Ports Call Up 2021 Draft Picks Gelof, Rodriguez
STOCKTON,Ca.- Two of the A’s 2021 draft picks will be making their way to affiliated ball just weeks after being drafted as infielder Zack Gelof and catcher CJ Rodriguez have been assigned to the Stockton Ports, the team announced Tuesday. Gelof, a Virginia alum, was drafted by the A’s with
STOCKTON,Ca.- Two of the A’s 2021 draft picks will be making their way to affiliated ball just weeks after being drafted as infielder Zack Gelof and catcher CJ Rodriguez have been assigned to the Stockton Ports, the team announced Tuesday.
Gelof, a Virginia alum, was drafted by the A’s with their second-round selection (60th overall) in this year's 2021 MLB Draft. Rodriguez was the A’s fifth-round pick (158th overall) out of Vanderbilt. Both players will start and make their affiliated debut with the Ports tonight. Gelof will play third and hit second while Rodriguez will be behind the plate and hit seventh.
Gelof earned an All-ACC selection this season at Virginia after hitting .312 with nine home runs, 18 doubles, and 41 RBIs in 63 games. In three seasons with the Cavaliers, Gelof slashed lines of .316/.396/.478.
The Vanderbilt product Rodriguez has been praised as an elite defensive catcher already during his time with the Commodores after catching arguably the two best pitchers in college baseball this past year in Jack Leiter and Kumar Rocker. Rodriguez clipped .249/.393/.378 in the 2021 season with five home runs and 36 RBIs. He had the fewest strikeouts (19) of any Commodore starter and was third on the team in on-base percentage (.393) while throwing out 14 of 26 (53%) runners this season.