Nittany Lion third baseman Bryce Molinaro has been mentioned in the Top 150 college prospects for the 2025 MLB Draft following a stellar redshirt freshman season. In 2024, Molinaro hit 11 home runs and had 45 runs batted in for Penn State. What events led to this ranking for the star third baseman? Find out in our story below.
Before coming to Happy Valley
Molinaro played baseball at Hazleton Area High School before college. While playing there, he went 65-for-119 batting in two seasons, amounting to a .546 batting average, according to MaxPreps. The third baseman hit 14 home runs and batted in 65 runs while stealing nine bases during high school.
According to Perfect Game, Molinaro was the #348 shortstop in the nation and #12 shortstop in Pennsylvania in the Class of 2022. He began his collegiate career at St. John's (NY), where he redshirted his true freshman season and did not play in 2023.
Making the most of an opportunity
Bryce Molinaro wasted no time getting used to the spotlight at Penn State, as he was one of three Nittany Lions named as a 2024 preseason Big Ten Player to Watch.
His biggest game early on was a 3-for-4 performance against UMass Lowell, scoring four runs and getting the eighth-inning rally started in a 21-14 home win. One of his 11 home runs proved to be crucial in the 9-5 Big Ten semifinal win over Michigan in the form of a go-ahead grand slam in the bottom of the eighth inning.
What this means for 2025
Penn State did not produce a draft pick in 2024, but they have had seven players picked since 2021. Besides Molinaro, players who could get drafted this year from Penn State are Joe Jaconski, Matt Maloney, and Cole Wagner.
Molinaro leads the returning roster in home runs with 11, runs batted in with 45 and extra-base hits with 25. His impact will definitely be needed in Mike Gambino's second season as head coach of the Nittany Lions. The star player still has a lot to develop, but he's come a long way since Hazleton Area High School.