Tanner O’Tremba was one of the most eloquent speakers on the 2022 Arizona Wildcats. But when his name appeared on the MLB draft tracker Tuesday, the outfielder was at a loss for words.
“I was speechless,†said O’Tremba, who was picked by the San Francisco Giants with the final selection of the 15th round. “You go through your whole life wanting to be drafted. And to have it happen, it kind of puts you into shock.â€
O’Tremba’s name came off the board halfway through the third and final day of the draft. A Colorado native who grew up rooting for the Los Angeles Dodgers, his father’s favorite team, O’Tremba is about to become a member of another National League West organization.
The Giants had contacted him earlier in the day, expressing interest. Still, O’Tremba didn’t know when or if it would happen.
People are also reading…
“I saw that my name popped up, and I was just like, ‘Oh my gosh, that’s crazy,’†O’Tremba said. “Then they called me shortly after. So it was pretty cool.â€
O’Tremba had a breakout season in 2022. In his first opportunity to play full time, the transfer from Texas Tech slashed .351/.446/.591 with 11 home runs, 21 doubles and 56 RBIs. He was named to the Pac-12 All-Conference Team and was a first-team Academic All-American.
O’Tremba was one of two Wildcats to be selected in this year’s draft. Catcher Daniel Susac, a first-round pick Sunday, was the other.
Although he graduated in spring, O’Tremba said he would have returned to Arizona had he not been picked.
“I told the coaches from Day 1 that I wanted to play professional baseball,†O’Tremba said. “They knew that. That’s been a dream of mine. But that what they did for me and just how amazing they are and the places that they’re going, if I didn’t get drafted, then there is no place I’d rather be than the University of Arizona.â€
UA shortstop Nik McClaughry is expected to return next season after he was not selected during the three-day amateur draft.
Comings and goings
UA coach Chip Hale said Monday that the 2023 Wildcats could be “a really young team†or “a really old team†depending on Day 3 of the draft. It appears Arizona will have a veteran core to build around.
Center fielder Mac Bingham, third baseman Tony Bullard and shortstop Nik McClaughry are likely to return after being bypassed in the draft. Bingham will be a fourth-year junior next season; Bullard and McClaughry will be fifth-year seniors.
Those three — plus left fielder Chase Davis, second baseman Garen Caulfield and first baseman/catcher Tommy Splaine — would give the Wildcats six returning starting position players in 2023.
Arizona could lose two of its signees. Left-hander Drew Sommers was taken in the 11th round by the Tampa Bay Rays, and right-hander Kris Bow was selected in the 14th round by the New York Yankees. Nearly 86% of players picked in Rounds 11-20 last year — the first year of the 20-round draft — ended up signing, according to Baseball America’s Carlos Collazo.
But several other draftable prospects made it through and should make it to campus, including right-hander Aiden May, first baseman/outfielder Kiko Romero and outfielder Brendan Summerhill.
Inside pitch
Sahuarita High School product Ian Mejia, who began his college career at Arizona, was selected in the 11th round by the Atlanta Braves. Mejia, a right-handed pitcher, redshirted at the UA in 2019 before transferring to Pima College. He spent this past season at New Mexico State, where he compiled a 6-4 record with a 4.29 ERA.
Another one-time Wildcat, first baseman Blake Klassen, followed a similar path. He began his college career at Arizona, transferred to Eastern Oklahoma State College and landed at UC Santa Barbara, where he hit .352 with 10 home runs this past season. Klassen was taken in the 17th round by the Washington Nationals.
Two Tucson-area high school players were selected on Day 3: outfielder Milo Rushford of Walden Grove and outfielder Isaiah Jackson of Cienega. Rushford, who’s committed to New Mexico State, was picked in the 18th round by the Kansas City Royals. Jackson, an Arizona State signee, went later in the round to the Houston Astros.
Oregon State led the Pac-12 with eight draft picks. ASU, Cal and Stanford had six apiece. Four Sun Devils were selected on Day 3: catcher Nate Baez (Ironwood Ridge), pitchers Kyle Luckham and Adam Tulloch, and first baseman Ethan Long.
Arizona’s two picks matched its lowest total since 2020, when the draft was five rounds. The Wildcats had seven players picked last year.
UCLA pitcher Jared Karros was selected in the 16th round by the Dodgers, for whom his father, Eric Karros, played from 1991-2002.
Four players from Grand Canyon were drafted, including three on Day 3. Three of the four were pitchers.
