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Chris Okey Drafted by Reds in Second Round, Six Clemson Tigers Drafted

Following an strong 2016 season, six Clemson Tigers were drafted in the 2016 MLB First-Year Player Draft.

By Ryan Kantor and Brian_Goodison

Headlined by catcher Chris Okey, several juniors went early enough that they could be leaving Clemson. The Tigers also likely lost two members of their incoming freshman class in Carter Kieboom and Travis MacGregor.

Chris Okey - 2nd Round Cincinnati Reds

Clemson's junior catcher and cleanup hitter, Chris Okey, is the headline of the Tigers' draft class. Projected to go late in the first round or early in the second round, Okey was selected 43rd overall.

Overall scouting reports on Okey sound more like he's an okay player rather than a future star. That is true to a certain extent, however Okey doesn't have any serious weaknesses poised to drag his game down, either, and that is a key positive for his future. The general consensus is that Okey can hit .250 with some power and a decent OBP while providing solid defense. He's also proven he can hold up to the rigors of regular catching without loss of offensive production. - John Sickel

Chris Okey isn't viewed as having a huge upside, but can be a very solid player at a premium position. Due to the especially high level of unpredictability of the MLB First-Year Player Draft, the mantra is NOT to draft for needs. The Reds abiding in their pick of Chris Okey as they selected a high school catcher with their 11th overall pick a season ago. With three years of college ball under his belt, he may be ready first.

Okey is all but certain to turn pro with such a high draft spot and with the slot money available to him it would be foolish not to. He marks the biggest loss Clemson will sustain as they move into the new season.

Alex Bostic - 10th Round San Francisco Giants

Alex Bostic is the classic upside draft pick. In 33.1 IP, he had a lousy 5.13 ERA and a horrendous 27 walks, but also an intriguing 44 strikeouts. As for an MLB projection, the best comparison may be the Detroit Tigers' Justin Wilson who has carved out a decent career in the majors over the past several seasons.

"Bostic has good size at 6-foot-2, 210 pounds, and a stabbing, lengthy arm action that profiles him as a reliever as a pro. He also has flashed two above-average pitches: a fastball in the 90-94 mph range, and a hard slider in the 78-80 range with some depth that scouts rate as above-average. He mixes in a changeup."   - Baseball America

Alex Bostic is looking at a signing bonus in the neighborhood of $150,000 for a 10th round selection, so one would expect him to sign, but if contract negotiations don't move in his favor, he has one season remaining at Clemson and may decide to return for a final year to try and increase his draft stock. We heard no confirmation of his intentions at this time, but I would bet on him signing.

Eli White - 11th Round Oakland Athletics

Eli White hit .272 with just 4 HRs, but swiped 24 bases and reached base at an excellent .389 clip. He struggled a bit defensively, but showed his range and defensive potential at times as well. If he can be more consistent in the field, he could be a useful MLB shortstop who reaches base and is a plus as the captain of the infield.

White has confirmed he will sign early this week. If so, the shortstop will depart Clemson with a much higher draft spot than last year. In 2015 the Pirates took White in the 37th round, but  he did enough this year to go a bit higher. Even though he is only a junior it seems like White will sign with the Athletics.

Weston Wilson - 17th Round Milwaukee Brewers

The second baseman hit .279 this year and 45 RBIs and scored 50 runs. More importantly Wilson had a .966 fielding percentage and wasn't the worst offender on defense. Wilson is eligible to return to Clemson considering he is a junior, but has confirmed with TCI that he intends to sign with the Brewers. If he can stick at second base, he has a chance to be a MLB contributor. He doesn't have the bat to be a consistent MLB player at 3B.

Clate Schmidt - 20th Round Detroit Tigers

The senior starter is going to have a chance to pursue a professional career with a team that can certainly use pitching help. Schmidt finished the season with an 8-5 record and a 4.83 ERA. He improved his K/BB ratio from a poor 1.39 to a commendable 3.23 K/BB in 2016, but need to become more consistent to make the majors.

Pat Krall - 28th Round St. Louis Cardinals

Despite a 1.67 ERA and a 0.93 WHIP, Clemson's best bullpen arm wasn't highly drafted - likely because he doesn't blow up the radar gun. That is good news for Clemson fans though. Krall has already announced he will return to Clemson for his senior season. He is likely to be one Clemson's weekend starters full time this year and he should be a key cog in Clemson's attempt to return to Omaha for the first time since 2010. He should also see if draft stock rise if he can prove to be highly effective as a starting pitcher.

Carter Kieboom - 1st Round Washington Nationals  /  Travis MacGregor - 2nd Round Pittsburgh Pirates

Kieboom and MacGregor are unlikely to ever set foot on Clemson's campus. getting drafted in the first couple of rounds straight out of high school normally means you are good enough to skip college and the wise is generally to sign and begin playing in the minors. It is a shame for Clemson because both players would've helped the Tigers in the infield and on the mound.

Tyler Lancaster - 16th Round St. Louis Cardinals

Logan Davidson - 30th Round Philadelphia Phillies

Davidson was the only other Clemson prospect to get drafted, and he will certainly be coming to Clemson. The infielder, the son of former Clemson player Mark Davidson, will hopefully fill in one of the new vacancies created by the loss of several infielders this year. Though Davidson may not get much playing time in 2017, hopefully his defense will be an improvement on what Clemson fans have become accustomed to recently.

Update: Tyler Krieger, Cleveland Indians

Tyler Krieger was drafted out of Clemson in the 4th round by the Cleveland Indians last year and signed for $400,000. The Indians were cautious with him in 2015 as they wanted to ensure the health of his shoulder. Now he is playing routinely for their Single-A affiliate, the Lake County Captains. Over the weekend he extended his hitting streak to 20 games and is hitting .332. He is still has a long path to a full-time position in the majors with Jason Kipnis entrenched at 2B and Fransisco Lindor making good on the hype he earned as a prospect at SS, but it's great to see him excelling where he is at.

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