There’s no two ways about it: Major League teams are focusing more on players who can both hit and pitch.

During the 2023 MLB Draft, teams took a record eight two-way players across 20 rounds, twice as many the previous four Drafts combined.

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It’s not just that teams are taking a flier on players in later rounds, hoping to find the next Shohei Ohtani as a diamond in the rough. A pair of two-way players went in the first 100 picks, including Giants first-rounder Bryce Eldridge and two more went in the seventh round.

In recent years, plenty of high-profile draftees initially have tried to play both ways, but none have found success in the Majors playing in the field as well. Casey Kelly (2008 first-rounder) and Bubba Chandler (who received a $3 million signing bonus in 2021) both played shortstop for two years before shifting purely to pitching, while John Olerud Award winner and 2017 fourth-overall pick Brendan McKay gave up his bat after a bevy of injuries.

It’s also quite common for teams to take two-way players and shift them one way or the other in hopes of unlocking their full potential. Caden Grice won the 2023 Olerud Award, given annually to the best two-way player in college, but the D-backs announced him only as a pitcher when they took him 64th overall.

But this year's Draft could be the start of a new trend, with teams intending to try out so many players, mostly from college, both on the mound and at the plate.

Bryce Eldridge, Round 1 (16th overall), San Francisco Giants
One of the high-schoolers in this group, Eldridge was MLB Pipeline's 23rd-ranked prospect in the class coming into the Draft. The 18-year-old is up to 96 mph on the mound from the right side and has a promising slider and changeup to complement it. His batting profile is well-rounded from the left side, and he has more than enough athleticism to field from first base well.

Nolan McLean, Round 3 (91st overall), New York Mets
The Orioles drafted McLean in the third round last year with hopes of letting him DH, but declined to sign him after he underwent post-draft MRI. Nonetheless, the Draft's No. 97 prospect remains an intriguing prospect, with perhaps more potential on the mound thanks to a fastball that touches 98 mph, although the Oklahoma State Cowboy prefers to hit, displays massive raw power and has the arm to play right field.

Trevor Werner, Round 7 (199th overall), Kansas City Royals
As a senior this season with Texas A&M, Werner finished second on the team in home runs with 14 while playing third base. He did moonlight as a reliever in 2021, when he struck out 11 batters over 9 1/3 innings.

Tucker Musgrove, Round 7 (221st overall), San Diego Padres
Musgrove earned First-Team All-Conference honors at the University of Mobile as both a center fielder and pitcher this year after hitting .397/.485/.635 with eight homers and 25 steals while also earning 10 saves with 23 strikeouts in 18 innings.

Josh Tiedemann, Round 13 (402nd overall), New York Yankees
According to Perfect Game, Tiedemann was the top-ranked third-base prospect to come out of an Arizona high school, and he also has the potential to pitch. The TCU commit has been measured throwing in the low 90s.

JeanPierre Ortiz, Round 17 (498th overall), Cincinnati Reds
The Nationals selected Ortiz out of IMG Academy last year in the 20th round when he was the Draft's No. 212 prospect, although the two sides couldn't come to terms. Instead, he went to Chipola College, where he hit nine homers in 163 plate appearances at shortstop and also pitched 14 innings in relief.

Ryan Ignoffo, Round 20 (593rd overall), Miami Marlins
Ignoffo was one of Eastern Illinois' leaders on both sides of the ball. The Olerud Award finalist led the Panthers with 15 home runs as a first baseman and outfielder while also striking out 47 batters in 42 innings of relief.

DJ Uiagalelei, Round 20 (610th overall), Los Angeles Dodgers
Yes, that DJ Uiagalelei. The former five-star QB recruit who began his career at Clemson and recently transferred to Oregon State hasn't played baseball since high school but was an intriguing prospect before committing solely to football. His signing bonus likely won't have to be that high -- and he could still play this fall for the Beavers -- but the Dodgers could develop him as an athlete with plus arm strength. Uiagalelei is not seen as a top quarterback prospect for the 2024 NFL Draft -- although neither was A's 2018 first-round pick Kyler Murray before he won the Heisman and became the No. 1 pick in football.