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2017 MLB Draft: 17 more Pac-12 players selected on second day

by David Lombardi
Jun 13, 2017
OSUBeavers.com

The MLB Draft continued Tuesday with Rounds 3-10. A day after four Pac-12 players were picked in the first and second primary and complementary rounds, 17 more received invitations to play professional baseball. Here is a rundown: 

Oregon State

C KJ Harrison, Oregon State: Milwaukee Brewers (3rd round, 84th pick)

He has slugged his way to an eight-homer season at first base for Omaha-bound Oregon State so far this season, but Harrison will enter the Brewers' system as a catcher -- his former position. Milwaukee certainly likes the power trend here, as Harrison has hit two bombs over the past two games. If he can continue to hit for average while handling the rigors of the game behind the dish, Harrison can make a quick ascent and possibly electrify the big club like this:

Washington

C Joey Morgan, Washington: Detroit Tigers (3rd round, 95th pick)

Morgan knows the strike zone -- he had nearly as many walks (30) as strikeouts (35) this past season. He's already an excellent defensive catcher who can nail basestealers -- a must-have skill for the big leagues -- and his feel for the zone should only excite a Detroit organization that'll look to groom Morgan into an adept manager of its pitching staff. He hit .324 this past season. 

Stanford

RF Quinn Brodey, Stanford: New York Mets (3rd round, 97th pick)

Brodey exploded onto the top prospect scene with his selection to the Cape Cod League All-Star team last summer; he hit .326 with an OPS well over .800 while swinging wooden bats to solidify any lingering questions about his bat. Brodey is a smooth, athletic lefty who is already a plus-defender. He's fully capable of becoming a versatile talent at the game's top level. 

Stanford

P Colton Hock, Stanford: Miami Marlins (4th round, 119th pick)

Brodey's roommate was the next Pac-12 player to go. Hock is a scout's dream when it comes to potential upside and durability; at 6-foot-5 and 215 pounds, he has the height to throw upwards of 97 miles per hour, and he has room to pack on even more strength. Though he's currently a two-pitch guy, the Marlins' coaching staff has plenty to work with physically when it comes to the development process. 

Oregon State

P Jake Thompson, Oregon State: Boston Red Sox (4th round, 131st pick)

The numbers here are just silly. Thompson has been literally unbeatable this season: He leds the nation with a 14-0 record. His 1.52 ERA is also sensational, but since Oregon State's pitching staff is so absurdly good, it doesn't even qualify for the best on the team. Thompson hits the mid-90s on the radar gun, and he's really harnessed his stuff in 2017. Opponents are hitting only .184 against him after logging a .252 average last year. Boston has invested in a rapidly rising stock. 

Stanford

OF Matt Winaker, Stanford: New York Mets (5th round, 157th pick)

Winaker hits laser beams, and that's a reason why he was one of four Cardinal players selected Tuesday. The Mets took Brodey, Winaker's teammate in the third round, so there's a chance that Stanford can one day make up two-thirds of the starting outfield at Citi Field. Winaker's patience put him in the leadoff spot for the Cardinal; he walked 42 times and only struck out 36 times in 2017. 

Utah

P Riley Ottesen, Utah: Los Angeles Dodgers (5th round, 160th pick)

The Dodgers picked a power arm in Ottesen, a right-handed pitcher whose numbers -- a 4.93 ERA -- may have been worsened by pitching in Salt Lake City's altitude. Ottesen's fastball sits in the mid-90s with the ability to hump up to higher speeds, and that natural arm talent is something LA's highly-respected pitching coaches can certainly work with as they aim to polish Ottesen. 

Washington

P Noah Bremer, Washington: Texas Rangers (6th round, 194th pick)

There's more big potential here, in the literal sense. Bremer is 6-foot-5, and he's lanky at 200 pounds. That has the Rangers believing that they can still pack more stength and speed onto Bremer's fastball, which currently tops out at around 90 MPH. The key here lies in amping up the velocity of that pitch while increasing effectiveness of the curveball and changeup moving forward. 

Arizona

CF Jared Oliva, Arizona: Pittsburgh Pirates (7th round, 208th pick)

Here's another prime example of rising stock: Oliva's batting average improved from .240 to .321 between his sophomore and junior seasons, while his OPS shot up from .693 to .883. Oliva credits the improvements to a minor adjustment advised by new Arizona coach Jay Johnson's staff, and the change certainly grabbed the Pirates' attention.

Oregon

C Tim Susnara, Oregon: Arizona Diamondbacks (8th round, 232nd pick)

Susnara will have to develop offensively in the mior leagues -- he hit .248 as a junior but did blast five homers -- but his extensive college experience and defensive ability behind the dish makes this a pick with plenty of upside for Arizona. 

Utah

P Jayson Rose, Utah: Milwaukee Brewers (8th round, 234th pick)

Rose has a staggering speed differential between his fastball and his changeup, throwing the former at about 92 MPH and the latter at about 70 MPH. That's the bread and butter to the swing-throughs that he's generated throughout his college career: Rose broke Utah's career strikeout record this season, giving the Brewers ample reason to pull the trigger here. 

Utah

3B Dallas Carroll, Utah: Milwaukee Brewers (9th round, 264th pick)

It was a solid day for Utah. Carroll marked the third Utes' player to be selected, and the second straight to be taken by Milwaukee. Carroll has been one of the Pac-12's top offensive producers, mashing his way to an .1156 OPS this past season. Carroll's identical twin, Dalton, is already in the Atlanta Braves' organization. 

Stanford

P Brett Hanewich, Stanford: Los Angeles Angels (9th round, 265th pick)

The Angels are certainly intrigued by Hanewich's 96 MPH fastball, which is a sign of natural arm talent. He battled some control issues through four years at Stanford, but that velocity gives professional coaches plenty to work with as they try to develop pinpoint command in Hanewich. 

UCLA

1B Sean Bouchard, UCLA: Colorado Rockies (9th round, 266th pick)

San Diego's Cathedral Catholic has long produced capable professional athletes -- two-sport Stanford star Tyler Gaffney is another recent alumnus - and Bouchard becomes the next one to be picked by the pros. The Bruin hit .306 and led UCLA with 43 RBI in 2017, his best collegiate campaign. 

Arizona

P JC Cloney, Arizona: Kansas City Royals (9th round, 270th pick)

Cloney's tumultuous college journey took him through elbow rehabilitation and three different programs -- he transfered from Long Beach State to the College of the Canyons before landing at Arizona -- but he ended up as the Wildcats' ace by the time the dust settled. Cloney threw 16 scoreless innings in Omaha in 2016. 

Washington

OF Jack Meggs, Washington: Oakland Athletics (10th round, 291st pick)

Meggs wanted to be drafted last season, after his junior year. But his name was never called. So he took a summer off, returned to Washington, earned his degree, and exponentially improved his draft stock. The son of Huskies' coach Lindsay Meggs will head to Oakland's farm system -- it's no surprise that A's general manager Billy Beane, of 'Moneyball' fame, appreciates Meggs' propensity to reach base.

California

3B Denis Karas, California: Miami Marlins (10th round, 299th pick)

Karas made his share of sensational plays at the hot corner while in a Golden Bears' uniform, showing excellent defensive range. He also has some pop, as evidenced by this three-run shot against Arizona earlier this year. That's a big ballpark in Tucson.

The MLB Draft finishes tomorrow with rounds 11-40. 

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