Orioles fans are plenty familiar with one player the Orioles recently drafted out of Arkansas: Heston Kjerstad, the No. 2 overall pick of the 2020 draft who has spent time in the big leagues in each of the past two seasons.
There’s another former Razorback climbing the ranks, though: Tavian Josenberger, taken in the third round of the 2023 draft. Josenberger, though, plays a little different game than Kjerstad, who is a corner outfielder with monster power. Josenberger has stolen 59 bases and played six different positions as a pro.
Kjerstad played at Arkansas from 2018-2020, while Josenberger played in Fayetteville in 2023 after transferring from Kansas.
“I did not know him when I got drafted,” Josenberger said on Glenn Clark Radio Aug. 15. “But after I got drafted, I met him and then worked out with him last offseason.”
That appears to have helped this season. The 5-foot-11, 185-pound outfielder hit .230/.344/.405 at High-A Aberdeen before earning a promotion to Double-A Bowie. He walked 49 times and struck out just 57 times, and those on-base skills helped him steal 45 bases with the IronBirds.
Fans in Aberdeen got to see Enrique Bradfield Jr. and Josenberger create chaos on the base paths this summer, with the two combining for 104 steals with the IronBirds. Bradfield was a known speedster coming out of college, but Josenberger only stole 35 bags during his college career.
That part of Josenberger’s game has grown in pro ball.
“We always have the green light, but you want to pick … smart times to run where you’re not going to run yourself out of innings or you’re going to put yourself in a good position to score,” Josenberger said. “We always have the green light, but we try to pick and choose the best times.”
Bradfield and Josenberger are now with Bowie, where they hope to build on their performances at Aberdeen. The two played against each other in the SEC a year ago and have gotten to know each other well in the past year or so.
“I knew him from playing against him and then we met again at the [MLB Draft Combine] and then just found out we were going to the O’s together,” Josenberger said. “Our relationship, it’s been great. We’ve become really close over this last year. I’m looking forward to climbing the ranks with him.”
There’s some juice in Josenberger’s bat, though. He has hit nine home runs so far this year, including one with Bowie.
Josenberger is thrilled to have made it to the Double-A level, and now he’s looking to finish the season strong.
“It’s pretty sweet for me,” Josenberger said. “This was one of my big goals for my first season that I set in the offseason. To be able to get called up with a month and a half left gives me a lot of time to get my feet wet and still be prepared for what I’m going to see next year.”
For more from Josenberger, listen to the full interview here:
Photo Credit: Courtesy of the Aberdeen IronBirds