Prep Baseball Report’s Draft League Boasts Strong Draft Results

Prospects Prep Baseball Staff - July 15, 2021

In its inaugural season, the MLB Draft League had 39 of its players selected in the 2021 Draft. The three-day event concluded Tuesday with 31 Draft League players coming off the board in Rounds 11-20 following the selections of eight Draft League players, three in the top five rounds, on Day 2.

Additionally, the League has already had 16 prospects sign as nondrafted free agents, including Evan Routzahn, St Johns (Padres), JJ Niekro, Florida Southern (Braves), Peyton Alford, Virginia Tech (Mariners), Zac Fascia, Purdue (Indians), Max Wright, Indiana State (Giants), Carson Matthews, San Diego State (Angels), Hayden Jones, Illinois State (Reds), Deylen Miley, Bellarmine (Astros), Garrett Schoenle, Cincinnati (White Sox), Jacob Delabio, Carthage (Ill.) (Astros), Trevor Tietz, Jefferson College (Mo.) (Brewers), Freylin Minyety, Wabash Valley JC (Ill.), (Phillies), Walker Powell, Southern Miss (Cubs), Paul McIntosh, West Virginia (Marlins), Francisco Mateo, College of Central Florida (Dodgers), Zach Parish, Missouri Southern (Rangers).

“I want to congratulate the young men from the MLB Draft League who were selected by Major League teams,” said Draft League president Kerrick Jackson. “Our main objective in the league is to foster an environment for growth, development and evaluation that ultimately provides every Draft League player an opportunity to begin their journey toward reaching the Major Leagues.

“To have the number of players selected that we did in the first year is a sign of the endless potential that this League possesses. We look forward to hosting future Major Leaguers for years to come.”

Draft League players were twice selected with consecutive picks — the first bridging the gap from Day 2 on Monday (Michael Hobbs, Saint Mary’s, No. 312 overall) into Day 3 (Jack Carey, Duke, No. 313 overall). There also were 12 instances in which multiple Draft League players were taken within a six-pick span including in the 17th round, when Carlos Lomeli (Saint Mary’s, No. 493), Aaron Haase (Wichita State, No. 495) and Luis Guerrero (Chipola JC (Fla.), No. 496) were taken within a four-pick stretch.

Frederick Keys SS Alex Ulloa (Calvary Christian Academy (Fla.), 4th round, Astros) garnered honors as the Draft League’s highest-drafted player, while West Virginia LHP Mitch Bratt (Newmarket HS, ONT, 5th, Rangers), fresh off of celebrating his 18th birthday after posting the Draft League’s second-most punchouts, became the circuit’s first drafted pitcher in the subsequent round. Altogether, the Draft League had seven high school players selected in the ‘21 Draft, including four from Puerto Rico.  

Collegiate players accounted for 82 percent of the league’s draft picks, with pitchers comprising 66 percent of the group, and a total of 10 players, including eight pitchers, were drafted out of the JUCO ranks.

The Williamsport Crosscutters paced the league with eight ‘21 Draft selections. The Keys, Trenton Thunder and Black Bears produced seven Draft picks apiece. The Mahoning Valley Scrappers and State College Spikes had six and four players selected, respectively. 

The Cubs, Dodgers, Rays and Blue Jays all drafted three Draft League players, while the Braves, Orioles, Red Sox, Reds, Astros, A’s, Pirates, Mariners, Rangers and Padres took two each.

Overall, 21 MLB clubs tapped the Draft League for talent in the 2021 Draft. 

Full list of MLB Draft League players selected in the ‘21 Draft:

Frederick Keys (7)
SS Alex Ulloa, Calvary Christian Academy (Fla.)/Oklahoma State, (4th round, Astros)
OF Mason Auer, San Jacinto JC (Tex.)/Oregon, (5th, Rays)
LHP Ronan Kopp, South Mountain JC (Ariz.), (12th, Dodgers)
RHP Luke Anderson, Central Oklahoma, (15th, A’s)
RHP Luis Guerrero, Chipola JC (Fla.), (17th, Red Sox)
SS Hector G. Nieves, Puerto Rican Baseball Academy (P.R.), (19th, Astros)
RHP Kamron Fields, Texas Southern, (20th, Rays)

Mahoning Valley Scrappers (6)
2B Darren Baker, California, (10th round, Nationals)
RHP Andrew Hoffman, Illinois, (12th, Braves)
LHP Nathan Lavender, Illinois, (14th, Mets)
RHP Cole Ayers, State College of Florida/Cincinnati, (16th, Yankees)
RHP Aaron Haase, Wichita State, (17th, Tigers)
LHP Jimmy Burnette, Saint Leo, (18th, Blue Jays)

State College Spikes (4)
LHP Chase Watkins, Oregon State, (9th round, Cubs)
RHP Andrew Moore, Chipola JC (Fla.)/MTSU, (14th, Mariners)
3B Damiano Palmegiani, Southern Nevada JC/Arizona, (14th, Blue Jays)
C Kenny Piper, Columbia College, (18th, Rays)

Trenton Thunder (7)
SS Ryan Cepero, Carlos Beltran Baseball Academy (P.R.), (8th round, Royals)
RHP Garrett Hawkins, U British Columbia, (9th, Padres)
RHP Jack Carey, Duke, (11th, Pirates)
RHP Dylan Heid, U-Pitt at Johnstown, (11th, Orioles)
3B T.J. Rumfield, Virginia Tech, (12th, Phillies)
LHP Nick Mondak, St Johns, (18th, Angels)
LHP Sam Strickland, Samford, (19th, Braves)

West Virginia Black Bears (7)
LHP Mitch Bratt, Newmarket HS, ONT, (5th round, Rangers)
RHP Michael Hobbs, Saint Mary’s, (10th, Dodgers)
RHP Kobe Robinson, Chattanooga JC (Tenn.)/Southern U, (13th, Padres)
C Tucker Mitchell, State College of Florida/NC State, (14th, Rangers)
OF Garrett Spain, Austin Peay, (15th, Blue Jays)
RHP Madison Jeffrey, West Virginia, (15th, Dodgers)
RHP Carlos Lomeli, Saint Mary’s, (17th, Pirates)

Williamsport Crosscutters (8)
LHP Eduardo Rivera, International Baseball Academy (P.R.), (11th, A’s)
1B Jacob Teter, Florida Southern, (13th, Orioles)
C Michael Trautwein, Northwestern, (13th, Reds)
RHP Owen Holt, Alvin CC (Tex.), (16th, Reds)
MIF Christian Olivo, Leadership Christian Academy (P.R.) (17th, Cubs)
RHP Dominic Hambley, Belmont HS (B.C.), (18th, Cubs)
RHP Tyler Uberstine, Northwestern, (19th, Red Sox)
RHP Troy Taylor, Cypress JC (Calif.)/UC Irvine, (20th, Mariners)