3 more Penn State baseball players selected in the 2021 MLB Draft. Here’s where they’re going
Penn State pitcher Conor Larkin began the wave of Nittany Lions baseball players selected in the 2021 MLB Draft on Monday, being taken by the Toronto Blue Jays with the 272nd pick in the ninth round.
His former teammates Justin Williams, Kyle Virbitsky and Bailey Dees were selected on Day 3 on Tuesday to finish off the draft. Four total players drafted marked the most for Penn State since 2007, when five were selected.
Williams, a junior third baseman, was selected in the 17th round (508th overall) by the Astros. The 6-foot-3, 215-pound prospect has 96 career hits at Penn State with 20 doubles, one triple and 11 home runs. He’s started 86 games out of the 95 that he’s appeared in, adding 49 runs batted in and 53 runs. He started all 42 games at third base in 2021 with a .302 batting average, 48 hits with 12 doubles, five home runs, 23 RBI and 28 runs.
He becomes the fifth Penn State third baseman to be drafted and the third Nittany Lion to be chosen by the Astros.
“Justin is a hard-working player with good power and arm strength,” Penn State baseball coach Rob Cooper said in a written statement. “I believe Justin is just now beginning to realize his offensive potential. We are thrilled for Justin to realize his dream of a professional opportunity.”
Virbitsky was taken in the 17th round with the 518th pick by the Oakland Athletics. The former Nittany Lion made 52 appearances and 19 starts with a 4.45 earned-run average and a 9-14 record in 153⅔ collegiate innings pitched. The 6-foot-7, 235-pound pitcher imposed his will on batters with 9.4 strikeouts per nine innings and 161 total strikeouts on his career.
In his 2021 senior season, Virbitsky owned a 5-4 record with a 4.17 ERA in 77⅔ innings of work. He compiled 88 strikeouts with 10.2 strikeouts per nine innings and is tied for 10th in a season for a Penn State pitcher, tying with Mike Watson (2002) and Sal Biasi (2017), ranking seventh in the Big Ten.
“In my entire coaching career, I haven’t been around many individuals who love competition as much as Kyle,” Cooper said. “His progression from his first year to now is a testament to his dedication and work ethic. Congratulations to Kyle on being drafted and getting the opportunity to start his professional career.”
Dees, a right-handed pitcher, was selected in the 18th round with the 543rd pick by the New York Yankees. The 6-foot-8, 250-pound senior pitcher owned an 8-9 record with a 4.52 ERA in 175 1/3 innings pitched at Penn State. Dees made 43 career appearances and started in 33 games as the Nittany Lions Friday night starting pitcher. He struck out 176 batters in his career.
His 2021 season saw him notch a 4-4 record with a 5.59 ERA in 66 innings pitched. He had a 51 strikeouts in 64 innings with two of his best performances coming against Michigan and Rutgers on the year. Dees pitched 6.2 innings and allowed just two runs to upset the 18th-ranked Wolverines 3-2 and later shut out Rutgers with six scoreless innings pitched in a 1-0 victory.
“Since the day Bailey arrived in Happy Valley, he has worked extremely hard to improve his craft,” Cooper said. “I believe he is only beginning to scratch the surface of his talent and we are very excited to see him get an opportunity to sign a professional contract.”
This story was originally published July 13, 2021 at 4:35 PM.
