Preview: Alabama Baseball at the 2021 MLB Draft
While the 2021 season didn't quite live up to expectations for Alabama baseball due to multiple injuries to crucial players, the road is far from its end for several members of the Crimson Tide.
On Sunday, Major League Baseball hosts the 2021 MLB Draft. Usually held in June, the annual draft was pushed to the league's All-Star break for the first time in its history. The move was supposedly made to bring more attention to the draft and promote interest in the sport.
If the move does garner more attention, then there's a possibility that more eyes could see a member of the Crimson Tide be drafted.
A total of five Alabama players have emerged as the most likely candidates to start their MLB careers in the coming days. While a couple certainly stand out above the rest, all five players have a shot of signing a contract with an MLB program as an undrafted free agent.
Of the duo of potential picks are right-handed pitcher Dylan Smith and second baseman Peyton Wilson.
Smith had a very successful senior season in 2021, finishing the year with a 3.84 ERA while pitching the most innings of any Alabama starter with 98 and one-third. He also concluded the season with the third-most strikeouts in a single season in Alabama program history with 113.
According to MLB.com, Smith is listed as the nation's No. 74 draft prospect. However, ESPN's latest mock draft has Smith being drafted in the second round at pick No. 50 by the San Francisco Giants.
Wilson saw just as much success during his 2021 junior campaign. Playing the majority of his season at second base, Wilson started in 58 games and finished the season with the team's second-highest batting average at .290 while leading the team in hits (72), runs (46) and total bases (114). He was also named to the All-SEC Newcomer Team, listed as Second Team All-SEC at second base and a member of ABCA/Rawlings All-Southeast Region First Team.
In the latest MLB.com prospect rankings, Wilson is ranked No. 68. According to ESPN, however, Wilson is projected to be drafted as the No. 52 pick in the second round by the Miami Marlins.
Alongside Smith and Wilson stand catcher Sam Praytor, right-handed relief pitcher Chase Lee and right-handed starter Tyler Ras. Praytor is currently not projected to be drafted in the more popular mock drafts but has a fairly decent shot at signing as an undrafted free agent. That being said, he has also revealed that he could potentially return for the 2022 season at Alabama should his MLB Draft not go as he would like.
Lee was unquestionably the Crimson Tide's best pitcher out of the bullpen in 2021. For Ras, he was forced to shift from midweek pitching duty to Friday starter after both Connor Prielipp and Antoine Jean went down early in the season due to injury. Both could, like Praytor, sign as undrafted free agents as they do not appear on many draft boards.
The 2021 MLB Draft will run from Sunday, July 11 through Tuesday, July 13 as part of All-Star week. The first round begins at 6:07 p.m. CT (ESPN) while Day 2 begins at noon CT and Day 3 at 11 a.m. CT (both days will be broadcast on MLB Network).
Here are some of last season's highlights from Alabama baseball's 2021 MLB Draft hopefuls:
Alabama Baseball 2021 MLB Draft Prospects
Sam Praytor - C (Redshirt Senior)
- Batted .277 in 2021 and led the Crimson Tide in both home runs (14) and RBIs (48)
- Was named First Team All-SEC at catcher and a Third Team All-American by Collegiate Baseball News
Chase Lee - RHP (Senior)
- Lead the team with the lowest ERA of all Crimson Tide pitchers with 1.33 in 40 and two-thirds innings pitched across 22 appearances out of the bullpen
- Finished 2021 with a 7-0 record along with seven saves
Tyler Ras - RHP (Senior)
- Became the Crimson Tide's primary Friday starter following Prielipp's injury, finished the season with a 7-5 record and pitched the second-most innings on the team in 2021 with a total of 86 and two-thirds
- Finalist for the 2021 ABCA/Rawlings Gold Glove Award
Dylan Smith - RHP (Senior)
- Finished the season with a 3.84 ERA while pitching the most innings of any Alabama starter with 98 and one-third
- Concluded 2021 with the third-most strikeouts in a single season in Alabama program history with 113
Peyton Wilson - UTL (Junior)
- Started in all 58 of Alabama's games and finished the season with the team's second-highest batting average at .290 while leading the team in hits (72), runs (46) and total bases (114)
- Following the 2021 season, Wilson was named to the All-SEC Newcomer Team, listed as Second Team All-SEC at second base and a member of ABCA/Rawlings All-Southeast Region First Team
