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Ryan Snell
Senior catcher Ryan Snell has been selected by the Washington Nationals in the seventh round of the 2023 MLB Amateur Player Draft. He was taken with the 195th overall pick.
A 2023 first-team ABCA All-Region selection and a third-team All-American, Snell becomes the 89th Cardinal to be drafted by an MLB franchise, and the first since Jason Blanchard in 2019 (San Diego Padres, 9th Round). The Cardinals have had four players sign free agent deals since 2020 when draft was trimmed from 42 rounds down to 20 following the COVID pandemic.
Snell becomes the third Cardinal selected by the Nationals, joining Ben Cox (2004 – final season of the Montreal Expos, but drafted as Washington Nationals) and Tanner Driskill (2018, ninth round). He becomes the highest drafted Cardinal since Michael Ambort – another Cardinal catcher – was taken in the sixth round by the San Francisco Giants in 2007.
Former Cardinals Kirkland Banks and Ben MacNaughton have signed with MLB Draft League teams. Banks will play for the Mahoning Valley Scrappers, while MacNaughton will play for the Williamsport Crosscutters.
MacNaughton was a three-year letterwinner for the Cardinals who closed out his career by playing in and starting 51 games while hitting .308 with a triple, eight doubles, 22 RBIs and 38 runs scored. A speedster on the basepaths, MacNaughton ranked among the league leaders with 26 steals.
For his career, MacNaughton played in 134 games earning 120 starts for LU. During that time, he posted a .283 career batting average with six triples, 18 doubles, 45 RBIs and 81 runs scored. He also stole 46 career bases.
Banks arrived on campus as a twosport athlete. After wrapping up his career on the football field, he used the rest of his eligibility to focus on baseball. A former conference all-defensive team selection, he was a two-year letterwinner for the Red and White who played in 106 games earning 87 starts. He posted a .261 career batting average with two home runs, 13 doubles, three triples, 42 RBIs and 49 runs scored.
Banks put the Cardinals in national spotlight earlier this season when he made a diving stop behind second base and in one motion hopped to his feet and threw the ball across his body to get the runner at first.
The play was highlighted later that evening on ESPN Sportcenter’s Top 10 Plays (No. 3).