Arizona pitchers Kent, Candiotti, Susac, and Walty taken in 2024 MLB Draft

An Arizona Wildcat has now heard his name called in three of the drafts for the "Big Four" North American professional sports leagues.

Arizona Baseball sent nine players to MLB last offseason, and reigning Pac-12 Coach of the Year Chip Hale has added to the tally with four more pro-caliber players getting the call this year in the 2024 MLB Draft. The most interesting wrinkle is that all four players were pitchers: Jackson Kent, Clark Candiotti, Anthony "Tonko" Susac, and Cam Walty.

After not seeing any time as a freshman and only sparing time as a sophomore in 2023, theleft-handed pitcher Kent broke out in his junior season with the Wildcats in 2024. Kent started all 15 games he appeared in last year and tallied 86 innings pitched, which ranked sixth in the Pac-12 and third on the team.

Looking beyond his 3-4 record as a starter, Kent found some serious footing in the Arizona lineup. His 86 strikeouts ranked second on the team and fifth in the conference, and he finished the season with an ERA of 4.08, which tied for seventh in the Pac-12. Kent was named to the All-Pac-12 team in his first season as a starter, and now he'll look to develop even further in the Washington Nationals' farm system.

Despite boasting a collegiate career that never saw him stay in one place for longer than a season, Candiotti still parlayed it into a professional opportunity. He returned to his home state to play for Arizona ahead of the 2024 season and quickly found himself firmly entrenched in the starting rotation.

Candiotti started in all 16 games he appeared in — twice making it through the complete game for a win — and amassed a 7-4 record. His 103 strikeouts led the team and were tied for the Pac-12 lead in 2024, while his 95.1 innings pitched led the conference. The right-handed pitcher earned All-Pac-12 honors for his efforts during the season, and he'll now be making his sixth move in six years as he furthers his baseball career in the San Diego Padres' farm system.

Two years removed from his older brother and fellow Wildcat Daniel Susac being taken 19th overall by the Oakland Athletics, Anthony "Tonko" Susac also heard his name called and will get his chance in the big leagues. He struggled over his first two seasons in the starting rotation but finally found a niche as a reliever.

When moved into the reliever role in 2024, Susac's production improved immensely. He made 21 appearances and started just five, dropping his ERA from 8.81 in 2022 to 6.59 in 2024. Though he amassed a 2-2 record, his three saves led the team and was tied for sixth in the Pac-12 and he also notched 36 strikeouts. He'll now get to dial in more on what makes him a viable relief pitcher in the Texas Rangers' farm system.

Despite being in the same productivity ballpark as Kent and Candiotti in his second season with Arizona, Walty fell all the way to the 20th round. He started 14 of his 16 appearances during the season and amassed an impressive 8-2 record, which brought his career record at Arizona to 13-3 over two seasons.

Walty's 3.29 ERA was the third-best in the Pac-12, and he racked up 75 strikeouts to boot. His 90.1 innings pitched clocked in at fourth in the conference and second on the team. He shines at minimizing mistakes: he only hit five batters, and his 13 walks were the least of all qualified pitchers in the conference. His All-Pac-12 nod and third-team NCBWA All-American honors were well-deserved, and this level of control is a steal for the Guardians in the final round of the draft.

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