by Matt McHugh
June 13, 2017
Former Kettleer Jeren Kendall selected in 1st Round
Jeren Kendall
Even before opening day, the Cotuit Kettleers have a big accomplishment under their belt. Jeren Kendall, a member of the 2016 and 2015 Kettleers and star outfielder at Vanderbilt University, was selected 23 rd overall by the Los Angeles Dodgers in the first round of the 2017 MLB Amateur draft.
“[Being drafted] was first of all a big relief,” Kendall said. “From the first pick, watching that thing tick every second was a lot. But now I’m excited for this new opportunity.”
Kendall played in just six games with the Kettleers last summer, but played in 20 games the year before, hitting .253 with two home runs. At Vanderbilt, he was a standout outfielder for all three years, and he finished with a .307 batting average, 15 home runs, and 20 stolen bases in the 2017 season. He also had experience in the spotlight, hitting a walk-off home run in the College World Series during his freshman season.
With parts of two different seasons in the Cape Cod Baseball League, Kendall is well aware of the talent he’s seen around the League. He was one of 10 Cape League alumni selected in the first 36 picks on Monday.
“Just being around guys at that level, and playing with them every day was awesome,” he said. “And it’s great to see now that a lot of those guys I was playing against are getting drafted now too.”
Kendall joins a strong organization in the Los Angeles Dodgers, who have turned recent high draft picks Corey Seager and Cody Bellinger into high-performing players at the major-league level.
Photo by Brigitte Rec
“It’s great to be out in California,” he said. “I love the weather, and I’ve had some great ABs out here, so I’m definitely looking forward to it.”
Kendall was one of several 2016 Kettleers to be selected so far, and more are eligible to be selected through the remainder of the draft, which concludes on Wednesday. Additionally,
Kendall has a message for the current Kettleers: “I’d say to enjoy the process. You have to go through it with a positive attitude and you really have to believe in it.”