Dodgers call familiar names -- Nevin and Karros -- in Draft
Joe Trezza
Like father, like son. That was the theme on Day 3 of the 2022 MLB Draft for the Dodgers, whose final 10 picks were highlighted by two legacies who each has a chance to follow in his baseball dad's footsteps.
Los Angeles selected Baylor outfielder Kyle Nevin in the 11th round and UCLA right-hander Jared Karros in the 16th round, standouts in a Day 3 haul that also included interesting college bats Chris Newell (13th round) and Jose Izarra (14th round). Nevin is the younger brother of Orioles third baseman Tyler Nevin and the youngest son of Angels interim manager Phil Nevin, who hit 208 home runs across his own 12-year playing career. Karros is the son of Dodgers great and current broadcaster Eric Karros, who starred for the team from 1991-2002.
“I couldn’t be happier,” Kyle Nevin told MLB.com in a phone interview. "Having it fall during the All-Star break, where my dad and my brother were able to be here and enjoy this moment, that’s something really special.”
A right-handed-hitting outfielder, Nevin batted .304 with eight homers and 49 RBIs as a redshirt sophomore this spring for Baylor, leading the Bears in hitting and RBIs. In addition to his regular position of left field, he’s demonstrated an ability to play first base. That versatility recalls his brother Tyler, who has appeared at both corner infield and corner outfield spots since debuting with Baltimore down the stretch last year.
Karros followed in his father’s footsteps by suiting up for the Bruins, and he was their Opening Day starter in 2021. But the 6-foot-7 righty suffered a season-ending back injury that kept him out of action in ’22. His selection Tuesday came 34 years after the Dodgers made the elder Karros a sixth-round pick in 1988.
Together, they bolstered an already banner year for legacy selections, especially at the top of the Draft. The Orioles took Jackson Holliday (son of Matt Holliday) first overall, Arizona picked Druw Jones (son of Andruw Jones) second overall and Justin Crawford (son of Carl Crawford) went 17th overall to Philadelphia, while Marquis Grissom Jr. went to Washington in the 13th round, among other examples.
With a father managing in the big leagues and now two drafted sons, the Nevins take it a step even further. Phil was drafted twice, in the third round by the Dodgers in 1989 and first overall by the Astros in '92. Tyler was a supplemental first-round pick (38th overall) by the Rockies in 2015.
“I was too young to watch my dad play very much, but I watched him manage in the Minor Leagues and we had conversations after every game,” Kyle Nevin said. “Then, watching my brother go through the Minors these past few years has been really influential on me, and it showed me exactly what I want to do and who I want to follow.”
Kyle Nevin announced in June he planned to transfer for Oklahoma, shortly after Baylor head coach Steve Rodriguez stepped down after seven seasons. But now, he will instead go pro.
“We sat here yesterday and were expecting some things, but the way this works, it really doesn’t matter the round,” Phil Nevin told MLB.com. “The dollar figures got to where he was happy, and I couldn’t be prouder. Three years ago, coming out of high school, he didn’t even have a Draft number. … To get to this point, I’m just so proud of him for his work and how he went about it. It’s just really cool.”
Phil and Tyler finally met on a big league field for the first time July 7, when the Angels visited Baltimore. Kyle was on hand, as well. It marked the first time a position player played against a team managed by his father since 2004, when Felipe Alou managed the Giants against his son Moises and the Cubs.
There have only been three sets of a manager and multiple sons simultaneously active in MLB history, the last being Bob Boone and his sons, Aaron and Bret, from 2001-03 (per the Elias Sports Bureau). Perhaps in time, the Nevins can be the next family to join that exclusive list.
“It’s crazy to think about it,” Phil Nevin said. "As hard as it was the other day with Ty, you always look at your youngest child as the baby of the family. Today was just as emotional as when Tyler was picked. I imagine it would be the same if I were ever on the field with Kyle, maybe even more so.”