
Chase Silseth’s Arizona career only lasted one season, but it was a memorable one in which he helped the Wildcats reach the College World Series.
Silseth, a right-handed pitcher, was picked by the Los Angeles Angels in the 11th round (321st overall) of the 2021 MLB Draft on Tuesday.
With their 11th-round pick, the @Angels select @ArizonaBaseball right-hander Chase Silseth, No. 157 on the Top 250 Draft Prospects list.
Watch live: https://t.co/oDjcuCzH7G pic.twitter.com/s9zMk97EnK
— MLB Draft (@MLBDraft) July 13, 2021
The third-year sophomore went 8-1 in 18 starts for the UA, serving as its Friday night starter all season long, striking out a team-best 105 batters in 97.1 IP. The Wildcats went 13-5 in his starts, their potent offense helping to make up for Silseth’s 5.55 ERA.
Silseth’s final start saw him outduel Vanderbilt righty (and MLB first-round pick) Kumar Rocker in the College World Series opener, going 6.1 innings and leaving with a 5-3 lead.
Silseth will have to think long and hard about whether to sign with the Angels or return to the Wildcats for another season. Baseball America ranked him as its No. 144 draft-eligible prospect, so he was drafted later than expected, which means a return could be more likely than not.
In the meantime, here’s what BA says about him as a prospect:
“Hailing from Farmington, N.M., Silseth first headed to Tennessee for his freshman season before transferring to the College of Southern Nevada in 2020, where he drew attention for six very good starts before the season was shut down. Arizona’s Friday night starter in his first year as a Wildcat, Silseth was somewhat inconsistent with a few bad outings —Oklahoma tagged him for 10 runs, Washington State for 12—this spring, but scouts like his stuff. He finished Arizona’s regular season with an 8-1 record but with a 5.29 ERA. Silseth stands out for his outstanding poise and mound presence, traits that will elevate his draft stock and likely get him selected in the first five rounds. His lively fastball has been up to the 96-98 mph range this spring, delivered from a power arm with effort. He also throws a slurvy breaking ball in the 78-82 mph range that at times looks like a 12-to-6 curveball, and a changeup around 80 mph with slight tumbling action that flashes plus and is used to keep hitters off-balance. He gets swings and misses from the breaking ball that also has plus potential. The command suffers when he gets tired, an indicator that he might have more success as a power arm out of the bullpen.”