The Los Angeles Dodgers made a surprising pick in the 20th and final round of the 2023 MLB draft, selecting Oregon State quarterback DJ Uiagalelei as a right-handed pitcher.
Uiagalelei, who transferred from Clemson to Oregon State after the 2022 season, has not played baseball since his high school days at St. John Bosco in California, where he reportedly threw a fastball that reached 95 mph.
The 6-foot-5, 240-pound Uiagalelei was a highly touted football recruit in the class of 2020, ranked as the No. 2 overall prospect by 247Sports. He started for Clemson in 2021 and 2022, throwing for a combined 4,278 yards, 35 touchdowns and 13 interceptions. He also rushed for 745 yards and nine touchdowns.
However, he struggled to live up to the expectations of replacing Trevor Lawrence and was benched in the ACC Championship Game last year. He decided to enter the transfer portal and chose Oregon State as his new destination, joining a program that won 10 games and finished No. 17 in the AP poll in 2022.
Uiagalelei is expected to focus on his football career and try to improve his NFL draft stock with the Beavers, but he also has a potential backup plan in baseball if he ever decides to pursue it. The Dodgers took a flyer on him as a two-way player, hoping that his natural athleticism and arm strength could translate to the diamond.
Uiagalelei is not the first football player to be drafted by an MLB team. Other notable examples include Russell Wilson, Kyler Murray, Shaq Thompson and Jameis Winston.
