Huntington Beach’s Vogel has a good choice to make
Drafted by the Dodgers in the third round, outfielder could go to UCLA.
Huntington Beach High baseball coach Benji Medure has been a Dodgers fan since he was a child, so when his favorite team took his standout outfielder, Jake Vogel, in the third round of Thursday’s Major League Baseball draft, Medure was more than excited.
“It’s a dream come true for me,” Medure said.
Vogel, a UCLA signee, will have to decide whether to sign with the Dodgers or join UCLA, where he was tabbed to replaced first-round pick Garrett Mitchell in the Bruins’ lineup. Vogel was the 100th player selected.
“He’s good either way,” Medure said.
Vogel has lots of speed and displayed improving power during the short spring season stopped because of COVID-19.
“He had a really good winter,” Medure said. “Once the season started, he took off. He has a lot of pop.”
The highest Southern California player taken on the second day of the draft was La Mirada right-hander Jared Jones, chosen by the Pittsburgh Pirates in the second round with the No. 44 pick. The Texas signee is considered one of the best pitchers in California.
Outfielder Isaiah Greene of Corona went to the New York Mets in the second round. Mira Costa outfielder Petey Halpin was selected by the Cleveland Indians in the third round. Santa Margarita shortstop Milan Tolentino, another UCLA signee, was taken by the Indians in the fourth round.
Among college players, third-round picks included closer Holden Powell of UCLA to the Washington Nationals and pitcher Nick Garcia of Chapman to the Pirates. Former Peninsula pitcher Nick Frasso of Loyola Marymount was chosen by the Toronto Blue Jays in the fourth round. USC pitcher Kyle Hurt was selected by the Miami Marlins in the fifth round, and former Crespi pitcher Taylor Dollard of Cal Poly went to the Seattle Mariners in the fifth round.