2021 MLB Draft: Kopps, pair of signees highlight Arkansas' picks on Day 2

Not a subscriber? Subscribe for free for 30 days w/code HAWGS30
NEW USERS | RETURNING USERS

The second day of the 2021 MLB Draft is here.

Another 276 players will be selected in Rounds 2-10 on Monday, with the second round slated to begin at noon CT. It will be streamed on MLB.com.

Although there were no Arkansas players taken Sunday, signee Max Muncy was picked by the Oakland Athletics at No. 25 and will likely skip college.

Several Razorbacks are expected to hear their names called at some point on Day 2, but all attention will likely be on signee Peyton Stovall.

The middle infielder from Louisiana was considered a possible first-round pick, but was not among the 36 players chosen Sunday night. His fall is believed to be because of a high asking price, as he and his family seem content with going to college.

The Razorbacks aren't completely in the clear with him yet, though. Several teams made first-round picks that could sign for under slot, meaning they could afford to go over slot and spend more on a player like Stovall later in the draft.

All of the picks Monday have slot values under $2 million, with the first pick of the day - No. 37 by the Pirates - being $1.999 million. The slot values don't dip below seven figures until pick No. 67, which is in the middle of Competitive Balance Round B sandwiched between the second and third rounds.

He is far from the only signee the Razorbacks could see drafted Monday. For a full list of those players and current players who might get selected at some point, check out HawgBeat's draft primer.

Most players taken in the first 10 rounds are expected to sign professional contracts. Every player in last year's five-round draft signed and only two of the 317 players in the top 10 rounds of the 2019 draft did not sign.

UPDATE: HawgBeat has learned that Peyton Stovall, a projected first-round pick, has pulled his name out of the draft and will play college baseball at Arkansas. He has since announced it himself.

Jordan Viars - OF - Prosper (Texas) Reedy HS

Team: Philadelphia Phillies

Pick: 3rd round, 84th overall

Slot value: $721,900

One of the younger players in the draft, Viars is only 17 years old, which makes him even more appealing to pro teams. He has a lot of raw power and made the North Texas High School Baseball Coaches Association All-Star game following his senior season.

Drew Gray - LHP/OF - IMG Academy (Bradenton, Fla.)

Team: Chicago Cubs

Pick: 3rd round, 93rd overall

Slot value: $627,300

Signed with Arkansas as a two-way player, Gray’s future is likely as a left-handed pitcher. He has elite spin rate and his fastball has already touched 94 mph, despite still being a raw prospect.

Playing at IMG Academy his senior year, the Illinois native went 3-0 with a 1.88 ERA and 41 strikeouts in 18 2/3 innings across seven appearances this year. His biggest issue appears to be command, as he also had 18 walks.

Gray is considered a top prospect as an outfielder, too. He hit .474/.630/.578 with three RBIs and only two strikeouts with eight walks in 19 at bats this season at IMG.

Last summer, Gray participated in the Perfect Game National Showcase and was selected to play in the Perfect Game All-American Classic. He also made the Area Code Games All-Tournament team as a pitcher.

Gray is the younger brother of current Arkansas pitcher Evan Gray.

Kevin Kopps - RHP - Arkansas

Team: San Diego Padres

Pick: 3rd round, 99th overall

Slot value: $587,400

The best player in college baseball this year, Kopps put together one of the most dominant seasons ever for a relief pitcher. He was a versatile weapon for the Razorbacks, pitching multiple innings in multiple games each weekend.

Armed with arguably the best pitch in the country - his cutter/slider - Kopps led all qualified Division I pitchers with a 0.90 ERA and 0.76 WHIP. He also racked up 131 strikeouts and only 18 walks in 89 2/3 innings, while limiting opponents to a .162 batting average.

Kopps pulled off a rare “double-double” with 12 victories and 11 saves - both of which rank among the top 10 single seasons in UA history. The only blemish on his record was a loss to North Carolina State in the Fayetteville Super Regional, but he allowed only three runs in 8-plus innings in the performance, which was his lone start of the season.

Those numbers and the way Arkansas used him en route to the No. 1 overall seed in the NCAA Tournament has led to him cleaning up the postseason accolades. In addition to being a unanimous first-team All-American, Kopps has also won the Dick Howser Trophy, Collegiate Baseball National Player of the Year and numerous other awards. He’s one of three finalists for the Golden Spikes Award, as well, which will be announced Wednesday.

Despite his success on the mound, Kopps was never expected to be a first-round pick because he was a sixth-year senior in 2021 and is already 24 years old. Although he could technically return to Arkansas next year thanks to the NCAA’s eligibility relief, he is expected to sign for well under slot and be immediately placed in Double-A because of his age.

Christian Franklin - OF - Arkansas

Team: Chicago Cubs

Pick: 4th round, 123rd overall

Slot value: $464,500

Widely considered the top prospect on the team, Franklin is the second Arkansas player off the board in the 2021 MLB Draft. He’s the Razorbacks’ third center fielder taken in the top four rounds since 2015, following Andrew Benintendi (1st round, 2015) and Dominic Fletcher (2nd round, 2019).

Franklin is coming off a junior season in which he hit .274 with 13 home runs and 54 RBIs while also making numerous highlight-reel plays that landed him on the SEC All-Defensive Team.

During his three-year career in Fayetteville, which included the pandemic-shorted 2020 season, the Overland Park, Kan., native slashed .288/.402/.499 with 22 home runs and 99 RBIs. His speed was not only used in the field, but also utilized on the base paths, as he was successful on 26 of 33 stolen base attempts.

The biggest negative for Franklin throughout his time in college has been his swing-and-miss issues at the plate, as his 158 career strikeouts rank seventh in UA history and each of his two full seasons (2021 and 2019) rank among the top five highest single-season strikeout totals.

**UPDATE**

Arkansas first baseman Brady Slavens has announced he plans to return to school for another year. He was considered a possible draft pick after hitting .284 with 14 home runs and 63 RBIs this season - his first in Fayetteville after beginning his career at Wichita State and spending a year in junior college.

Because he doesn't turn 21 until October and the eligibility relief granted by the NCAA, Slavens will still have leverage in next summer's draft.

Ryan Costeiu - RHP - Arkansas

Team: Los Angeles Angels

Pick: 7th round, 201st overall

Slot value: $229,700

Despite giving up home runs to three of the final four batters he faced and finishing the season with a 5.10 ERA, Costeiu has good stuff, as evidenced by him holding opponents to a .198 batting average.

While he couldn’t be extended past two innings at a time, the right-hander also had 40 strikeouts in 30 innings across 26 appearances. However, eight of the 21 hits he allowed this year went over the fence.

Something to consider with Costeiu - who began his career in junior college - is the fact that he is still 20 years old and doesn’t turn 21 until November. His age, coupled with the extra year of eligibility gained thanks to the pandemic, gives him leverage to potentially return to Arkansas for another season.

Casey Opitz - C - Arkansas

Team: Casey Opitz

Pick: 8th round, 244th overall

Slot value: $168,500

Considered one of the top defensive catchers in the country, Opitz threw out an incredible 43 percent of the 107 would-be base stealers during his career at Arkansas. He also drew praise from the coaching staff for his ability to block and frame pitches, as well as how he called games behind the plate.

The biggest knock on Opitz is his bat, as he slashed just .257/.367/.346 with only 12 extra-base hits - including just two home runs - this year. Although he never displayed much power, with only six career home runs, Opitz had very good plate discipline as evidenced by his 32 walks and 33 strikeouts.

Many expected the Colorado native to turn pro last year, but he went undrafted in the five-round draft and returned to Arkansas for an extra year. Opitz technically has another year of eligibility remaining because of the NCAA’s pandemic relief, but he is not expected to be back again.

With the Cubs selecting him, he could be reunited with Christian Franklin in Chicago’s system.

Patrick Wicklander - LHP - Arkansas

Team: Tampa Bay Rays

Pick: 8th round, 251st overall

Slot value: $163,400

After working his way into the starting rotation and earning SEC All-Freshman Team honors in 2019, Wicklander struggled during the pandemic-shortened season and didn’t get off to a great start this year.

However, as the 2021 season progressed, the California native got things figured out and evolved into a bonafide Friday night ace for the Razorbacks.

In 18 appearances, including 13 starts, Wicklander went 7-1 with a 2.09 ERA and 85 strikeouts in 77 2/3 innings as a junior this season. He issued 24 walks and opponents hit just .226 against him. That earned him second-team All-SEC honors.

Lael Lockhart - LHP - Arkansas

Team: Los Angeles Dodgers

Pick: 9th round, 282nd overall

Slot value: $149,800

A graduate transfer from Houston who took advantage of his extra year of eligibility at Arkansas, Lockhart was a weekend starter for the Razorbacks in 2021.

The left-hander went 3-3 with a 4.47 ERA, 68 strikeouts and only 17 walks in 58 1/3 innings this season. Opponents hit just .233 against him. His season was highlighted by a near seven-inning perfect game at the SEC Tournament.

Although the slot value for the No. 282 overall pick is just under $150,000, Lockhart will likely sign for much less than that because he doesn't have any remaining eligibility and therefore no leverage for negotiations. It's not uncommon to see teams draft players like that in the ninth and 10th rounds in order to save money for earlier, more expensive picks.

Second Round

~Tigers, 39th pick: Izaac Pacheco - SS (Texas A&M signee)

~Red Sox, 40th pick: Jud Fabian - OF (Florida)

~Diamondbacks, 42nd pick: Ryan Bliss - SS (Auburn)

~Royals, 43rd pick: Ben Kudrna - RHP (LSU signee)

~Rockies, 44th pick: Jaden Hill - RHP (LSU - Ashdown native)

~Mets, 46th pick: Calvin Ziegler - RHP (Auburn signee)

~Cardinals, 54th pick: Joshua Baez - OF (Vanderbilt signee)

~Indians, 58th pick: Doug Nikhazy - LHP (Ole Miss)

Competitive Balance Round B

~Royals, 66th pick: Peyton Wilson - 2B (Alabama)

~Indians, 69th pick: Tommy Mace - RHP (Florida)

Third Round

~Tigers, 74th pick: Dylan Smith - RHP (Alabama)

~Orioles, 76th pick: John Rhodes - OF (Kentucky)

~Royals, 78th pick: Carter Jensen - C (LSU signee)

~Angels, 80th pick: Landon Marceaux - RHP (LSU)

~Mariners, 83rd pick: Michael Morales - RHP (Vanderbilt signee)

~Marlins, 88th pick: Jordan McCants - SS (Mississippi State signee)

~Yankees, 92nd pick: Brock Selvidge - LHP (LSU signee)

~Indians, 95th pick: Jake Fox - SS (Florida signee)

~Rays, 100th pick: Ryan Spikes - SS (Tennessee signee)

Fourth Round

~Rangers, 102nd pick: Ian Moller - C (LSU signee)

~Angels, 110th pick: Luke Murphy - RHP (Vanderbilt)

~Nationals, 112th pick: Dustin Saenz - LHP (Texas A&M)

~Mariners, 113th pick: Bryce Miller - RHP (Texas A&M)

~Brewers, 116th pick: Logan Henderson - RHP (Texas A&M signee)

~Marlins, 118th pick: Tanner Allen - 1B (Mississippi State)

~Blue Jays, 121st pick: Chad Dallas - RHP (Tennessee)

~Indians, 125th pick: Ryan Webb - LHP (Georgia)

Fifth Round

~Red Sox, 136th pick: Nathan Hickey - C (Florida)

~Royals, 139th pick: Eric Cerantola - RHP (Mississippi State)

~Angels, 141st pick: Brett Kerry - RHP (South Carolina)

~Mets, 142nd pick: Christian Scott - RHP (Florida)

~Marlins, 149th pick: Brady Allen - OF (South Carolina)

~Reds, 150th pick: Thomas Farr - RHP (South Carolina)

~Cubs, 154th pick: Liam Spence - SS (Tennessee)

~Athletics, 158th pick: CJ Rodriguez - C (Vanderbilt)

~Twins, 159th pick: Christian MacLeod - LHP (Mississippi State)

~Padres, 160th pick: Max Ferguson - 2B (Tennessee)

Sixth Round

~Rangers, 164th pick: Chase Lee - RHP (Alabama)

~Royals, 169th pick: Dayton Dooney - 2B (Tennessee signee)

~Marlins, 179th pick: Sam Praytor - C (Alabama)

~Yankees, 183rd pick: Richard Fitts - RHP (Auburn)

~White Sox, 185th pick: Taylor Broadway - RHP (Ole Miss)

Seventh Round

~Orioles, 197th pick: Connor Pavolony - C (Tennessee)

~Nationals, 203rd pick: Jacob Young - OF (Florida)

~Indians, 216th pick: Jack Leftwich - RHP (Florida)

~Twins, 219th pick: Jake Rucker - 3B (Tennessee)

Eighth Round

~Nationals, 233rd pick: Will Frizzell - 1B (Texas A&M)

~Reds, 240th pick: Hunter Parks - RHP (South Carolina signee)

~Dodgers, 252nd pick: Ben Harris - LHP (Georgia)

Ninth Round

~Red Sox, 256th pick: Tyler Miller - 1B (Auburn)

~Brewers, 267th pick: Brannon Jordan - RHP (South Carolina)

10th Round

~Tigers, 285th pick: Austin Schultz - SS (Kentucky)

~Diamondbacks, 288th pick: Hugh Fisher - LHP (Vanderbilt)

~Angels, 291st pick: Andrew Peters - RHP (South Carolina)

~Brewers, 297th pick: Wes Clarke - 1B (South Carolina)

~Indians, 306th pick: Franco Aleman - RHP (Florida)