Johnson, Deacon Taken In 3rd Day Of MLB Draft

The third and final day of the Major League Baseball First Year Player Draft started early Saturday with round 11 and selections came lightning quick. Everything was over by mid-afternoon Pacific Time after the 40th round of picks.

Two Elk Grove-area players were taken Saturday: former Franklin pitcher Jordan Johnson and ex-Elk Grove catcher Jared Deacon. Both were drafted by the San Francisco Giants.

Johnson was a 23rd round selection, the 688th overall, by the Giants. Johnson just completed his junior year at Cal State - Northridge.

Deacon recently graduated from Fullerton State and was a 33rd round draft pick. In the 35th round the Giants took Granite Bay pitcher Mitch Hart. 

Jared Deacon

Grant High School left-hander Cameron Avila-Leeper was selected in the 29th round by the Minnesota Twins. Avila-Leeper, if he doesn’t sign to go pro, may end up throwing for Cosumnes River College next season.

St. Mary’s slugger Jed Sprague was taken in the 37th round by the White Sox. His father, Ed, is the head coach at UOP and is a former Major Leaguer with the Cardinals and Blue Jays.

In total, 1,215 players were selected by Major League Baseball clubs over the three-day draft, more than half of them were pitchers. The players will have until July 18 to accept or deny their offers to go pro. 

Intriguing selections by the teams included San Diego’s 28th round selection - former Heisman Trophy winner Johnny Manziel, now a member of the Cleveland Browns. Manziel never played baseball while in college at Texas A&M. Ryan Ripken, son of Hall of Famer Cal Ripken, Jr., was selected by the Nationals in the 15th rounds. Mariano Rivera’s son, also named Mariano, was taken in the 28th round by his father’s club, the Yankees.