Following up their selection of Korey Lee in round one, the Astros picked Ole Miss shortstop Grae Kessinger, grandson of six-time MLB All-Star Don Kessinger, in round two with the 68th overall selection. A native of Oxford, Kessinger was seen as a promising prep shortstop in the 2016 class but had a rock-solid commitment to hometown Ole Miss. With the Rebels, he had a rough freshman campaign in which he hit .175/.287/.247 in 189 plate appearances but improved greatly as a sophomore, posting a .300/.389/.473 line with eight homers as the team’s starting shortstop.
Entering this season, Kessinger was seen as a likely day two prospect with a chance to get into day one, but struggled out of the gates.