BYU shortstop Jackson Cluff is headed to the Washington Nationals organization after the Nationals drafted Cluff in the 6th round of the MLB draft, 183rd overall. Cluff is the highest draft pick to come out of BYU since Jacob Hannemann was taken in the 3rd round of the 2013 MLB draft by the Chicago Cubs. Cluff returned to BYU for the 2018-19 season after taking two years off to serve his mission in Atlanta, Georgia.
Comparing stats from the season before his mission to this last season, his first season since returning, Cluff saw drastic increases in almost every major statistical category.
In 2016, Cluff played in 43 games and started in 17. His batting average was .279; he had 19 hits with 10 RBIs, no home runs, five doubles, one triple and 12 walks. His on-base percentage was .395, while his fielding percentage was 0.91.
Looking at 2019, Cluff started 53 games while owning a .327 batting average. He recorded four home runs, 56 RBIs, 65 hits, 20 doubles and four triples. His on-base percentage was .458, while his fielding percentage was 0.97.
The Meridian, Idaho, native was named to the All-WCC First Team in addition to being named WCC Player of the Week twice during the regular season.
Cluff is the first off the board for the Cougars in 2019, while other draft hopefuls include Brock Hale, Justin Sterner and Jordan Wood.
The “slot value” — meaning the amount of money a player should receive in bonuses based on what selection they are — for the 183rd overall pick is $266,000, according to Baseball America.
