Although DJ Uiagalelei is preparing to begin the next chapter of his athletic life. He decided to transfer from Clemson in the offseason, ending his three-year tenure with the Tigers and announced that he would transfer to Oregon State.
Now another option has come to the fore. If he decides to sign with the Dodgers, he may choose to pursue a baseball career in Southern California rather than trying to continue his football playing career with the Beavers in the Pacific Northwest. Los Angeles selected him with the final team pick of the 2023 MLB draft, taking him 610th overall in the 20th round of the draft. That cap is typically reserved for players who are unlikely to be drafted, those favoured by family ties in the organization, or players who are offered large bonuses if other players in the draft decide not to sign.
There are always plenty of bi-sport athletes who would be interesting draft prospects. As we know, Duce Robinson (committed to USC), a five-star tight end, was a top 200 baseball prospect and college football recruit. Roch Cholowsky (committed to UCLA) was seen by SN in the 2023 MLB draft class as the No. 27 overall prospect and is a three-star quarterback recruit. No player has been selected.
What does DJ Uiagalelei say?
By the time Uiagalelei was coming out of high school, it was clear that there was nothing that could keep him away from soccer. According to sources, and composite rankings, in the 2020 class, he was the No. 1 pro-style quarterback and the No. 10 recruit in the country.
But he already had enough baseball accolades for his account. Perfect Game ranked him the No. 282 right-handed bowler in the country. And as he prepared to start his college athletic career, he told sources that he wanted to play both sports.
“I would really like to play football and baseball for as long as possible,” DJ Uiagalelei said in an interview. “If I’m lucky enough to play in the big leagues or the NFL, that would be a blessing.”
Other Facts To Know!
According to sources, Uiagalelei hadn’t pitched in four years prior to the spring of 2019, playing only the outfield. His coach, Don Barbara of Bosco High, estimated that it would not be long before Uiagalelei made it to the majors on the mound. Uiagalelei said he considered the next steps in his athletic career before transferring to Oregon State. According to sources, the Dodgers had approached him to see if he was interested in trying to return to baseball. But Uiagalelei reportedly said he had no desire to play baseball.
Therefore, Dodgers decided to draft Uiagalelei, at least officially and can see if the 6-5 250-pound quarterback will change his mind and try to return to pitching. There are definitely some advantages that justify picking him in the final team pick. If he chooses to sign, the Dodgers could get a raw pitching talent with fastball speed and the size to handle the starter’s workload.
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