Wyckoff Pitcher Rejects MLB Draft To Return to Mississippi State

WYCKOFF, NJ — Kyle Clemente ("KC") Hunt, a right-handed pitcher out of Wyckoff, declined to sign a contract with the Pittsburgh Pirates after he was selected in the 12th round of the 2022 MLB Draft, according to multiple reports.

Hunt, a junior and three-year member of the Mississippi State University baseball team, is returning to Starkville, Mississippi, he confirmed Tuesday on Twitter.

At 6-foot-3 and 200 pounds, Hunt picked up two victories with the Bulldogs, finishing the year with a 7.46 earned run average, 32 strikeouts, and 13 walks in 25.1 innings. His fastball averages 91-94 miles per hour.

He also pitched for the Trenton Thunder in the MLB Draft League this year and finished third in Prep Baseball Report's pre-Draft rankings of the league's pitchers.

"Hunt has starter traits as he commands a quality four-pitch mix headlined by a riding fastball and a big 12-6 breaking curveball. Showing starter durability was a big development for Hunt in the Draft League," league data analysts said of the 22-year-old pitcher.