Bulldogs Alum Jacob Steels Chosen by Atlanta Braves in 18th Round of MLB Draft

FORT WORTH, Texas - Former Allan Hancock College outfielder, Jacob Steels, was selected on day three of the 2024 Major League Draft by the Atlanta Braves as the 551st pick in the 18th round. 

"I was honestly pretty nervous leading up to the draft, especially after day two. I had been told a few different things but I didn't really know what round I was supposed to go in. At first, I thought I was going to get picked up on day two and I didn't get much sleep during those waiting days," Steels shared. "Everyone at home was super happy for me when my name was finally announced. I gave my parents a big hug and have been hearing from a lot of former teammates and coaches over the past few days." 

Steels spent two seasons with the Bulldogs while serving as the team's centerfielder in 2021 and 2022. His highly decorated junior college career included First Team All-Conference, WSC Gold Glove, Pacific Association Division All-Region, and ABCA/Rawlings Gold Glove honors. The Ernest Righetti High School alum broke the school records for single-season doubles (9) and career doubles (10) while leading the way for the team with a stellar .416 batting average and a .505 on-base percentage during his sophomore campaign. Steels also tallied 33 RBIs and 27 stolen bases, while notching a spotless record in the outfield after 90 chances, during his final season at AHC.

"My time at Hancock definitely helped me prepare for Cal Poly and the NCAA competition. In the beginning, I didn't really expect to go the junior college route. I wanted to go straight to the four-year level coming out of high school but it didn't really work out that way, and the success that I had at Cal Poly can definitely be attributed to my time at AHC," Steels added. "I made a lot of lifelong friends here and the coaches were great. They taught me a lot and they gave me room to both fail and succeed before entering the Division I level. Getting a chance to see some good arms and some good competition before getting to the higher level was very beneficial." 

The Santa Maria native finished his collegiate career down the road at Cal Poly (SLO), where he was tops for the program as a senior with a .381 batting average this spring. His 2024 season stats included 12 doubles, one triple, and a team-high mark of eight homers on 82 hits. Steels remained perfect in the outfield with zero errors on 124 fielding chances while earning a First Team All-Big West nod. As a junior, Steels boasted a .318 average with five doubles, a triple, two home runs and 27 RBIs in 49 games, all but two as a starter. He stole 13 of 20 bases.

"I'd like to thank all my coaches at Hancock, especially Coach Stevens, for giving me the chance to play at the college level. He was the first one to really approach me about coming over to AHC and I can't thank him enough for that. Coach Nickason helped me a lot with my work in the outfield, Coach Frapart did a great job with the recruiting and being there for us, and Coach Eddie was also a really big influence to me during my time at Hancock. I'd also like to thank my teammates from my two years at Hancock. They really made my time special here and I made a lot of lifelong friends during that time," Steels stated. "I also have to obviously give a shoutout to my parents. They have always been in my corner and I wouldn't be where I am today without their help."

Steels closed with, "The JUCO grind is really something else and I think it helped to make me pretty tough, which is a trait that will definitely carry over into my professional career."

He is the first Bulldog to be drafted since River Stevens in 2012, who was picked up by the San Diego Padres in the 9th round of the MLB First-Year Player Draft with 285th overall pick. Steels' father (James Steels) also spent time in the majors from 1980-1992 with the San Diego Padres, Texas Rangers, and San Francisco Giants.