Four More Cal Players Taken on Day 2 of MLB Draft

Four more Cal players – pitchers Steven Zobac, Josh White and Joseph King and infielder Nathan Martorella -- were taken on the second day of the Major League Baseball draft on Monday.

Zobac was taken in the fourth round by the Kansas City Royals with the 115th overall selection, giving him a slotted bonus amount of about $527,000. White was drafted by the Miami Marlins in the fifth round with the 142nd overall pick, which provides about a $406,000 bonus. Martorella went to the San Diego Padres in the fifth round and the 150th overall selection, which leads to approximately $325,000 in slotted bonus payment. King was picked in the ninth round, 277th overall, by the Cardinals, slotting him for a $159,000 bonus payment.

They join Golden Bears outfielder Dyland Beavers, who was taken in the first round by the Baltimore Orioles on Sunday.

Zobac improved his draft status significantly in the final six weeks of Cal’s season. He pitched in 20 games with 10 starts for Cal in 2022, but he was particularly effective late in the season. He finished with a 4-4 record and a 4.09 ERA, but allowed just eight earned runs over his last eight appearances covering 38 innings, becoming a part of the Bears’ starting rotation in the final two months. Seven of those final eight appearances were starts and he did not allow any runs in four of those seven starts.

As a sophomore in 2021, Zobac was a two-way player used primarily as an outfielder. He pitched just 19 1/3 innings that season, all in relief, and recorded four saves, a 2-2 record and a 4.66 ERA.

White experienced the opposite effect. He was considered the Golden Bears’ ace heading into the 2022 season with stuff that suggested he would be a high pick in the MLB draft. In 2021 he was used mostly as a reliever and went 5-3 with a 2.79 ERA (second-best in the Pac-12) while striking out 81 batters in 61 1/3 innings.

Things did not go as smoothly this past season. He began the 2022 season as a starter, but finished with a 2-6 record and a 5.05 ERA. He still struck out 91 batters in 67 2/3 innings, and his fastball-slider combination had to catch the eyes of major-league scouts.

Martorella was Cal’s starting first baseman in 2021 and 2022, and his hitting improved significantly in 2022. He hit .237 with five homers as a sophomore in 2021, and he batted .333 with 11 homers, .424 on-base percentage and .977 OPS this past season as a junior.

King appeared in 15 games in 2022, including 14 starts, and he led the Bears in ERA with a 3.72 mark. He finished with a 5-3 record with 60 strikeouts and 15 walks in 72 2/3 innings. He did throw 13 wild pitches, though.

He missed much of the 2021 season with injuries, making just five appearances, including two starts. He went 1-0 with a 3.38 ERA in 5 1/3 innings.

The final 10 rounds of the 20-round MLB draft will be conducted tomorrow (Tuesday).

Cover photo of Steven Zobac is by Andrew Madsen, KLC Fotos

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