MLB Draft 2021: Rays summary of Rounds 1-10

Here’s a high level summary of the Rays players selected in the first ten rounds of the 2021 draft, and links to their full write up.

The Tampa Bay Rays have concluded the first ten rounds of the 2021 MLB Draft, and below is a summary of each pick with plenty of stats and facts on each player.

The Rays entered the 2021 draft with one of the smaller player bonus pools in baseball, a consequence of having reached the World Series last season. They were represented at the event in Denver by James Shields.

After a year without baseball, this year’s draft was loaded with high school talent, making it an awkward time to be a team without much to spend. The Rays selections cast a net for high school infielders, loud college bats, and seasoned collegiate pitchers.

Here’s how we are listing each player below:

PLAYER NAME, POSITION, SELECTION
B/T — HT/WT — DATE BORN — SCHOOL

Each of the players drafted in the first ten rounds received a full write up on our site, and that is hyperlinked as well.

CARSON WILLIAMS, SHORTSTOP, ROUND 1 - NO. 28 OVERALL
R/R — 6-2/180 — 6/25/2003 — Torrey Pines (Calif.) HS

• Hit .495/.598/.979 (48-for-97) with 10 2B, 3 2B, 11 HR, 35 RBI and 34 SB in 31 games as a high school senior.
• Named Most Valuable Player of Perfect Game’s World Wood Bat Association World Championship last October.
• Ranked as the No. 29 overall player in this year’s draft by CBS Sports, No. 31 by FanGraphs and No. 41 by both Baseball America and MLB.com.
• Ranked by Baseball America as the No. 4 player in this year’s draft out of the state of California.
• Became the eighth high school infielder selected by the Rays in the first round, first since 3B Josh Lowe (No. 13) in 2016.
• Committed to play college baseball next season at the University of California, Berkeley.

COOPER KINNEY, SECOND BASEMAN, ROUND A - NO. 34 OVERALL
L/R — 6-3/200 — 1/27/2003 — The Baylor Schools (Tenn.)

• Hit .480/.539/.990 (48-for-100) with 19 2B, 1 3B, 10 HR and 50 RBI in 31 games as a high school senior.
• Ranked as the No. 70 overall player in this year’s draft by Baseball America and No. 36 among high school prospects.
• Ranked by Baseball America as the No. 5 player in this year’s draft out of the state of Tennessee.
• Received the Mr. Baseball Award, presented by the Tennessee Baseball Coaches Association, which honors the top high school player in each division of the Tennessee Secondary School Athletic Association; named Tennessee’s Gatorade Baseball Player of the Year.
• His father, Mike, was his head coach in high school; led Baylor to Division II Class-AA state championships in 2018, 2019 and 2021.
• Committed to play college baseball next season at the University of South Carolina.

KYLE MANZARDO, FIRST BASEMAN, ROUND 2 - NO. 63 OVERALL
L/R — 6-1/205 — 7/18/2000 — Washington State University

• Hit .365/.437/.640 (72-for-197) with 19 2B, 1 3B, 11 HR and 60 RBI in 47 games (46 starts) as a junior at Washington State.
• Ranked among Pac-12 leaders in avg. (4th), RBI (2nd) and slugging pct. (3rd); named first team All-American by Collegiate Baseball, the first Cougar selected as a first team All-American since Aaron Sele in 1990 and the first position player since John Olerud in 1998.
• Ranked as the No. 80 overall player in this year’s draft by Baseball America and No. 81 overall by MLB.com.
• Ranked by Baseball America as the No. 2 player in this year’s draft out of the state of Washington.
• Is the highest selection out of Washington State since the Red Sox selected catcher Scott Hatteberg with the No. 43 pick in 1991.

RYAN SPIKES, INFIELDER, ROUND 3 - NO. 100 OVERALL
R/R — 5-9/185 — 3/13/2003 — Parkview (Ga.) HS

• Hit .400/.482/.833 (48-for-120) with 10 2B, 6 3B, 10 HR and 17 SB in 36 games as a senior, setting a single-season school record with 6 3B.
• Ranked as the No. 154 overall player in this year’s draft by Baseball America and No. 196 overall by MLB.com.
• Ranked by Baseball America as the No. 9 player in this year’s draft out of the state of Georgia.
• Led Parkview to the 2021 Georgia High School Association 7A State Championship, going a combined 4-for-6 in the championship series.
• Won a Gold Medal with USA Baseball on the 15U National Team in the 2015 COPABE Pan Am “AA” Championships.
• Is the 4th-highest selection in school history behind Josh Hart (No. 34) in 2013, Matt Olson (No. 47) in 2012 and Jeff Francoeur (No. 23) in 2002.
• Committed to play college baseball next season at the University of Tennessee.

DRU BAKER, OUTFIELDER, ROUND 4 - NO. 130 OVERALL
R/R — 5-11/205 — 3/22/2000 — Texas Tech University

• Hit .343/.406/.484 (73-for-213) with 14 2B, 2 3B, 4 HR, 32 RBI and 18 SB in 51 games (50 starts) this season at Texas Tech.
• Led the Red Raiders in avg., doubles and stolen bases and recorded seven outfield assists to earn first team All-Conference honors.
• Began his collegiate career as a shortstop and third baseman before moving to the corner outfield for the 2020-21 seasons.
• Ranked as the No. 171 overall player in this year’s draft by Baseball America and No. 190 overall by MLB.com.
• Ranked by Baseball America as the No. 13 player in this year’s draft out of the state of Texas.
• Is the fourth player all-time to be selected by the Rays out of Texas Tech and the first since 2012.

MASON AUER, OUTFIELDER, ROUND 5 - NO. 161 OVERALL
R/R — 6-1/210 — 3/1/2001 — San Jacinto College North

• Hit .373/.525/.627 (76-for-204) with 11 2B, 4 3B, 11 HR and 56 RBI in 64 games with San Jacinto College this season.
• Ranked among NJCAA Region XIV leaders in hits (2nd), homers (4th), RBI (3rd), walks (66, 1st) and stolen bases (34, 1st).
• Spent one season at San Jacinto and led the team to the Junior College World Series; named to the All-Tournament Team after batting .400 (10-for25) with 3 2B, 2 HR and 5 RBI; played for Missouri State University in the shortened 2020 season before transferring to San Jacinto.
• Ranked as the No. 452 overall player in this year’s draft by Baseball America and No. 43 out of the state of Texas.
• Previously selected by the Chicago Cubs in the 39th round of the 2019 Amateur Draft.
• Committed to transfer for next season to the University of Oregon.

MASON MONTGOMERY, LEFT-HANDED PITCHER, ROUND 6 - NO. 191 OVERALL
L/L — 6-2/195 — 6/17/2000 — Texas Tech University

• Went 5-3 with a 3.82 ERA (63.2-IP, 27-ER) and 84 SO in 14 apps (13 starts) this season at Texas Tech.
• Was the winning pitcher when the Red Raiders advanced to the Super Regionals for the fifth time in school history.
• Ranked as the No. 306 overall player in this year’s draft by Baseball America and No. 24 out of the state of Texas.
• Previously selected by the Chicago White Sox in the 39th round of the 2018 Amateur Draft.
• Became the first pitcher ever selected by the Rays out of Texas Tech, and the fifth player overall and second this draft.

LOGAN WORKMAN, RIGHT-HANDED PITCHER, ROUND 7 - NO. 221 OVERALL
R/R — 6-4/215 — 12/6/1998 — Lee University

• Went 8-1 with a 1.81 ERA (79.2-IP, 16-ER) with 110 SO, 27 BB, .168 opp avg. (47-for-280) in 12 apps (all starts) in his redshirt junior season.
• Went 20-5 with a 2.13 ERA (198.1-IP, 47-ER) in 53 career apps (24 starts), setting a Lee University record for career ERA (min. 150 IP).
• Ranked as the No. 218 overall player in this year’s draft by MLB.com; earned second team All-American honors by the Division II Conference
• Commissioners Association and third team All-American recognition by the National Collegiate Baseball Writers Assocation and American Baseball Coaches Association; named first team All-Gulf South and won the conference’s Pitcher of the Week honors three times this season.
• Became the first player selected out of Lee University since 2016 and is the second all-time to be drafted from the program by the Rays.

PATRICK WICKLANDER, LEFT-HANDED PITCHER, ROUND 8 - NO. 251 OVERALL
R/L — 6-1/205 — 12/31/1999 — University of Arkansas

• Went 7-1 with a 2.09 ERA (77.2-IP, 18-ER) and 85 SO in 18 apps (13 starts) this season, moving into a starting role for conference games.
• Named second team All-American by the National Collegiate Baseball Writers Association, one of three Razorbacks to be honored.
• Diagnosed with Type 1 diabetes in May 2020; estimates he lost between 25-30 pounds in the 2-3 weeks prior to the diagnosis.
• Ranked as the No. 273 overall player in this year’s draft by Baseball America and No. 220 overall by MLB.com.
• Ranked by Baseball America as the No. 5 player in this year’s draft out of the state of Arkansas.
• Became the second player ever selected by the Rays out of the University of Arkansas, following Ryne Stanek (No. 29) in 2013.

ALEX AYALA JR., LEFT-HANDED PITCHER, ROUND 9 - NO. 281 OVERALL
R/L — 6-1/195 — 11/26/2001 — Florida SouthWestern State College

• Named Suncoast Conference Pitcher of the Year this season, going 8-3 with a 3.53 ERA (63.2-IP, 25-ER) in 15 apps (13 starts) as a freshman.
• Ranked by Baseball America as the No. 62 player in this year’s draft out of the state of Florida.
• Allowed 5 hits (or fewer) in 12 of his 13 star; named first team All-Conference and first team All-State by the FCSAA.
• Recorded a team-high 84 ; held opponents to a .190 avg. (44-for-232) in his only season at Florida SouthWestern State College.
• Did not allow a earned run and recorded 34 SO during his pandemic-shortened senior season at Brito Miami Private School in 2020.

AUSTIN VERNON, RIGHT-HANDED PITCHER, ROUND 10 - NO. 311 OVERALL
R/R — 6-8/265 — 2/8/1999 — North Carolina Central University

• Went 5-4 with a 2.55 ERA (70.2-IP, 20-ER) and 109 SO in 12 apps (all starts) this season, earning first team All-MEAC honors.
• Led the conference in strikeouts while setting a single-season school record; ranked 2nd in the conference with a 2.55 ERA.
• In a 10-0 win at the Durham Bulls Athletic Park on May 7 vs. Delaware State, pitched NC Central’s first no-hitter since the baseball program was reinstated in 2007; tied the program’s single-game record with 13 SO in a 10-4 win at the DBAP on May 13 vs. Florida A&M.
• Pitched for the Chatham Anglers in the Cape Cod League following each of his 2019 and 2021 seasons at NC Central.
• Missed the pandemic-shortened 2020 season while recovering from an arm injury that required surgery.
• Ranked as the No. 283 overall player in this year’s draft by Baseball America and No. 22 out of the state of North Carolina.
• His older brother, Andrew, was selected by the Brewers in the 28th round of 2016 Amateur Draft, the first player taken in NCCU history.