photo by: Mike Gunnoe/Special to the Journal-World

Kansas senior Brady Counsell fires the ball to first against Nebraska at Hoglund Ballpark Tuesday, April 8, 2025.

Former Kansas infielder Brady Counsell became the first Jayhawk selected in the 2025 MLB Draft when he went No. 303 overall to the Arizona Diamondbacks in the 10th round on Monday.

The graduating senior spent one year at KU, where he primarily played third base. His defense at that position was so exceptional as to win him the program’s first-ever Rawlings Gold Glove Award, and the first for a Big 12 player since 2018.

Counsell also spent time at second base and in left field, and is listed on MLB’s draft tracker as a shortstop prospect.

The native of Whitefish Bay, Wisconsin, now joins his father in the professional ranks. Craig Counsell played in the major leagues from 1995 to 2011 and currently serves as the manager of the Chicago Cubs. Brady Counsell also has a younger brother, Jack, who plays at Northwestern.

Counsell, who has not been previously drafted, was the No. 2 shortstop in Wisconsin coming out of high school. He spent his first three seasons at Minnesota, where he started every game in 2023 and 2024, before joining KU as one of numerous experienced transfers headed to Lawrence via the transfer portal in the summer of 2024. He picked the Jayhawks over Louisville, Oregon State and Arkansas.

Counsell and his fellow transfers became part of the foundation of KU’s best team in recent memory, which went 43-17, led the Big 12 in wins at 20 and reached the NCAA Tournament. Counsell was an all-conference honorable mention. As the only player to start all 60 games for the Jayhawks, he batted .259 with an .851 OPS and tallied 12 home runs and 57 RBIs. On defense, he posted a fielding percentage of .992 and took part in eight double plays.

The No. 303 pick at which Counsell was selected has an estimated slot value of $189,800. He is the first Jayhawk selected by the Diamondbacks since 2018, when Jackson Goddard went No. 99 overall to Arizona in the third round.

This story will be updated.