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BREAKING:

UC Divest, SJP Encampment

Six Bruins hear their names called during the 2023 MLB draft

By Benjamin Royer

July 12, 2023 5:20 p.m.

This post was updated July 16 at 6:16 p.m.

Coach John Savage’s professional Bruins club could be getting six new members.

UCLA baseball rising junior right-hander Alonzo Tredwell, rising senior third baseman Kyle Karros and graduating right-hander Charles Harrison were selected in the first 10 rounds of the 2023 MLB Draft on Friday and Saturday in Seattle. On Sunday, rising senior right-hander Jake Brooks, graduating catcher Darius Perry and rising junior left-hander Ethan Flanagan were additionally drafted in the final 10 rounds. Multiple Bruins have now been selected in 19 consecutive MLB drafts.

Tredwell was UCLA’s first player drafted after the Houston Astros selected the Bruins’ starting pitcher Sunday in the second round with the No. 61 pick. The closer-turned-starter was the highest-drafted Bruin since right-hander Ryan Garcia was selected No. 50 overall in 2019.

The 6-foot-8 hurler’s season ended after back and rib injuries forced him out of action. However, over the nine starts in which Tredwell pitched, he posted a 3.57 ERA with 51 strikeouts over 45.1 innings – including back-to-back scoreless outings to begin the season.

His freshman campaign garnered Freshman All-American honors, allowing limited damage out of the bullpen with a 2.11 ERA and 62 strikeouts to just six walks.

Karros and Harrison jumped off the board on the second day. The former’s name was called by the Colorado Rockies with the No. 145 pick in the fifth round and the latter by the St. Louis Cardinals with the No. 215 pick in the seventh round.

The Bruins’ starting third baseman for all of his three years in Westwood, Karros slashed .276/.342/.407 and set career-high numbers in 2022. The Manhattan Beach local hit .308 in his sophomore campaign with six home runs and 42 RBIs.

Karros slightly dropped off in his junior year, setting a career-high .372 on-base-percentage but only hitting .284 with five home runs and 34 RBIs. As the son of former MLB infielder Eric Karros and brother of Dodgers minor league pitcher Jared Karros, the 6-foot-5 slugger may become the third Bruin from his family to play professionally.

Harrison, on the other hand, improved dramatically after his removal from the closer role last year. In a high-leverage role out of the bullpen, the hard-throwing righty set a career-low 1.38 ERA, only allowing four earned runs over 26 innings.

The senior reliever struck out 37 batters while holding them to a .214 batting average en route to a 2023 All-Pac-12 honorable mention.

Brooks – who was selected by the Miami Marlins with the No. 323 pick in the 11th round on day three – emerged as UCLA’s Friday starter in 2022 and continued that role this past season.

Despite his 5.64 ERA, Brooks was second in the Pac-12, walking just 2.28 batters per nine innings. The Fountain Valley local’s best starts of the season came against Utah and Washington, where he tossed six or more scoreless frames against UCLA’s conference foes.

Brooks pitched to better success during his sophomore season, posting a 3.96 ERA over 63.2 innings before ending his season early with an injury.

Perry joins Karros with the Colorado Rockies after he was drafted in the 15th round with the No. 442 overall pick. The All-Pac-12 team and All-Pac-12 Defensive team backstop emerged as a rally-killer for opposing teams, throwing out 19 of 45 base stealers – the best mark in the conference.

At the plate, the four-year Bruin set career highs with three home runs, 31 RBIs and a .358 slugging percentage. Across his collegiate career, Perry slashed .278/.385/.361 across 103 games.

The last Bruin to get drafted on day three was Flanagan – a draft-eligible sophomore – who was taken by the Chicago Cubs with the No. 506 pick in the 17th round.

After compiling a 3-0 record, 3.28 ERA and 76 strikeouts over 60.1 innings throughout a variety of roles for the Bruins as a freshman, Flanagan started his 2023 campaign injured. The southpaw only appeared in nine games, six of which were starts.

The former Freshman All-American started six games this season, the best of which came against Arizona State in his final start of the year, allowing two runs over six innings. Flanagan still has two years of eligibility – along with Tredwell – and as a late-round selection, the lefty could return to Westwood.

Four UCLA commits also heard their names called in the draft. Outfielder Brandon Winokur was chosen by the Minnesota Twins in the third round, right-hander Cole Miller was drafted by the Oakland Athletics in the fourth round, shortstop Boston Baro was taken by the New York Mets in the eighth round, and infielder – although selected as an outfielder – Phoenix Call was drafted by the Boston Red Sox in the 15th round.

According to MLB Pipeline, Winokur, Miller, Baro and Call were the No. 74, No. 121, No. 224 and No. 226 prospects in the 2023 MLB Draft Top 250 prospects list.

All 10 players must decide by July 25 whether they will sign with a professional team or return to Westwood.

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Benjamin Royer | Assistant Sports editor
Royer is the 2023-2024 Assistant Sports editor on the baseball, gymnastics and men's water polo beats and a reporter on the football beat. He was previously a staff writer on the baseball, football and gymnastics beats. He is also a fourth-year communication student.
Royer is the 2023-2024 Assistant Sports editor on the baseball, gymnastics and men's water polo beats and a reporter on the football beat. He was previously a staff writer on the baseball, football and gymnastics beats. He is also a fourth-year communication student.
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