Led by McLain, Zavala, and Beck, the Pac-12 sees 45 stars taken in the 2021 MLB Draft
Forty-five Major League Baseball hopefuls from the Pac-12 learned their fates at the 2021 MLB Draft, which took place over the All-Star Week for the first time. Follow below for a recap from all twenty rounds.
Matt McLain, No. 17 —Cincinnati Reds
After starring at shortstop for the UCLA Bruins for three years, Matt McLain is MLB-bound after the Cincinnati Reds took him with their first selection (17th overall) at the 2021 MLB Draft. McLain was an on-base machine for the Bruins this past season, batting .333 with a .434 on-base percentage.
Aaron Zavala, Round 2, No. 38 —Texas Rangers
The Texas Rangers grabbed reigning Pac-12 Player of the Year Aaron Zavala with the 38th overall pick of the draft. In Zavala, the Rangers are getting a dominant bat (.392 batting average) who had nearly as many home runs (9) as stolen bases (11).
Brendan Beck, Round 2, No. 55 —New York Yankees
With the 55th overall pick, the New York Yankees select the 2021 Pac-12 Pitcher of the Year, Stanford's Brendan Beck. The power-throwing right hander was dominant for the Cardinal in 2021, averaging 1.32 strikeouts per inning.
Kyle Manzardo, Round 2, No. 63 —Tampa Bay Rays
The Tampa Bay Rays selected Washington State slugger Kyle Manzardo with the 63rd overall pick, making the him the highest Cougar taken since 1991.
Ryan Holgate, Round 2, No. 70 —St. Louis Cardinals
After leading the Wildcats to the 2021 College World Series, Ryan Holgate has been selected in the second round by the St. Louis Cardinals.
Branden Boissiere, Round 3, No. 82 —Washington Nationals
Branden Boissiere set career highs in nearly every offensive category in 2021, earning him notice from the Washington Nationals who selected the lefty outfielder with the 82nd overall pick.
Tune in to MLB.com to see how the start of the draft shakes out and follow the Pac-12 on social media and at Pac-12.com for the latest on Pac-12 baseball!
Player | Position | Pac-12 School | MLB team | Round / Overall Pick |
---|---|---|---|---|
Matt McLain | SS | 1st / 17th | ||
Aaron Zavala | SS | 2nd/ 38th | ||
Brendan Beck | P | 2nd/ 55th | ||
Kyle Manzardo | 1B | 2nd/ 63rd | ||
Ryan Holgate | OF | 2nd (CB-B)/ 70th | ||
Branden Boissiere | OF | 3rd/ 82nd | ||
Donta Williams | OF | 4th/ 106th | ||
JT Schwartz | 1B | 4th/ 111th | ||
Zane Mills | P | 4th/ 120th | ||
Nick Nastrini | P | 4th/ 131st | ||
Grant Holman | P | 6th/ 188th | ||
Kevin Kendall | SS | 7th/ 202nd | ||
Kevin Abel | P | 7th/ 210th | ||
Robert Ahlstrom | P | 7th/ 213th | ||
Sean Sullivan | P | 8th/ 223rd | ||
Ian Villers | P | 8th/ 236th | ||
Drew Swift | SS | 8th/ 248th | ||
Noah Cardenas | C | 8th/ 249th | ||
Cullen Kafka | P | 9th/ 260th | ||
Chandler Champlain | P | 9th/ 273rd | ||
Chase Watkins | P | 9th/ 274th | ||
Gil Luna | P | 9th/ 275th | ||
Darren Baker | 2B | 10th/ 293rd | ||
Tim Tawa | 2B | 11th/ 318th | ||
Chase Silseth | P | 11th/ 321st | ||
Jesse Bergin | P | 11th/ 329th | ||
Sean Mullen | P | 11th/ 341st | ||
Tyson Guerrero | P | 12th/ 349th | ||
Brandon White | P | 12th/ 359th | ||
Ben Ramirez | SS | 13th/ 384th | ||
Kobe Kato | 2B | 13th/ 388th | ||
Erik Tolman | P | 14th/ 413th | ||
Bryant Salgado | P | 14th/ 418th | ||
Adrian Chaidez | P | 15th/ 448th | ||
Alex Cornwell | P | 15th/ 451st | ||
Christian Robinson | OF | 15th/ 457th | ||
Mikey Perez | SS | 15th/ 459th | ||
Braiden Ward | OF | 16th/ 470th | ||
Zach Pettway | P | 16th/ 486th | ||
Justin Fall | P | 17th/ 509th | ||
Cooper Benson | P | 17th/ 512th | ||
Tyler Thorton | P | 17th/ 516th | ||
Austin Smith | P | 18th/ 547th | ||
Nathan Burns | P | 19th/ 561st | ||
Hunter Breault | P | 20th/ 608th |