ATLANTA, Ga. – North Carolina starting pitchers Aidan Haugh and Jake Knapp were both selected on Day 2 of the 2025 Major League Baseball Draft, capping off a strong showing for the Diamond Heels.
Haugh was taken in the sixth round by the Tampa Bay Rays, while Knapp went in the eighth round to the Chicago Cubs. Their selections bring UNC’s total to four players drafted in 2025. Under head coach Scott Forbes, the Tar Heels have now produced 21 MLB Draft picks—including 10 pitchers. This marks the most Tar Heels selected in the first eight rounds since 2015.
Haugh’s decision to return to Chapel Hill after being drafted in the 16th round by the Minnesota Twins in 2024 paid off. Betting on himself, he improved his draft stock by 10 rounds this year. In 2025, the right-hander made 17 appearances (14 starts), going 5-4 with a 3.72 ERA across 75.0 innings. His ERA ranked ninth in the ACC, helping anchor a Carolina pitching staff that finished with the third-best ERA in the nation.
Knapp, the 2025 National Pitcher of the Year, was scooped up by the Cubs, who had already selected fellow Tar Heel Kane Kepley in the second round. A first-team All-American and the ACC Pitcher of the Year, Knapp dominated the season with a perfect 14-0 record—the best undefeated mark in the nation and tied for the most wins in a single season in program history. He posted a 2.02 ERA over 102.1 innings, tallying 88 strikeouts to just 16 walks.
MLB organizations have until July 28 to sign their newly drafted players.
Leave a Reply