Southern Miss baseball's Dalton McIntyre picked by Atlanta Braves in Round 19 of 2024 MLB Draft

HATTIESBURG — Southern Miss baseball's starting centerfielder Dalton McIntyre was selected by the Atlanta Braves in the 19th round and No. 581 pick of the 2024 MLB Draft on Tuesday.

McIntyre, a junior, just completed his first season at Southern Miss where he was the leadoff batter.

McIntyre was the fourth member of the Golden Eagles to be taken in this year's draft . Shortstop and signee DJ Layton was picked in the sixth round by the Baltimore Orioles, pitcher Niko Mazza went in the eighth round to the San Francisco Giants and junior college transfer and pitcher Lucas Elissalt was taken in Round 13 by the Detroit Tigers.

Here's what the Atlanta Braves are getting in McIntyre.

What Dalton McIntyre brings to the Atlanta Braves

McIntyre, a Jackson, Tennessee, native, came to Southern Miss from Meridian Community College where he was both a pitcher and an outfielder. He never pitched at Southern Miss because of how dominant he was at the plate and in the field.

McIntyre wasn't a starter for the first series of the season but quickly ascended into one of Southern Miss' most valuable players because of his speed and batting contact. He mastered the infield single, where he'd chop the ball into the ground and beat out the throw to first base an uncanny number of times. His biggest infield single came as the game-winning RBI against Troy in the Sun Belt Conference tournament. McIntyre rarely struck out and walked 24 times.

McIntyre was also one of two Golden Eagles to have five hits in one game. All of those hits were singles.

One area where McIntyre could improve is his power. Listed at 6-foot-3 and 175 pounds, he only had two home runs, 12 doubles and one triple in 2024.

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Dalton McIntyre's stats with Southern Miss baseball

In 237 at-bats in 60 games and 54 starts, McIntyre recorded:

• .388 batting average
• .920 OPS
• 24 walks
• 2 home runs
• 34 RBIs
• 52 runs
• 10 stolen bases

Sam Sklar is the Southern Miss beat reporter for the Hattiesburg American. Email him at ssklar@hattiesb.gannett.com and follow him on X @sklarsam_ .

This article originally appeared on Hattiesburg American: Southern Miss baseball's Dalton McIntyre picked by Atlanta Braves in Round 19 of 2024 MLB Draft