OAKLAND, Calif. – The Oakland A’s agreed to terms with three selections from the 2021 First-Year Player Draft, including second round pick Zack Gelof (3B, Virginia), fourth round choice Denzel Clarke (OF, Cal. State Northridge) and fifth round selection CJ Rodriguez (C, Vanderbilt). The A’s have now signed or agreed to terms with all 20 of their draft picks.
Gelof batted .312 with nine home runs and 41 RBI in 63 games with Virginia. He added 32 walks for a .393 on-base percentage and was successful in 12-of-13 stolen base attempts. The 21-year-old right-handed hitter finished with a .316 career average in 137 games in three seasons at Virginia. Gelof was teammates with his brother Jake this year, who hit .252 in 38 games as a freshman.
Clarke was named Big West Tri-Defensive Player of the Year and All-Big West Second Team after batting .324 with eight home runs and 25 RBI in 38 games. His 26 walks fueled a .445 on-base percentage and he slugged .570. The 21-year-old right-handed hitter did not commit an error in the outfield and was successful in 15-of-17 stolen base attempts. Clarke hit .400 in the shortened 2020 season and had a .298 average in 108 games in three seasons with Northridge.
Rodriguez batted .249 with five home runs and 36 RBI in 58 games with Vanderbilt. He also walked 36 times and was hit by a pitch eight times for a .393 on-base percentage. The 21-year-old right-handed hitting catcher was battery mates with two first round draft picks: Jack Leiter (2nd pick, Rangers) and Kumar Rocker (10th pick, Mets). Rodriguez struck out just 19 times in 229 plate appearances.
