Tyler Goeddel Drafted by MLB's Tampa Bay Rays

SECAUCUS, N.J. – senior Tyler Goeddel was selected with the 41st pick by the Tampa Bay Rays in this year’s Major League Baseball draft Monday evening.

Goeddel is one of 10 players taken in the first or compensatory rounds by the Rays on the first night of the draft.

"Well, it's like I told our guys," Rays scouting director R.J. Harrison said on the team’s website. "We had a couple of mock drafts [Sunday], which ended up being a really good idea just to kind of prepare ourselves. I don't think we did as well in either one of those mock drafts as we did [Monday], to be honest with you. We're really happy with the group of players we selected."

Goeddel, a third baseman who has committed to UCLA, was not immediately available for comment. He did not attend the draft held at the MLB Studios.

He hit .361 during his senior season with seven doubles, two triples and two home runs. His 27 runs and 19 RBI were also complementary to his nine stolen bases. According to the Rays, he missed a month of his senior season with mononucleosis.

Baseball America ranked him as the 89th best player in this year’s draft.

His brother Erik, who also attended UCLA, was drafted in the 24th round last year by the New York Mets.