Jay Woolfolk, after MLB Draft free-fall, decides to return for senior season at UVA

UVA right-hander Jay Woolfolk, after an unexpected free-fall to the back half of the 2024 MLB Draft, has decided to return to school for his senior season.

Woolfolk had been projected, ahead of the draft, to go as high as the third round, and was a consensus Day 2 pick, but Day 2 ended with his name not being called among the 315 players selected in the 10 rounds.

I had written, last night, that I still expected Woolfolk to want to begin his pro career, if only because of his age (he’ll be 22 in November).

It’s risky to come back to college for a fourth season, and an age-22 season, given how fickle MLB front offices can be when it comes to player development, and how age factors into how teams gauge player development.

Woolfolk had an obviously down-and-up season at UVA in 2024, starting the season in the weekend rotation, losing that spot by mid-March, then struggling in two-plus months in the bullpen, eventually pitching himself out of even being used in leverage situations there.

Brian O’Connor, on a hunch, went to Woolfolk to start Game 3 of the Regionals against Mississippi State, and Woolfolk pitched the game of his life, allowing two runs in eight-plus innings in the 9-2 win, earning him the start in Game 2 of the Super Regionals, which saw Woolfolk gut out the win over Kansas State, allowing three runs on six hits in seven innings to get UVA back to the College World Series.

Limited by a sprained knee suffered in the win over K State, Woolfolk took the loss in Game 2 against Florida State in Omaha, allowing two runs on three hits in 3.1 innings in the 7-3 setback.

His numbers in the postseason – Woolfolk was 2-1 with a 3.57 ERA, 1.30 WHIP and 17 Ks in 17.1 innings – had me thinking there would be teams lining up to take a flyer on a guy with a fastball in the mid-90s and a plus slider who, with a little fine-tuning, could be a value out of the pen or as a back-end starter.

Now, he gets one more year to develop under O’Connor and pitching coach Drew Dickinson.

Tough news for Woolfolk, but great news for UVA Baseball fans.