UNIVERSITY PARK, Pa. – Penn State baseball junior shortstop Jay Harry was selected by the Minnesota Twins in the sixth round, 177th overall, in the 2023 MLB Draft on Monday.
He became the 78th overall player selected out of Penn State and the 13th draft pick since 2016. Harry is the 16th Top-10 round selection in program history.
Harry joins catcher Matt Wood (2022; 4th round, 132nd overall, Milwaukee Brewers) and catcher Ben Heath (2010; 5th round, 153rd overall, Houston Astros) as position players selected among the Top 10 rounds.
The Nittany Lions have a Top-10 round draft pick in four of the last five drafts with Harry joining Wood and pitchers Dante Biasi (2019; 6th round, Kansas City Royals) and Conor Larkin (2021; 9th round, Toronto Blue Jays).
Harry was the first college player selected from a Pennsylvania school and was the 10th player selected from a Big Ten school.
Harry played in 146 games as a Nittany Lion, making 145 starts, while serving as the primary shortstop since he arrived on campus.
In his career, Harry batted .304 with 169 hits, including 33 doubles, three triples and 12 homers, 81 RBI and 109 runs. He worked 55 walks, was hit by 17 pitches, and stole 11 bases. On defense, Harry made 402 career assists.
As a junior in 2023, the New Jersey native batted .299 with 60 hits, 13 doubles, a triple, six homers, 37 RBI and 47 runs. He walked 20 times, while striking out just 21, and stole six bases. He held a .463 slugging percentage. Named to the Brooks Wallace Award watch list, he led the team with 60 hits and tied for the team lead with 13 doubles. Harry recorded 18 multi-hit games, 10 multi-RBI games and 13 multi-run games. He ranked as the third-toughest player to strikeout in the Big Ten, averaging a strikeout every 9.6 at-bats.
In 2022, Harry tied a Big Ten record with six hits against Michigan State (5/9).
Harry was an Academic All-Big Ten selection in 2022 and 2023 as an agribusiness management major.
