The New York Mets took Arkansas right-hander Carson Wiggins with the 27th overall pick in Saturday’s MLB Draft.
It’s a big moment for the Hogs and for a pitcher who didn’t even take the mound this year.
Wiggins becomes the third straight year a Razorbacks pitcher has gone in the first round.
Hagen Smith went to the Chicago White Sox in 2024, and Zach Root landed with the Los Angeles Dodgers in 2025. Now Wiggins joins that group as a Met.
He’s also the second Razorback picked in this year’s draft. Infielder Camden Kozeal went in the third round to the Miami Marlins earlier Saturday, giving Arkansas another name on draft boards this cycle.
Wiggins spent most of this season recovering from elbow surgery. He got healthy down the stretch but didn’t get back on the field for the Razorbacks.
Even with the missed year, scouts didn’t lose interest.
He still earned a spot as a preseason All-American from Baseball America and made the preseason watch list for the NCBWA Stopper of the Year Award.
He also picked up a spot on the Spring SEC Academic Honor Roll. Last month, he worked out at the MLB Combine, which likely helped keep him in first-round conversations.
A path that started in Oklahoma
Wiggins prepped at Roland High School in Oklahoma. Scouts started circling after his junior year, when he hit 97 mph at a PBR Tournament in Atlanta that summer.
That kind of arm strength doesn’t go unnoticed and Perfect Game moved him up to No. 5 overall in the 2024 recruiting class.
He also follows family history into pro ball. His brother Jaxon Wiggins went No. 68 overall to the Chicago Cubs.
The slot value for pick No. 27 sits at $3,466,500 and word is Wiggins will sign for a bit under that number.
Back in 2025, as a true freshman, Wiggins made 14 relief appearances for the Hogs. He went 1-1 with a 3.21 ERA and struck out 20 batters in 14 innings.
He also picked up three saves and held opposing hitters to a .152 batting average.
His season included a debut against Washington State on Feb. 15, where he struck out one batter in a scoreless inning for his first save. He added saves against Charlotte on March 1 and Portland on March 9.
His SEC debut came at Ole Miss on March 16, where he struck out three batters in two innings to earn his first win.
He also fanned two against South Carolina on March 23, notched a career-high four strikeouts at Georgia on April 13, and struck out the side against Little Rock on April 22.
Key takeaways
- Carson Wiggins went 27th overall to the Mets despite missing this season with an elbow injury
- He’s the third straight Arkansas pitcher taken in the first round, following Hagen Smith and Zach Root
- Wiggins joins Camden Kozeal as the second Razorback picked in this year’s MLB Draft
