After an unusual 2021 season with COVID-19 concerns and protocols, seven San Diego State Aztecs will be joining their respective Major League teams after 20 rounds of the 2021 MLB Draft.
This year’s draft class held the most Aztecs since 2018 where Dean Nevarez, Jordan Verdon, Garrett Hill, David Hensley and Chase Calabuig were selected.
The Aztecs led the Mountain West conference with five players drafted in the 2021 MLB Draft. Following the Aztecs were Fresno State and New Mexico with two apiece.
Mike Jarvis – selected in Round 6, 163rd overall to the Pittsburgh Pirates
Jarvis was drafted to the Pirates as a second baseman after playing shortstop for the Aztecs during the 2021 season. Jarvis served as a utility player, making appearances in both the infield and outfield and was named to the all-Mountain West second team last season. Over the course of the season, he served as a big hitter with five home runs, utilized his speed with 16 stolen bases and assisted the Aztecs by driving in 32 runs.
Wyatt Hendrie – selected in Round 7, 193rd overall to the Pittsburgh Pirates
Hendrie, SDSU’s starting catcher, was the second Aztec to be selected to the Pirates in the Draft. Hendrie had a standout season with a batting average of .379 and nine home runs, earning him three Mountain West Player of the Week accolades. In addition, he was named a semifinalist for the Buster Posey National Collegiate Catcher of the Year award.
Matt Rudick – selected in the 13th round, 382nd overall to the New York Mets
Outfielder Rudick had his most successful season as a redshirt junior after leading the league in runs scored and stolen bases. Of all 43 games Rudick made a plate appearance, he reached base and led the Scarlet and Black with a .410 batting average. Upon completion of his junior season, he received his third consecutive year of all-Mountain West awards.
Jaden Fein – selected in the 15th round, 443rd overall to the Washington Nationals
Right fielder Fein’s 2021 campaign resulted in many accolades including four Mountain West Player of the Week awards, a spot on the USA Baseball Golden Spikes Award Midseason Watch List and a spot on the All-Mountain West second team. Fein hit .389 with 53 RBIs in the 2021 season and started all 46 games for the Scarlet and Black.
Michael Paredes – selected in the 18th round, 549th overall to the Minnesota Twins
A right-handed pitcher, Paredes held a 4-0 record and finished the 2021 season with 65 strikeouts and a 5.59 ERA. Paredes reached a single-game season-high record in innings pitched, throwing eight innings against UNLV and had a season-high record in strikeouts with nine K’s against Air Force. Paredes landed a spot on the All-Mountain West second team and was second in the league with 77.1 innings pitched.
Kohl Simas – signed as an Undrafted Free Agent with the Chicago White Sox
Right-handed pitcherSimas transferred to SDSU from the University of San Diego. After the completion of the 2021 season, he played in the Cape Cod Baseball League for the Wareham Gatemen, where he made four appearances on the mound and finished the summer season with an ERA of 5.06. Simas shares a special connection to the White Sox as his father, Bill Simas, played for the team from 1995 to 2000.
Carson Matthews – signed as an Undrafted Free Agent with the Los Angeles Angels
Matthews, a transfer from Saddleback College, tore his ACL early on in the Aztecs’ 2020-21 campaign. Coming off of injury, Matthews made six appearances for the Aztecs near the end of the season. Matthews spent the summer with the Trenton Thunder of the MLB Draft League where he hit .344 with four home runs.
