2015 MLB Draft: Washington Nationals Day 3 Summary
Ian Sagdal (Photo Credit: Washington State Athletics)
Probable Signees From This Draft
Round 28: Mick VanVossen, right-handed pitcher, a senior at Michigan State University: VanVossen is a senior. He stands at 6’4″ and weighs 215 lbs. He is a pitcher in the mold that the organization likes right now–a tall presence on the mound.
VanVossen’s trend during his college pitching career is troubling. As a freshman at MSU, he had a 4-0 record and a 3.47 ERA in limited appearances. In his sophomore season, he compiled a record of 5-2. His junior year was outstanding, when he posted an 8-3 record with a 2.82 ERA, and won the team’s most valuable pitcher award.
Then came his senior season, the one he just finished. He went 4-5 with a 6.00 ERA. He was inconsistent in his starts, either he pitched very effectively or got rocked. It is hard to tell whether he is fatigued from tying for fifth for most innings pitched by an MSU pitcher, had injury trouble, or his mechanics were off.
Round 29: Philip Diedrick, outfielder, a senior at Western Kentucky University: Diedrick is originally from Ajax, Canada. He’s another large guy, 6’2″, 215 lbs.
He played eight games in the outfield and served primarily as the designated hitter for Western Kentucky. He hit .291 and had eight home runs and 22 RBI’s in 52 games. His slugging percentage was .475. He was a transfer from Connors State College and played two years with Western Kentucky.
Round 33: Angelo La Bruna, shortstop, a fifth year senior at USC: He is a right-handed hitter who is 5′ 10″, 175 lbs. He was redshirted for the 2014 season due to NCAA transfer rules. La Bruna transferred to USC for his last two years of playing time. Prior to that, he was with the Duke University team.
He hit .250 in 2015 and played in 39 games. He was 4 for 6 in stolen base attempts. Not much power, only hitting two home runs. His fielding percentage for this season was a respectable .951.
Round 16: Ian Sagdal, shortstop, senior at Washington State: He is a left-handed hitter that is 6’3″, 189 lbs. Sagdal has good speed, hits for average and will take his walks. He is in the mold of what MLB is looking for in shortstops–tall, rangy and fast. He does not yet demonstrate any power.
Round 17: Dalton Dulin, Northwest Mississippi Community College: He is a switch-hitting infielder, who primarily plays second base. The 5’8″, 165 lb. Dulin transferred to community college after playing one year at Ole Miss. He got 11 starts at second base for an Ole Miss team that went to the College World Series.
The next year he transferred to NMCC. He was the starting second baseman for that squad. He hit .354 and had 46 stolen bases on 53 attempts. His father spent time in the Orioles and Pirates organizations. He will probably sign.
Round 18: Melvin Rodriguez, second baseman, senior at Jackson State: He is a left-handed hitter that is 5’10 and weighs 200 lbs. Rodriguez is originally from Puerto Rico. At the age of 24, he is a little older than the usual college senior draftee. That maturity may have been evident on the playing field this past season. Rodriguez hit .421 last year,which was fourth in the NCAA’s. He had 60 RBI’s and a .477 OBP in his senior season.
Round 19: Clayton Brandt, shortstop, Senior at MidAmerica Nazarene University in Kansas: He is a right-handed hitter that is 5’11” and weighs 180 lbs. Brandt is coming off an incredible season. He hit .417 and piled up the extra base hits–19 doubles, six triples and seven home runs. His slugging percentage was a ridiculous .670. He had 43 RBI’s in 57 games. Plus, he showed some speed. He stole 41 bases.
Round 20: John Reeves, catcher/DH, senior out of Rice University: Reeves is a right-handed hitter that is 5’11” and weighs 190 lbs. Reeves transferred to Rice from Navarro College and played the last two years for the Owls.
Like most catchers, Reeves is not speedy, but he can hit. This past season, he hit .313 mostly in the DH role. His on-base percentage was .412, thanks to the 25 walks he drew in the 56 games he played. He drove in 55 runs and hit eight home runs.
Round 21: Matt Pirro, right-handed pitcher, senior at Wake Forest University. The 6’1″, 185 pound Pirro had a break out year in 2015, in which went 7-4 with an ERA of 3.67. He struck out 71 batters in 73 innings Since his career record at Wake Forest was 14-13 with an ERA of 4.71, the big improvement in 2015 is striking.
Round 22: Adam Boghosian, right handed pitcher, North Greenville University in South Carolina: Boghosian redshirted his first year of college eligibility while recovering from Tommy John surgery. He is 6’2″ and weighs 210 pounds.
Boghosian served as the closer for North Greenville for the 2015 season. He amassed 13 saves and had a 1.53 ERA in 29 innings pitched.
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