HOUSTON -- The Astros nabbed a left-handed bat with power with their final pick of Monday's MLB Draft by taking University of Arizona's J.J. Matijevic with the 75th overall pick in the competitive balance round B.
Matijevic led the Arizona offense in his junior season by batting .383 (92-for-250) with 30 doubles, 10 homers, 65 RBIs and a 1.069 OPS in 59 games. He led the Pac-12 this season in batting average, doubles, slugging, hits, RBIs and total bases.
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"We like his bat, we like his power, he can steal some bases here and there, and we just like what he's done with the stick," said Mike Elias, Astros director of scouting and player development. "He's played some second base at Arizona, he's played some first, he's played some left field. I don't know what the defensive plan will be for him going forward. That's something that we'll evaluate once we get him in the field, but he's a bat first."
The Draft continues on Tuesday with Rounds 3-10. The MLB.com preview show begins at 11:30 a.m. CT, with exclusive coverage beginning at noon CT.
Matijevic played mostly first base for the Wildcats but could play second base or a corner outfield spot once he begins his pro career.
Matijevic was the final of Houston's four picks Monday. The others:
• Astros' 15th overall pick: J.B. Bukauskas
• Astros' 53rd overall: Joe Perez
• Astros' 56th overall: Corbin Martin
Martin and Matijevic are picks the Astros received from the Cardinals in the wake of the hacking scandal.