2017 MLB Draft: Dodgers pick Utah RHP Riley Ottesen in 5th round

The Dodgers with their fifth-round pick in the 2017 MLB Draft selected Utah right-handed pitcher Riley Ottesen, with pick No. 160 overall.

The 6’1 right-hander posted a 4.93 ERA as a sophomore in 2017, with 72 strikeouts and 33 walks in 95 innings.

Ottesen is a draft-eligible sophomore as someone who went on a two-year Mormon mission in Japan after high school in 2013.

Ottesen was not listed in our David Hood’s top 200 draft prospects, was ranked No. 204 in the Baseball America top 500, and was ranked 107th in the MLB Pipeline top 200.

Lynn Worthy of the Salt Lake Tribune profiled Otteson on Sunday, with this tidbit from a scout:

"He's got arm speed. You can't teach that," said one former professional scout who has watched Ottesen pitch since high school. "A guy is just born with that arm speed. And you know what? Everybody is looking for power arms, and he's a power arm. I saw him his last outing against Arizona State, and he was 94 to 95 [mph] in the seventh inning and he was right close to 100 pitches. The other thing that shows that he has arm strength is he's 94, 95 out of the stretch."

MLB.com had Ottesen at 96-98 mph in the spring.

The slot value for the No. 160 overall pick is $299,300.