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It’s mock draft day at True Blue LA, where we peruse some recent projections for the upcoming 2021 MLB Draft, which will take place beginning July 11, coinciding with the All-Star break.
Kiley McDaniel at ESPN unveiled a mock draft two weeks ago, and has the Dodgers taking high school right-hander Ben Kudrna out of Kansas with the 29th overall pick in the first round.
“Kudrna fits in the Dodgers mold of power arms, and they’ve been tied mostly to prep players, which makes sense given their top-tier development,” wrote McDaniel, who also noted two-way players Spencer Schwellenbach and Carson Williams as potential Dodgers fits.
2021 @BenKudrna (@BVSW_BSB & @LSUbaseball sign) is pounding the zone through the first two innings of this one sitting 92-94 T95 and flashing a slider with some late depth at 83.@NathanRode #MLBDraft pic.twitter.com/i2qIgEQytz
— PBR Kansas (@PBRKansas) May 18, 2021
Keith Law at The Athletic rated Kudrna the 44th-best draft prospect this year, noting, “Kudrna is a projection right-hander with a good delivery and enough present stuff, including the makings of a good slider and potentially plus change-up.”
Kudrna has a college commitment to LSU.