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The MLB Draft has finally concluded with one more current Bruin and two Bruin recruits having been selected.
The Arizona Diamondbacks selected current Bruin sophomore, who turns 21 at the end of July, in the 33rd round with the 999th pick overall. Ydens was eligible this year, despite being just a sophomore because he will turn 21 before going back to school in the fall.
This year’s draft marks an improvement for Ydens draft-wise. Two years ago, when Ydens was a high school senior, he was drafted by the Cardinals with the 1216th and final pick of the 40th and final round.
After he was drafted two years ago, Ydens told MLB.com:
I feel like I need to continue to get stronger and get better as a baseball player, and going to UCLA, I can definitely do that.
Here’s hoping that he continues to feel that way and returns for another year or two.
The good news for UCLA baseball is that all other current draft-eligible Bruins went undrafted this year. This will allow the Bruins to return a solid core for next year’s team.
Meanwhile, two future Bruins were in the 34th and 35th rounds, respectively, when the Colorado Rockies selected pitchers Jake Moberg from Vista Murrieta HS in Murrieta, CA and Sean Mullen from Stockdale HS in Bakersfield.
These young men will now have to decide if they will sign with the Rockies or attend UCLA. Considering that they were chosen in the final ten rounds of the draft, it would seem like the smart thing for them to do would be to come play for John Savage and get their education, but they may have personal circumstances that affect their decisions.
One name not called as a part of the third and final day of the 2018 MLB Draft was UCLA Football TE signee Matt Alaimo. As was mentioned in an article here on BN this morning, Alaimo had an excellent baseball season and had apparently caught the eye of major league scouts. But, in the end, no team selected him, which would certainly seem to benefit Bruin football, especially considering that former 4-star TE Jimmy Jaggers announced his medical retirement this week.
Go Bruins!!!