of “A” ball, producing 34 saves and eight wins for a career 2.88 ERA and 118 K’s, wrapping up his pro career in 2015.

Moore, another Arkansan from Van Buren, joined the Razorbacks for three years from 2011-13, appearing in 71 games on the mound for Van Horn’s club. As a freshman, he worked 17 games, 11 as a starter, putting together a 4-1 record with a 3.45 ERA, striking out 38 in 70.1 innings of work. He returned as a sophomore to go 5-2 in 29 games, three starts, with three saves and a 2.43 earned run average over 81.1 frames, punching out 36. Despite just one win in 2013, he kept his ERA around the same mark at 2.68 in 25 relief appearances and 47.0 innings. He had two years in the Milwaukee organization, pitching 25 games in rookie ball and five in Single-A Wisconsin. He won two games and picked up two saves with 58 strikeouts during his pro career.

Morris, a native of Coppell, Texas, patrolled the outfielder for three years and 116 games for the Razorbacks from 2011-13. After a 13-hit, 23-game season as a freshman, he saw more playing time in his final two years, recording 33 hits in 52 games with 23 RBIs and 27 runs scored, followed by 16 hits in 41 games as a junior, driving in 14 runs and scoring 19 in 2013. He played two years in the minors, totaling 196 games between rookie league and Single-A Kannapolis, tallying 164 hits, 48 doubles, four triples and 20 homers, as well as 77 RBIs and 128 runs. He also played 10 games in Independent ball with Wichita Wingnuts in 2017.

Wright, from Houston, Texas, joined the Hogs in 2012 after two years at San Jacinto College. He pitched 16 games as a junior in 2012, winning one game while putting together a 2.60 ERA and 19 strikeouts in 17.1 innings. He did not allow an earned run in 2013, going 1-1 in 11 games and four starts, ringing up 19 batters in 20.1 frames on the mound. He would only play one pro season in 2013 with the Everett Aqua Sox, relieving 19 times, while piecing together a 2-0 record and one save for a 1.99 clip in 31.2 innings, punching out 39 hitters.

Fant returned to the Hogs in 2013 as a senior and continued his streak of lowering his ERA, producing a 2.02 season with a 6-1 overall record in 14 starts. He pitched 66.2 innings in his final year of college ball, striking out 52 to improve his spot in the draft by 36 spots from a year before. Fant went on to pitch three years in the pros, totaling 33 appearances and 12 starts on the mound, winning four games and earning one save, putting together a 4.27 ERA with 92 strikeouts in 101.3 innings.

Fisher, from Spring, Texas, played three years for the Razorbacks from 2011-14. After only seeing 18 games of action in 2011, he returned to the field in 2013, appearing in 46 games, racking up 29 hits, 13 RBIs and 18 runs while playing some in the outfield and at first base. He turned down a 30th-round selection in the 2013 draft to return as a junior in 2014…

Vinson, an Arkansan from Alma, was a four-year player for Van Horn from 2010-13, roaming the outfield for the Hogs. He played in a total of 179 games, racking up 123 hits, 60 RBIs and 86 runs scored for a career .245 clip at the plate. He saw his most production as a senior, with 61 hits, eight doubles, three triples and two homers, as well as 24 RBIs and 37 runs scored in 57 games. He went on to play 20 games of pro ball, tallying 11 hits, eight for extra bases, with 10 RBIs and 10 runs.

On June 2, we’ll take a look at the 2014 draft, which featured six Razorbacks drafted, as well as two more guys who made it to the Big leagues.