Ryan Dunn: Rays Draft Slugging Senior 2B in Round 17

In Round 17, the Rays drafted their second consecutive middle infielder under 5’10” in Oregon State senior Ryan Dunn. But he is quite a different player than the Rays’ 16th round pick, Tommy Coyle.

Dunn is just 5’10”, 180. But Dunn’s game is not speed like you would expect. It’s power. In 2012 for Oregon State, Dunn posted a .286/.374/.464 line with 19 doubles, 7 homers, and 36 RBI. The little 5’10” guy led the 40-20 Beavers in doubles by a margin of 5 and ranked second in homers. Wow. He still managed some great plate discipline, walking 31 times to 28 K’s, but ironically he went just 1 for 4 in stolen base attempts. That’s pretty crazy.

Dunn is more of a quick-twitch athlete than a speedster and he has shown the ability to be a decent shortstop with a solid arm. If he can stay there, his offensive ability will make him stand out even as a senior sign. The Rays usually draft for speed at this point in the draft, but this is a nice changeup as a “power play.” If Dunn can keep hitting for power and getting on base, he could be a sleeper a la Tyler Bortnick. He should be an easy sign, and if he continues hitting for power he’s an interesting player.