MLB Draft Profile: Missouri Utility Jackson Lovich

While he wasn't one of the faces found at the MLB Draft Combine in June, Missouri Tigers utilityman Jackson Lovich will certainly still hear his name called in the league's draft, beginning Sunday.

This isn't Lovich's first time having his name in the draft pool, however. He was selected in the 19th round by the New York Mets out of high school, but opted to go to Missouri instead. It appears that this was a good decision on his part, as he is very likely to find himself selected much higher now.

Lovich comes from a family of great baseball players. His older brother, Ross Lovich, played for Mizzou for three years before completing his collegiate career at Arkansas. Younger brother Eli Lovich was committed to Arkansas, but was drafted in the 11th round by the Chicago Cubs in the 2024 MLB Draft and elected to skip college.

After being a steady presence for Missouri for nearly three years, Lovich is ready for a new challenge and for the opportunity to continue to prove himself at the next level.

Here's a look at Lovich's draft stock, and what he would bring to a MLB team.

Player Info

• DOB: November 18, 2003 (21)
• Hometown: Overland Park, KS.
• High School: Blue Valley West
• Recruiting Class: 2022
• Positions: First base, shortstop, third base and outfield

Evaluation

Lovich isn't really the typical utility player. However, he has the athleticism and skill to succeed at any position around the diamond and play in the outfield if needed.

He played nearly every game in his final two years, only sitting due to a thumb injury and a lower leg injury after taking a cleat to the leg. But even these injuries had a hard time keeping Lovich off the field. With a cast covering his hand, Lovich still found his way into games — and not just as a designated hitter.

When his thumb kept him from playing first base, Lovich took reps in the outfield. When the Tigers needed a third baseman, there he was. Same for shortstop and first. He always found himself in the lineup however he could help.

Lovich was asked in a press conference about his view on playing multiple different positions. He takes the same approach to each position and doesn't view them as different. Lovich just views it as doing his job, which helps him adapt to whichever position he plays that day. This allows flexibility for any future team that might make him a part of its staff.

It is possible that whichever team picks Lovich might just opt for him to stick to one position. In that case, he will likely find himself as a corner infielder. He has the most collegiate experience at first and third, but was the No. 1 shortstop in Kansas out of high school and made a few appearances there for Mizzou.

The other side of just doing his job was being consistent at the plate. In his junior season, he hit .357 with 51 RBIs, 39 runs, 12 homers. The season before, he finished with a batting average of .287 with 50 hits and 10 home runs. He also possess great plate discipline, finishing his collegiate career with 20 walks in each of his last two seasons.

At 6-foot-4 and 192 pounds, Lovich has room to add muscle and power to his bat. He already has good bat speed and hits the ball well, but the added strength has the potential to help him succeed at the next level.

Projection

It is likely that Lovich is selected on Day 2 of the 2025 MLB Draft, which contains rounds 4-20. Lovich's skill and talent level would suggest that he would picked in the middle of Day 2, possibly in rounds 6-10.

The Last Word

He was a steady presence because he was going out every day, and once he finally settled in, (he was) doing the right things on a daily basis. Kerrick Jackson