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2017 MLB Draft: 23 Pac-12 players selected on final day; 47 taken overall

by David Lombardi
Jun 14, 2017
StanfordPhoto.com

The 2017 MLB Draft wrapped up Wednesday with rounds 11-40, and 23 more Pac-12 players heard their names called. Four players were selected on the first day before more were taken Tuesday, so the long event is over. Here's a rundown of Wednesday's Pac-12 selections:

Stanford

P Andrew Summerville, Stanford: St. Louis Cardinals (12th round, 364th pick)

Summerville had solid but not great numbers in 2017 – a 4.10 ERA while hitters averaged .285 against him – but he is an athletic (see video) 6-foot-3 southpaw with strikeout stuff, and that's enough for the Cardinals to give another Stanford guy a shot five years after drafting Stephen Piscotty worked out so well for them. Summerville struck out 69 batters in just over 74 innings of work this past year. 

Utah

P Andre Jackson, Utah: Los Angeles Dodgers (12th round, 370th pick)

He didn't play this year while recovering from Tommy John surgery, but Jackson still went relatively high in the draft – a testament to his arm, talent and the excellent pitching he did down the stretch in 2016, helping lead the Utes to a Pac-12 title. Utah's Twitter account is stoked:

Stanford

P Keith Weisenberg, Stanford: Atlanta Braves (14th round, 410th pick)

The Cardinal struck gold in this year's draft, putting a fitting ending to head coach Mark Marquess' 41-year reign at the helm. MLB teams selected 10 Stanford players over the past three days, the most for the program since the draft was reduced to 40 rounds, and just one shy of the school record set in 1992. The hard-throwing Weisenburg was just one of three Cardinal pictures selected Wednesday. 

Arizona

P Cameron Ming, Arizona: Baltimore Orioles (14th round, 428th pick)

Ming, another tall left-hander with real professional potential, carries an inspiring story: He wasn't breathing when he came from the womb, and he required surgery on his skull as a baby so that his brain could grow properly. All worked out, and now Ming has been drafted by a big league team. 

Oregon

P Brac Warren, Oregon: San Francisco Giants (17th round, 516th pick)

Warren has strikeout stuff: He fanned 28 batters over only about 22 innings this past season. He's a 6-foot-4 relief pitcher, and the Giants hope they can harness his hard stuff into a big league bullpen presence – one that this franchise badly needs. 

USC

SS Frankie Rios, USC: Boston Red Sox (17th round, 521st pick)

Shorstop is a valuable position in the professional ranks. Rios has proven that he can defensively handle the challenging spot while maintaining proficiency with his bat. For Rios, this will be a dramatic change from the West Coast to Beantown. 

Washington State

P Damon Jones, Washington State: Philadelphia Phillies (18th round, 533rd pick)

Jones is another Pac-12 pitcher who excites with his athletic pedigree. He's a 6-foot-5 left, which is always exciting to professional baseball teams. An added bonus: Jones' grandfather, Darrall Imhoff, won a basketball national championship at Cal before winning Olympic gold and embarking on a 12-year NBA career. 

UCLA

P Scott Burke, UCLA: Baltimore Orioles (20th round, 608th pick)

Burke was stellar in relief for the Bruins in 2017, appearing 35 times and notching a 2.51 ERA. He struck out 47 batters in 43 innings of work, an excellent rate for a projected reliever who'll be asked to notch as many swing-throughs as possible. 

Washington State

3B Shane Matheny, Washington State: San Francisco Giants (23rd round, 696th overall pick)

There's no relation here to current St. Louis Cardinals manager and former big league catcher Mike Matheny, but Shane Matheny is a solid player in his own right. He surged this past season, leading the Cougars with a .309 batting average along with 34 RBI and excellent plays in the field like this one:

UCLA

SS Nick Valaika, UCLA: Pittsburgh Pirates (24th round, 718th pick)

He's the fourth Valaika brother to be drafted. Pat Valaika is with the Colorado Rockies, while Chris and Matt Valaika were both taken by the Cincinnati Reds. All four brothers played for Hart High School in Southern California. "It's one after another after another," Hart coach Jim Ozella said back in 2010. 

Arizona

SS Louis Boyd, Arizona: Seattle Mariners (24th round, 723rd pick)

This Canadian junior college transfer played rock-solid defense for the Wildcats at shortstop – a key ingredient of their 2016 College World Series run. Boyd missed time in early 2017 due to an arm injury, but rehabilitation from that went well – as did his time at the plate. 

California

SS Preston Grand Pre, California: Los Angeles Dodgers (24th round, 730th pick)

Grand Pre is another slick-fielding shortstop, and one with a name that rolls off the tongue. Perhaps most importantly, he showed that his bat has potential to complement solid defensive play during his time in Berkeley, so the local Dodgers – Grand Pre grew up in nearby Laguna Beach – decided to take a chance here. 

UCLA

LF Brett Stephens, UCLA: Colorado Rockies (28th round, 836th pick)

If Stephens can find his way to the big leagues, he'll enjoy playing in spacious Coors FIeld. Stephens hit .300 during Pac-12 play this year, blasting a pair of home runs in conference play. He's athletic and very good defensively, committing only one error during league action.

Stanford

P Tristan Beck, Stanford: New York Yankees (29th round, 872nd pick)

A back stress fracture sidelined Beck for the 2017 season, but there's real potential here. He's 6-foot-4, can hit the mid-90s with the fastball, and can deliver a 12-6 break on the curveball. Beck likely intends to stay at Stanford for another season, but the Yankees' pick is a testament to his talent. 

Stanford

C Alex Dunlap, Stanford: Washington Nationals (29th round, 883rd pick)

Dunlap showed solid tools behind the plate during his time with the Cardinal, and now he'll look to take the offensive phase of the game to the next level. Dunlap hit .274 in 2017, but he only played in 25 of Stanford's 58 games. 

UCLA

P Moises Ceja, UCLA: Colorado Rockies (32nd round, 956th pick)

Ceja was a key member of a typically-solid Bruins' rotation in 2017, starting 10 games and posting a 3.52 ERA. At six feet tall, Ceja isn't overpowering – he struck out only 42 batters in over 61 innings of work – but he has shown the ability to keep hitters off balance. 

Stanford

P Chris Castellanos, Stanford: Seattle Mariners (33rd round, 993rd pick)

The third Cardinal pitcher selected Wednesday was the last Stanford player to go in the program's record draft haul. The lefty improved his stock with a solid 2017 performance, finishing 9-3 with a very respectable 3.28 ERA. 

USC

C Adalberto Carrillo, USC: Washington Nationals (33rd round, 1003rd pick)

In a rare off year, the Trojans – a program of considerable national title pedigree – had only two players drafted. Carrillo, who has manned the catcher position well, joins USC shortstop Frankie Rios.

Stanford

OF Jack Klein, Stanford: Kansas City Royals (34th round, 1020th pick)

Klein shows all the hallmarks of a good hitter: He batted .293 for Stanford in 2017, blasting three homers and 21 RBIs as part of the Cardinal's 10-player MLB Draft parade, the biggest in the Pac-12. 

Washington State

P Colby Nealy, Washington State: Los Angeles Dodgers (35th round, 1060th pick)

Nealy's 2017 numbers weren't good – his ERA finished at 6.13 – but he's a big-bodied pitcher and the Dodgers see potential here that their top-flight pitching coaches can unlock. 

Arizona State

P Connor Higgins, ASU: Texas Rangers (35th round, 1064th pick)

This is strange to type: Higgins was the only Sun Devil selected in this year's MLB Draft. Arizona State has produced more Major League players than any other program, but the sole spot in 2017 goes to Higgins, who throws a 93 mph fastball that's heavy with sink and can generate plenty of swing-throughs. 

Arizona

P Rio Gomez, Arizona: Boston Red Sox (36th round, 1091st pick)

He has a well-known baseball bloodline: Rio is the son of ESPN baseball reporter Pedro Gomez, so fellow media members took notice of Boston's 36th round pick on Twitter:

Oregon State

3B Mike Gretler, Oregon State: Pittsburgh Pirates (39th round, 1168th pick)

The Beavers are more focused on the College World Series in Omaha right now, but this superbly talented 54-4 team – ranked No. 1 in the nation – had success in the MLB Draft until the very end. Gretler hit some big home runs this season. 

Oregon State

P Max Engekbrekt, Oregon State: Washington Nationals (40th round, 1213th pick)

Engekbrekt, meanwhile, is part of a phenomenal pitching staff that leads the nation in almost every relevant category. The Beavers' team ERA is over a run lower than second place. 

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