Oregon State quarterback DJ Uiagalelei selected by Los Angeles Dodgers in 2023 MLB Draft
On the final day of the MLB Draft, there is not too much pressure on teams. There can be some risky picks taken and even some fun ones. The Los Angeles Dodgers certainly decided to raise eyebrows in the college football world in the 20th round.
Former Clemson and now Oregon State quarterback DJ Uiagalelei was selected with the No. 610 pick in the 2023 MLB Draft, coming in the 20th round. He was the sixth to last pick and the final one of the year for Los Angeles.
Uiagalelei did have a Perfect Game profile coming out of high school, being the No. 500 overall player in the class of 2020. He was designated as a right-handed pitcher and has been clocked around 90 miles per hour with his fastball in the past.
We did not see Uiagalelei competitively on the baseball diamond while at Clemson. However, when there was a student home run derby in Feb. 2022, the quarterback took a few swings and according to Monte Lee, one went out of the stadium.
Oregon State does have a rich tradition in its baseball program, winning three national championships. If they ever need an arm, they might need to contact football head coach Jonathan Smith.
Unless of course, the Dodgers can pull off some kind of miracle.
More on the 2023 MLB Draft
The 2023 Major League Baseball Draft will begin during All-Star week, with the first two rounds getting underway at 7 p.m. ET on Sunday, July 9. Rounds 3-10 will then begin at 2 p.m. ET on Monday, July 10, with rounds 11-20 starting at 2 p.m. ET on Tuesday, July 11.
This year’s MLB Draft is a historic one, as a draft lottery was used to determine the order for the first time. The Washington Nationals, Pittsburgh Pirates and Oakland Athletics each had a 16.5% chance to receive the No. 1 overall pick. Ultimately, Pittsburgh won the right to have the first selection, with Washington finishing right behind them at No. 2. Oakland, however, fell all the way down to No. 6 overall.
While the MLB Draft is always unpredictable, the consensus is that this year’s top prospects both hail from LSU, who won the 2023 College World Series. Pitcher Paul Skenes and outfielder Dylan Crews headline this year’s class, which is considered a deep one.
Within the first ten rounds of the draft, each slot is assigned a certain value. Each team has a bonus pool that they are able to spend on these picks, and players will sign at, above or below their assigned slot value.
In rounds 11-20, there is no assigned slot value and MLB teams are free to spend up to $150,000 to sign their picks from the second half of the draft. If they exceed the $150,000 mark, that added amount will be deducted from their bonus pool.
Following the final day of the 2023 MLB Draft, selected players will have until August 1 to sign a contract.