Tag Archives: MLB draft

UCLA signee Hunter Greene signs record-breaking $7.23 million bonus

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Pitcher Hunter Greene inked a record-breaking $7.23 million signing bonus with the Reds. (AP PHOTO/JULIO CORTEZ)

It didn’t come as a surprise but it came down to the wire.

UCLA signee Hunter Greene officially signed with the Cincinnati Reds on Friday, the last day MLB teams could sign their 2017 draft picks, as the top prospect inked a deal with a record-breaking $7.23 million signing bonus, according to MLB’s Jim Callis. The dynamic pitcher/shortstop was the second overall pick in the draft.

He is one of three UCLA signees drafted in last month’s draft who signed with their MLB teams. RHP/catcher Hagen Danner (2nd round, 61st overall) signed for a $1.5 million bonus with the Blue Jays, according to Sportsnet in Canada, and lefty pitcher Jeremiah Estrada (6th round, 195th overall) agreed to terms with the Cubs for a $1 million signing bonus, according to The Desert Sun.

UCLA still has seven members of its 10-man recruiting class left, including three who were drafted. Outfielder Garrett Mitchell (14th round), LHP Sam Glick (39th round) and RHP Chase Farrell (40th round) all turned down an immediate chance at the pros to come to UCLA.

UCLA links: Football gets two offensive line commits

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Hello, friends! Long time, no blog. You may have noticed I was gone; I went on vacation. But I’ve returned, so here’s a roundup of what went down around UCLA athletics while I was out:

Football recruiting: The Bruins picked up two offensive line commits for the 2018 class: junior college transfer Jason Dickson and three-star prospect Chris Bleich.

  • Dickson, a 6-foot-7, 295-pound tackle from Diablo Valley College, announced his commitment on June 16. He had offers from Colorado, Arizona State and TCU, among others.
  • Bleich is a one-time Penn State commit, but pulled the pledge to his home-state team in April, and committed to the Bruins on June 19. The 6-foot-6, 313-pound lineman is 241st in ESPN’s 300 national recruiting rankings. Scout.com and Rivals.com tab Bleich as a three-star prospect.
  • The Bruins have 11 total commits for the 2018 class, including three offensive linemen now.

Continue reading “UCLA links: Football gets two offensive line commits” »

MLB Draft: UCLA’s Sean Bouchard goes in ninth round

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First baseman Sean Bouchard was drafted in the ninth round of the MLB Draft on Tuesday by the Colorado Rockies. (Photo courtesy Katie Meyers/UCLA Athletics)

After his best year as a Bruin, first baseman Sean Bouchard was drafted in the ninth round of the MLB Draft on Tuesday.

The junior from San Diego was the only player to start all 57 games for the Bruins this season, while he led the team in runs (39) and RBIs (43). His .306 batting average was second and he earned his first All-Pac-12 honor this season.

UCLA signee Jeremiah Estrada went in the sixth round (195th overall) to the Chicago Cubs. The right-handed pitcher is the third player in UCLA’s 2017 recruiting class to be drafted in the first two days.

More from the second day of the MLB Draft. 

Griffin Canning, two UCLA signees taken in MLB Draft

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Pitcher Griffin Canning became the sixth pitcher in UCLA history to record 300 career strikeouts on Friday, but the Bruins lost 3-2 to Texas in the first round of the NCAA Long Beach Regional. (Photo by Don Liebig/UCLA Athletics)

Although he was projected to be a first-round pick, UCLA right-hander Griffin Canning had to wait nearly four hours before hearing his name called in Monday’s MLB Draft. When the moment came, Canning became a Los Angeles Angel.

The UCLA junior gets to stay with his hometown team as the 47th overall pick in this year’s draft. The All-Pac-12 selection from Santa Margarita High may have dropped due to injury concerns, MLB.com’s Jonathan Mayo reported.

Two UCLA signees, Hunter Greene and Hagen Danner, were also drafted Monday. Greene was the No. 2 overall selection to the Cincinnati Reds. Danner, a right-handed pitcher and catcher, went 61st overall.

MORE ABOUT THE FIRST DAY OF THE MLB DRAFT

Griffin Canning primed to be first-round pick in MLB draft

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After three years at UCLA, Griffin Canning turned himself into a top prospect for the 2017 MLB draft. (Don Liebig/UCLA Athletics)

 

Just a few hours before Griffin Canning is expected to hear his name called in the first round of the MLB First-Year Player Draft on Monday, he’ll be taking a final exam for a political science class.

Then his long-awaited professional career can start.

The Santa Margarita High product spent three years at UCLA polishing his four-pitch arsenal and racking up 301 career strikeouts. From almost the moment UCLA head coach John Savage saw the 6-foot-2 right-hander, he knew Canning had the potential to be a professional.

“He went out and did it the right way,” Savage said. “He proved it.”

MORE: Canning’s patience, perseverance pushes him toward MLB draft

MLB DRAFT
Schedule:
Monday, June 12 (Rounds 1-2; 4 p.m. PT)
Tuesday, June 13 (Rounds 3-10; 10 a.m. PT)
Wednesday, June 14 (Rounds 11-40; 9 a.m. PT)
Watch: MLB Network (Round 1)
Live Stream: MLB.com (All Rounds)