Utah Utes baseball: Pitcher picked by Angels on final day of draft

It was a day late, but still a nice belated birthday present for University of Utah ace pitcher Jordan Whatcott.

Whatcott, a junior, was the first local athlete picked on the third day of the Major League Baseball first-year player draft on Thursday. He went in the 31st round — the first round held on Thursday — to the Los Angeles Angels of Anaheim.

"It was a day late, but definitely a nice birthday present," said Whatcott, who turned 24 on Wednesday. "It's exciting."

There was also a little disappointment involved for Whatcott, who was expected to be drafted on Wednesday, when rounds 4-30 were held. Whatcott had a solid junior season for the Utes, throwing his fastball in the low 90s while also showing with good command of his slider. He had a 5-3 record with a 4.19 earned run average.

"There was some disappointment," Whatcott said of slipping to the 31st round. "But I'm very excited for the opportunity, just the prospect of having the chance to play professional baseball."

The obvious reason for Whatcott's slide is his age.

"I think it had something to do with it," Whatcott said. "It's tough being 23-24 (years old) and pitching to 18- and 19-year-old college guys. It's totally understandable. If you can take a guy who's 19 and can do the same thing that someone who's 23 does, why wouldn't you take the 19-year-old? That's how baseball works. It's a business. It's not something you do just for fun."

Whatcott said he has yet to decide if he'll return to Utah for his senior season. He is awaiting a contract offer from the Angels, and once he gets it he'll determine what's next in his baseball career.

Whatcott is an older college baseball player because he served an LDS Church mission in Brazil.

"Best two years of my life I've had up to this point," Whatcott said.

Southern Utah and Utah Valley University each had a player drafted on Thursday. Nick Freitas, who played the last two seasons at SUU, was picked by the Minnesota Twins in the 33rd round. UVU pitcher and former Pleasant Grove High player Justin Smith was picked in the 36th round by the St. Louis Cardinals.

Freitas, a senior outfielder from Hawaii, destroyed Summit League pitching in 2009. He hit 14 home runs, had 60 RBIs and batted .347. He transferred to SUU from Miami after his sophomore season.

Smith threw well for the Wolverines in 2009 after pitching at Southern Idaho for two seasons. A junior, Smith won eight games, had a 4.73 earned run average and recorded 91 strikeouts in 91 innings of work.

None of the state's high school baseball players were picked on the third and final day of the draft. Judge Memorial outfielder Keenyn Walker was the only high school player taken overall, as he went in the 16th round on Wednesday.

E-mail: aaragon@desnews.com