LOS ANGELES – Auburn right-handed pitchers Mason Barnett and Trace Bright and first baseman Sonny DiChiara were selected on the second day of the 2022 Major League Baseball Draft Monday.
Barnett was drafted by the Kansas City Royals with the 87th overall pick in the third round, while Bright and was selected by the Baltimore Orioles with the 137th overall pick in the fifth round, and DiChiara went to the Los Angeles Angels with the 148th overall pick in the fifth round.
With Blake Burkhalter also going in the second round last night, it marks the first time in program history four players have been selected in the first five rounds. The four top-five-round picks are the second most in the country, tied with Arkansas, California, Oklahoma and Virginia Tech and trailing only Tennessee (five).
In 19 appearances and 14 starts this season, including seven weekend starts, Barnett went 3-3 with a 4.38 ERA and struck out 83 batters in 63.2 innings.
A native of Cartersville, Georgia, Barnett played a pivotal role in getting Auburn to Omaha as he posted a 0.93 ERA and struck out 15 batters in 9.2 innings in two starts against UCLA and Oregon State in the regional and super regional rounds. The right-hander turned in a season and career-best 5.1 scoreless inning with a career-high 10 strikeouts in the regional final against the Bruins and was named to the Auburn Regional All-Tournament Team.
Barnett is Kansas City bound! #WarEagle | #MLBDraft pic.twitter.com/gP7CwBCbkk
— Auburn Baseball (@AuburnBaseball) July 18, 2022
The only Auburn pitcher to start every weekend during the 2022 season, Bright posted a 5-4 record and 5.13 ERA while leading the team with 94 strikeouts and 80.2 innings pitched. His strikeout total was the fourth highest by an Auburn pitcher since 2000.
Bright didn't allow an earned run in his first three starts of the season and turned in three straight quality outings from Feb. 26-Mar. 13, becoming the first Auburn pitcher since 2019 to accomplish the feat. At the end of the season, the Montgomery, Alabama, native stepped up when it mattered most as he earned the win in the team's first victory at the College World Series in 25 years. Bright held Stanford to two runs in 5.0 innings and struck out an Auburn CWS record eight batters without issuing a walk in Omaha.
Future's Bright in Baltimore! 😎#WarEagle | #MLBDraft pic.twitter.com/RzbUnHKJYu
— Auburn Baseball (@AuburnBaseball) July 18, 2022
The sixth consensus All-American and third SEC Player of the Year in program history, DiChiara finished the season as the SEC leader in average (.383), on-base percentage (.549) and slugging percentage (.777). His on-base clip was good for second in the country, second to Frank Thomas (.568) in program history and is 42 points higher than any other player in the league in the last 10 full seasons.
With 63 career home runs between Samford and Auburn, DiChiara finished his career tied for second among active Division I players in the category. His 22 homers this season were good for the fourth most in the SEC and tied for the second most in program history, one shy of 2010 SEC Player of the Year Hunter Morris.
DiChiara drew 68 walks this year, the second most in the country and in the team's single-season history, and reached base in all but two games, including multiple times on 49 occasions.
The @Angels are getting an animal!@SonnyDichiara is headed to Hollywood! ⭐️#WarEagle | #MLBDraft pic.twitter.com/3O04fNFqyD
— Auburn Baseball (@AuburnBaseball) July 18, 2022
The 2022 MLB Draft concludes Tuesday with rounds 11-20 beginning at 1 p.m. CT on MLB.com.