Two SDSU Aztecs selected in Day 2 of MLB Draft
Credit: SDSU Athletics
Coming into the 2021 Draft, Troy Melton was the only ranked Aztec according to MLB Pipeline. He is the #132 ranked prospect and remains undrafted after 282 selections.
While we wait to see if Melton is drafted, two of his teammates did hear their name called. Mike Jarvis was selected with the first pick of the sixth round, 163rd overall, by the Pittsburg Pirates. The Pirates had their eye on SDSU’s talent when they selected Wyatt Hendrie in the next round with the 193rd overall pick.
So now the question is: what are the Pirates getting?
Mike Jarvis
Jarvis is what teams want when they draft a shortstop for their athleticism. He is able to lock down shortstop but also has experience playing centerfield early in his college career. He earned second-team All-Mountain West this past season. He got there by posting a .367/.417/.544 slash line, all career highs.
Like many players that Mark Martinez coaches, he is a strong baseball mind. Jarvis went on an absolute tear in the second half of the season. Martinez attributes that to him adjusting mid-season. He stopped chasing as many pitches and, just like that, was in command of the at-bats. Jarvis ended the season on a massive 16 game hitting streak in which he collected eight extra-base hits.
Here is a thread highlighting some of his bigger moments from the last season.
Just going to have a mini thread of some Jarvis highlights from last season https://t.co/nBYrxNHxu1
— Evan (@EvanOfficial_) July 12, 2021
Wyatt Hendrie
This wasn’t a surprise that Hendrie was drafted. Back in the 2019 draft, the Cubs drafted him in the 10th round. He declined and transferred to SDSU. It was expected that he would be drafted in 2020 and accept that offer. Unfortunately for him, the draft was limited to just five rounds due to the pandemic. That kept him as an Aztec for another year and probably helped him.
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This season he earned first team all-Mountain West honors and was named the Mountain West Player of the week on three different occasions. Like Jarvis, he enjoyed a career-high slash of .379/.464/.633 including 9 home runs, 12 doubles, and even had 8 stolen bases.
What is really special about Hendrie is his defense behind the plate. He gunned down 11 of the 21 runners that attempted to steal. Held his own with a .989 fielding percentage. A number which could be higher considering how often he was worked behind the plate. Perhaps the biggest weakness of SDSU in 2021 was their pitching command. They were constantly wild, and to Hendrie’s credit, he was able to save a lot of balls in front of him.
Hendrie is sure to start his career behind the plate, but if the need arises, he can move elsewhere. Obviously, the Pirates have Jacob Stallings in the MLB, and they used the first overall pick to draft another catcher, Henry Davis. In the tail end of the season, Hendrie saw some time in the outfield. This was not a statement of his defense by any means. The Aztecs needed more offensive production and moved their lineup accordingly. His defense in left field was nothing great, yet nothing bad in the limited small sample size. It will be up to the Pirates to determine his future.
Here is a thread of highlighting some of Hendrie’s big moments in the 2021 season.
The Pirates must love SDSU! Here starts my Hendrie thread https://t.co/4Mx9ESvC5K
— Evan (@EvanOfficial_) July 12, 2021
Three more Aztecs remain on the board with a chance of hearing their name called Troy Melton, Jaden Fein, Matt Rudick. Best of luck to them.
Evan is a student finishing up a degree in Finance from Northern Arizona University. The ability to break down numbers and find the story behind them has lead to his first of writing for East Village times. He covers baseball which is the sport he grew up playing and has followed even after his playing years.