Players signed indicated in Bold

Round Overall Team Player Position State Bonus
22 678 Arizona Diamondbacks Justin LaTempa RHP Calif.
LaTempa, a redshirt sophomore after spending a season at UC Irvine, has the biggest arm of the group but the least pitchability. Skinny as a pencil in high school, LaTempa has developed into an imposing 6-foot-4, 225-rounder. He was at his best early, when his fastball sat in the 91-93 mph range, peaking at 94-95. At his best, he adds a slider, curve and change. While LaTempa is strong on the basics, he is weak on the minutiae. His fastball is almost dead straight and rarely visits the lower portion of the strike zone. Both his slider and curve are inconsistent, and his change is flat. His inconsistent mechanics also led to shoulder soreness, and he made just nine starts this season. He did make a late relief appearance but had likely fallen out of the first five rounds. He was considered signable.
25 763 Detroit Tigers Billy Nowlin C Calif.
Billy Nowlin is a stocky, strong backstop admired for his work ethic and tenaciousness. He used his compact and powerful swing to enjoy a breakout offensive season, hitting .413. Nowlin will need to refine his defense to succeed at higher levels. His throwing and receiving skills are raw, and he'll need to smooth out and relax his catching style.