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LOS ANGELES -- The Dodgers on Saturday drafted outfielder Matt Jones out of Hutchinson Community College in Kansas with their 25th round pick in the 2014 MLB Draft, selection No. 759 overall.
The 6'7, 250-pound behemoth began his college career at Nebraska as a right-handed pitcher and first baseman, but Tommy John surgery wiped out his 2013 campaign. Jones joins other fellow Dodgers 2014 draftees Jeff Brigham (fourth round), Trevor Oaks (seventh round) and Joe Broussard (15th round) as veterans of the procedure.
What sets Jones apart, other than his size, is his proclivity to get hit by pitches. The left-handed hitter was plunked a whopping 40 times in 241 plate appearances, helping to fuel his .368/.538/.609 line, with 10 home runs and 50 RBI in 57 games with Hutchinson in 2014.
"Sometimes they miss pitches inside and they hit me," Jones told Kyle McCaskey of The Hutchinson News. "Other times, it just happens to be first pitch, I’ll step in there looking for an inside fastball and they’ll hit me in the leg, hit me in the ribs or something. It’s kind of a funny stat."
Credit the drafting of Jones to Dodgers scout Scott Little.