The Baltimore Orioles chose
Auburn
outfielder/catcher Ike Irish at No. 19 in the Major League Baseball First-Year Player Draft on Sunday night.
The Orioles listed Irish as a catcher when his selection was announced.
Irish was the second player picked in the first round who wasn’t listed as a shortstop or a pitcher. The Chicago Cubs chose Wake Forest outfielder Ethan Conrad at No. 17.
The only players drafted from Auburn with an earlier pick than Irish in baseball’s summer draft have been pitcher Casey Mize at No. 1 in 2018, pitcher Gregg Olson at No. 4 in 1988, first baseman Frank Thomas at No. 7 in 1989 and outfielder Gabe Gross at No. 15 in 2001.
Irish became the seventh consensus All-American in Auburn baseball history in 2025, when he batted .364 with a .710 slugging percentage.
Irish broke his right shoulder blade when he was hit by a pitch in March. He missed six games and spent most of the rest of the season in right field instead of behind the plate.
In his three seasons with the Tigers, Irish hit .350 with a .435 on-base average and a .625 slugging percentage in 160 games. He totaled 160 runs, 223 hits, 48 doubles, five triples, 39 home runs, 167 RBIs and 19 stolen bases.
Irish is sixth on Auburn’s career home run list and ranks eighth in career slugging percentage.
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Mark Inabinett is a sports reporter for Alabama Media Group. Follow him on X at
@AMarkG1
.
