— KANSAS ATHLETICS RELEASE —
LAWRENCE, Kan. (KUAthletics.com) – Right-handed pitchers Ethan Lanthier and Tegan Cain, catcher Ben Hartl and left-handed pitcher Evan Shaw were all selected on the third and final day of the MLB Draft on Tuesday. The four Jayhawks drafted brings the total to six Kansas players selected after right-handed pitcher Hunter Cranton and infielder/catcher Kodey Shojinaga were drafted on Monday.
“I’m really proud of this draft class,” Head Coach Dan Fitzgerald said. “We’ve come a long way in two years and have our work cut out for us in replacing these guys! My staff did a fantastic job in finding these guys, recruiting them, and developing them at a high level! The bar has certainly been raised.”
Lanthier was drafted in the 12th round (353rd overall) by the New York Mets, Cain was chosen in the 13th round (402nd overall) by the Philadelphia Phillies, Hartl was selected in the 14th round (435th overall) by the Texas Rangers and Shaw was taken in the 16th round (490th overall) by the Los Angeles Dodgers.
The six selections are the most by Kansas in the top 20 rounds of an MLB Draft in program history. It also marks the most draft picks since 2014 and only one shy of the school record of seven set in 2010. Kansas had the second most players drafted by a current Big 12 school, trailing only Oklahoma State who had eight.
In only his second season at Kansas, Fitzgerald, and his coaching staff of Brandon Scott, Tyler Hancock and Jon Coyne, had as many players drafted in 2024 as the previous six years combined. Five of the six Jayhawks selected in this year’s draft were recruited by Fitzgerald and his staff, with the lone exception being Shojinaga, who was converted from a catcher to an All-Big 12 infielder by Fitzgerald and his staff in both of his seasons at Kansas.
RHP Ethan Lanthier (Jr.)
Round 12, No. 353 Overall, New York Mets
Lanthier developed into a multi-inning reliever midway through the 2024 season. The 6-5 right-hander provided length for the Jayhawks, specifically on Sundays as the first pitcher out of the bullpen. Lanthier finished the season with a 4-0 record and a 4.54 ERA across 20 appearances. Eleven of those 20 outings were more than one inning.
“Ethan had a fantastic year for us and is a great pick for the Mets,” Fitzgerald said. “Lanth has a huge fastball and great feel for a well-above average slider. He’s a great competitor and an outstanding teammate.”
Prior to the season, Lanthier was awarded a spot on the NCBWA Stopper of the Year Preseason Watch List. He was coming off a summer in the Cape Cod League where he was named an All-Star. Lanthier wrapped up his 2024 season at Kansas with 42 strikeouts in 37.2 innings pitched.
A native of Northfield, Minnesota, Lanthier spent two years at St. Cloud State before playing at KU for one season. He posted a 7-2 record with a 3.67 ERA in 29 appearances while a member of the Huskies.
RHP Tegan Cain (Jr.)
Round 13, No. 402 Overall, Philadelphia Phillies
Cain morphed into the setup man for Kansas out of the bullpen this past season. Throwing from a unique arm slot, Cain has a fastball that sits in the mid to upper 90s to go along with a dynamic slider and changeup. He had a 1-2 record with a 5.94 ERA in 27 appearances (one start).
“Tegan has an above average changeup that was really effective versus right-handed hitters,” Fitzgerald said. “His fastball velocity improved greatly in his time as a Jayhawk.”
Cain’s 46 strikeouts as a reliever led the team and his 27 pitching appearances were the second most on the team. He recorded at least one strikeout in 22 of those outings and had multiple strikeouts in 12 of those contests. He finished the season with 12.69 strikeouts per nine innings pitched.
The Ellis, Kansas, native played at Kansas one season after beginning his career at Barton Community College. In his two seasons at Barton, Cain went 9-4 with a 4.31 ERA in 108.2 innings pitched.
C Ben Hartl (Jr.)
Round 14, No. 435 Overall, Texas Rangers
Hartl, an All-Big 12 Honorable Mention pick, played a key role for the Jayhawks offensively and defensively in 2024. Hartl led the team in on-base percentage (.460) and hit by pitches (17), while he was second on the team with 11 home runs. He hit .309 on the season with a 1.059 OPS in 45 games (41 starts).
“Hartl will be a great addition to the Rangers,” Fitzgerald said. “Ben has great strike zone discipline and is a very good defender behind the plate.”
Originally recruited as a catcher, Hartl became the primary first baseman for the Jayhawks as he started 32 games at the position. Hartl provided multiple clutch late-game heroics this past season as he had a walk-off RBI single against Texas Tech and a go-ahead ninth inning home run against Texas.
A native of Springfield, Illinois, Hartl came to Kansas for one season after spending the previous two seasons at Heartland Community College. Hartl was an ABCA/Rawlings NJCAA Div. II All-American in 2022 and 2023 and also helped Heartland capture its first national title in program history in 2023.
Evan Shaw (Jr.)
Round 16, No. 490 Overall, Los Angeles Dodgers
Shaw served in multiple roles for the Jayhawks in 2024. He started the season by pitching out of the bullpen before alternating between a midweek and weekend starter. The southpaw went 3-1 on the season with a 5.10 ERA across 18 appearances (10 starts).
“Shaw had one of the best left-handed sliders in this year’s draft to go along with an above average fastball,” Fitzgerald said. “He’s a great athlete and will pitch for a long time in professional baseball.”
Shaw’s ability to make hitters swing and miss made him dangerous any time he touched the mound. He had at least three strikeouts in 11 of his 18 appearances and was second on the team with 12.76 strikeouts per nine innings pitched. Shaw had 60 strikeouts this past season in 42.1 innings pitched.
The Fridley, Minnesota, native was at Kansas for one season after playing at Cochise College in 2022 and 2023 and Minnesota State in 2020. While at Cochise, Shaw was an all-conference and all-region performer. He was 12-7 with a 2.93 ERA in 129.0 innings pitched with the Apaches.
Kansas finished the 2024 season with an overall record of 31-23 and a 15-15 mark in conference play. The 31 wins were the most for Kansas since 2019 and the 15 victories in Big 12 games were tied for the most in program history. The Jayhawks also advanced to the semifinals of the Big 12 Championship this past season for the first time since 2013.
