The Iowa pitching staff drastically improved under first-year pitching coach Sean Kenny in 2025. Before joining the Iowa program, Kenny had 28 years of coaching experience, with his most recent stop being the University of Houston.
Over the last 15 seasons, Kenny has coached only Power Five programs, guiding 45 pitchers who went on to be selected in the MLB Draft.
That list continues to grow after the 2025 MLB Draft. During the two-day draft, Iowa had four players selected, and they were all pitchers.
The list of Hawkeyes who were drafted this year included Cade Obermueller (round two, No. 63 overall), Daniel Wright (round 10, No. 286 overall), Aaron Savary (round 13, No. 402 overall), and now Anthony Watts.
High Wattage ⚡️@anthony_watts2 x #Hawkeyes pic.twitter.com/eukO8QFS77
— Iowa Baseball (@UIBaseball) July 14, 2025
Watts spent his first two collegiate seasons with Creighton before joining the Hawkeyes ahead of the 2024 season. After spending two seasons with the Hawkeyes, Watts announced on social media that he was entering the transfer portal.
After announcing he was entering the portal, The St. Louis Cardinals selected him with the No. 420 overall pick in round 14 of the 2025 MLB Draft.
In his first season with the Hawkeyes (2024), Watts had a stellar campaign. He finished with a 3.18 ERA (No. 2 on the squad) and tallied 58 strikeouts in 45.1 innings.
Last season, Watts posted a 4-4 record with a 4.72 ERA in 24 appearances. He also tallied 45 strikeouts in 40 innings.
If Watts decides to turn down St. Louis' offer and return to college, he will have one more year of eligibility remaining for whatever program he decides to join.