Five Bulldogs Find Landing Spots in 2021 MLB Draft: Things To Know and Slot Values
The 2021 MLB Draft is in the books, with rounds 11-20 completed on Tuesday afternoon.
Coming off of a successful season capped off with a national championship victory over Vanderbilt in the College World Series Finals, the Bulldogs saw five players come off the board, with one selected on the first day, three selected on the second day and one drafted on the final day.
All players drafted have until Aug. 1 to decide to take the next step in their careers or to return to school, though it seems likely that at five MSU players who heard their name called this year will be moving on.
Here's a look at how it all shook out, as well as some things to know about each player.
1. Round 1, No. 14: RHP Will Bednar, San Francisco Giants.
Will Bednar deserved this one.
The right-handed pitcher was named the Most Outstanding Player in the 2021 College World Series for a reason, as he struck out 26 batters, allowing just three runs over 18.1.
Over the past season, the 6-foot-2, 230-pound Bednar posted a 3.12 ERA and 1.061 WHIP, striking out 139 batters in 92.1 innings.
Bednar's slot value is listed at $4,036,800.
2. Round 4, No. 118: OF Tanner Allen, Miami Marlins.
Tanner Allen has officially been drafted for the third time in his career, though now he'll be making more money than if he had left for the pros earlier on. Having a national title under your belt certainly doesn't hurt, either.
Allen's slot value stands at $487,900.
Over the 2021 season, Allen was especially known for his ability to help the team make late-game comebacks and we should expect him to be equally effective for the Marlins organization. Last year, Allen started all 67 games he saw action in, recording 100 hits. He hit .383 with 11 home runs, 66 RBI and 72 runs scored.
3. Round 5, No. 139: RHP Eric Cerantola, Kansas City Chiefs.
Like Allen, this is the third time Cerantola has been drafted -- though one of those times was by the Owen Sound Attack in the Ontario Hockey League.
He didn't see much of the mound in 2021, going 0-1 with a 5.71 ERA over 10 appearances with four starts. Cerantola ends his career with a 4-2 record, 4.41 ERA and 67 strikeouts over 25 appearances with 12 starts.
Cerantola's slot value is listed at $398,000.
4. Round 5, No. 159: LHP Christian MacLeod, Minnesota Twins.
MacLeod started all 19 games he appeared in for the Bulldogs this season, posting a 6-6 record and a 5.23 ERA with 113 strikeouts over 82.2 innings of work.
He ends off his college career with 23 starts, a 10-6 record, and 148 strikeouts over 103.2 innings.
The slot value for where MacLeod was picked is listed at $327,200.
5. Round 11, No. 322: CF Rowdey Jordan, New York Mets.
Jordan was the last pick of this year's draft for the Bulldogs after he recorded a standout 2021 season. Citi Field has become a popular landing spot for former Mississippi State baseball players, as Jordan joins the ranks of Cole Gordon, Jake Mangum and JT Ginn.
There's no assigned slot value for players picked after the 10th round, so the Mets will make him an offer with remaining draft pool money.
Over his college career, Jordan has started 201 of 208 games he has played over his college career, posting a .311 average with 243 hits, 54 doubles, five triples and 23 home runs. He made it to home plate 185 times with 137 RBI, also with a .974 fielding rate in the outfield with only nine errors.