Yankees Select Mississippi State Lefty Pico Kohn with 134th Pick

The Yankees selected their first pitcher of the 2025 MLB draft, selecting Pico Kohn, from Verbena, Alabama, a 6-foot-4 left-handed starting pitcher out of Mississippi State in the 4th round with the 134th overall pick, continuing the Yankees' trend of drafting pitchers from the SEC. The pick has a $550,300 slot value.

One of Alabama's top high school pitching prospects in 2021, Kohn immediately contributed as a freshman reliever at Mississippi State before missing all of 2023 following Tommy John surgery. 

Kohn came back as a starter with average stuff and strikes last year and went undrafted, but has kicked his arsenal and control up a notch this spring. He opened his redshirt junior season with a pair of 11-strikeout performances and continued to pitch well in Southeastern Conference play.

Kohn's fastball operates at 91-94 mph and tops out at 95, but it plays up because hitters have trouble picking it up from his low three-quarters arm slot and flat approach angle, and he can throw it with carry up in the strike zone or locate it down at the knees. He has an excellent feel for a sweeping low-80s slider that he can locate on either side of the plate. He works mainly with those two pitches and occasionally mixes in a low-80s changeup with a fade.

Kohn looked more athletic this year, getting down to the mound and repeating his delivery better, which allowed him to improve his extension and pound the strike zone. There's still room to add more strength to his 6-foot-4 frame, so his stuff could tick up further. He's not overpowering, but he has a high floor as a left-handed starter with solid command and good mound presence.

2025 (Redshirt Junior Season)

Finished with a 4.91 ERA in 36.2 IP, striking out 35... Allowed 24 runs (20 earned) on 35 hits and 18 walks.. Held opponents to a .255 batting average.

2024 (Sophomore Season)

Season: Made nine appearances on the season with eight starts … Finished the year with a 1-1 record … Punched out 35, walked 11 to earn a 3.38 ERA through 29.1 innings … Struck out a career-high eight while pitching a career-long seven innings against Virginia in the NCAA Charlottesville Regional … Had three outings of four or more innings … Tallied five or more strikeouts four times.

Memphis (3/19): Pitched an inning and allowed a hit and walked one. Samford (3/26): Punched out three in two innings of work. Alcorn State (4/16): Picked up first win of the season … Struck out five and did not allow a run through three innings pitched. Memphis (4/23): Made first start of the season … Sat three Tigers in a pair of innings of work. Ole Miss (5/1): Allowed a single earned run in four innings pitched … Punched out five in the appearance. Arkansas (5/12): Did not walk a batter and struck out four in four innings of work. Missouri (5/18): Third game this season with five strikeouts … Pitched three innings and allowed one earned run with a pair of hits. Tennessee (5/24): Through 3.1 innings, struck out a pair. Virginia (6/2): Struck out a career-high eight in a career-long seven innings pitched.

2023 (Sophomore Season)

Season: Did not play during the 2023 season.

2022 (Freshman Season)

Season: Appeared in 21 games, starting two...Finished with a 4.91 ERA in 36.2 IP, striking out 35...Allowed 24 runs (20 earned) on 35 hits and 18 walks..Held opponents to a .255 batting average. 

UAPB (2/22): Threw 2.0 scoreless innings in his first college appearance, striking out three and walking none. Northern Kentucky (2/26): Pitched 2.2 scoreless innings in relief, striking out three and allowing two hits with no walks. Texas Tech (3/8): Worked a perfect 1.2 innings, striking out three. Princeton (3/11): Threw 2.0 scoreless innings, striking out three, while allowing two hits and walking one. Southern (3/23): Made his first collegiate start, going 3.0 innings, while allowing one earned run on three hits and one walk. LSU (4/9): Threw a scoreless 2.1 innings in relief with four strikeouts, allowing no walks and only one hit. Ole Miss (4/22): Struck out three in 2.0 scoreless innings, allowing one hit and two walks. Florida (5/7): Held the Gators hitless in two innings, striking out two and walking one.

High School

Prepped at Chilton County School (Ala.)...A 2021 Rawlings-Perfect Game Third Team Senior Preseason All-American... No. 55-rated high school MLB Draft prospect per Baseball America...No. 121-ranked national prospect and No. 2 prospect in Alabama per Perfect Game...Tabbed First Team Underclass All-America by Perfect Game in 2020...Earned high honorable mention Underclass All-America from Perfect Game in 2019...Selected Gatorade Alabama Player of the Year in 2020...As a senior, posted a 9-2 record with a 1.17 ERA...Allowed 41 base hits while striking out 126 and walking 19 in 72 innings of work.

Scouting grades: Fastball: 55 | Slider: 55 | Changeup: 50 | Control: 55 | Overall: 45