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2013 Dodger draft profiles: RHP Tanner Kiest, 27th round

The 27th selection of the Dodgers was Tanner Kiest, a right handed pitcher from Riverside Community College

Summary: 27th round pick Tanner Kiest, drafted out of Riverside Community College as a right handed pitcher, is listed at 6'3" and 200 pounds. Despite being a college kid Kiest is just 18 years old, and will turn 19 in September.

Background information: Kiest went to high school in Yucaipa, and he was one of those played year round on several traveling teams. I really couldn't find anything in terms of high school stats, but he originally signed on to play at UC Riverside before deciding to attend Riverside Community College instead.

Scouting report: Based on his college stats, which were limited to just 10.1 innings this past year, Tanner appears to be an all or nothing pitcher as he struck out 16, but also walked 14. Overall he posted a 2.61 ERA, but he would never be able to sustain that over the long term with his high walk rate. The only other thing I was able to gather about Kiest is that he appears to have a very strong fastball, which was rated highly by all the baseball scouting sites. Below is a video of him throwing in 2012.

Tanner Kiest Pitches at the MLSB Showcase at the Urban Youth Academy (via Steve Fiorindo)

Signing Status: Kiest has yet to sign with the Dodgers, and given that he has a three year of college eligibility left it seems likely that bypass a contract so he get selected in a higher round next year. He was originally signed on to attend UC Riverside, so maybe he'll end up there before going pro. No matter where he place he'll need to show improvement next season, and more specifically he needs to work on his control. My gut tells me that he doesn't sign.