Sports

Local MLB Draft picks: Missouri Tigers QB selected, so what’s next for Sam Horn?

With the final pick in the 17th round of the 2025 MLB Draft, the Los Angeles Dodgers selected ... a Mizzou quarterback.

Sam Horn, who is battling to become the Missouri Tigers’ starting QB this fall, arrived at Missouri in 2022 as a highly regarded two-sport athlete. But injuries and competition have limited his time in a Tigers baseball or football uniform.

In five appearances on the diamond for Mizzou last spring, Horn pitched 10 2/3 innings. Tommy John surgery kept him out of baseball last season; he made just two appearances the previous year.

In football, Horn has played in a total of four games for MU, throwing just eight career passes.

He was a top-200 recruit in both sports when he was coming out of high school in Lawrenceville, Georgia. After backing up now-departed MU starting QB Brady Cook, he is competing with Penn State transfer Beau Pribula for the No. 1 quarterback role this fall under Tigers head coach Eli Drinkwitz.

Horn could sign a baseball contract — he attended the MLB Draft Combine in June — and not play in the minor leagues until next spring. That would end his college baseball career.

With NIL and revenue-sharing income available to college sports athletes, money would seem to be less of a factor in the college-or-pro decision-making process.

Mizzou had one other player selected on Monday: shortstop Jackson Lovich in the 16th round, by the New York Yankees.

Kansas State and Kansas, which reached the NCAA Tournament, combined for five players drafted. K-State shortstop Maximus Martin was the first Wildcats player off the board, selected by the Boston Red Sox in the 10th round.

In the same round, Jayhawks shortstop Brady Counsell was taken by the Arizona Diamondbacks.

Three players from Central Missouri, the Division II runner-up, were selected, starting with pitcher Nathan Hall in the sixth round by the New York Mets.

Here’s the full recap of players with Missouri or Kansas ties who were taken this week.

Area 2025 MLB Draft picks

Here are the players selected, by round, with ties to the states of Missouri and Kansas (overall draft-pick number, name, position, school and slot value/signing bonus, if applicable):

ROUND 5

No. 156: Nick Potter, P, Wichita State, Astros, $443,100

ROUND 6

No. 193: Nathan Hall, P, Central Missouri, Mets, $322,300

ROUND 8

No. 253: Camden Lohman, P, Ft. Zumwalt North HS, Mets, $213,200

ROUND 9

No. 274: Cam Lee, OF, Mineral Area College, Orioles, $200,400

ROUND 10

No. 288: Jake McCutcheon, 2B, Missouri State, Marlins, $194,700

No. 289: Nick Rodriguez, 2B, Missouri State, Angels, $194,400

No. 295: J.D. McReynolds, P, Central Missouri, Rangers, $192,400

No. 298: Maximus Martin, SS, Kansas State, Red Sox, $191,300

No. 303: Brady Counsell, SS, Kansas, Diamondbacks, $189,800

No. 315: Jacob Frost, P, Kansas State, Dodgers $187,300

ROUND 11

No. 328: Barrett Morgan, P, Cowley County C.C., Red Sox

No. 343: Wyatt Vincent, OF, Nixa H.S. (Missouri), Mets

ROUND 16

No. 480: Alex Breckheimer, P, Kansas, Cardinals

No. 484: Denton Biller, P, Johnson County C.C., Orioles

No. 494: Jackson Lovich, SS, Missouri, Yankees

ROUND 17

No. 496: Derek Cerda, OF, Kansas, White Sox

No. 525: Sam Horn, P, Missouri, Dodgers

ROUND 18

No. 545: Rylan Mills, C, Oran H.S. (Missouri), Brewers

No. 549: Ethan Rogers, P, Lone Jack H.S. (Missouri), Tigers

ROUND 20

No. 600: Chase Heath, C, Central Missouri, Cardinals

Blair Kerkhoff
The Kansas City Star
Blair Kerkhoff has covered sports for The Kansas City Star since 1989. He was elected to the Missouri Sports Hall of Fame in 2023.
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