Texas C Silas Ardoin selected No. 107 by the Baltimore Orioles

The Baltimore Orioles used the No. 107 overall selection in the 2022 MLB Draft on Texas Longhorns redshirt sophomore catcher Silas Ardoin, making the 6’0, 215-pounder the first pick of the fourth round on Monday and the fifth current or future Texas player selected.

Regarded as one of the best defensive catchers in the draft, Ardoin threw out 22-of-33 attempted base stealers in 2022 (66.7 percent) and was charged with five errors and eight passed balls. The son of Danny Ardoin, a catcher who spent 15 years playing professional baseball, the Lake Charles-area product is also known for his ability to handle a pitching staff.

After hitting .241 in the shortened 2020 season and .239 in 2021, Ardoin made big strides in the batter’s box in 2022, raising his batting average to .271 and continuing to a show a strong command of the strike zone at the plate with 39 walks. But the true growth area that helped Ardoin land at the top of the fourth round was his power — after posting a .315 slugging percentage as a redshirt freshman, Ardoin went from nine doubles to 20 doubles and one home run to 12 home runs as a redshirt sophomore in raising his slugging percentage nearly 200 points to .513.

Combined with Ardoin’s defensive ability, the power surge may increase Ardoin’s professional ceiling from career backup to potential starter if he can continue to make strides at the plate while maintaining his low strikeout rate (19.2 percent in 2022).

The slot value for the No. 107 pick is $571,100.