Medford’s Thompson grabbed by Guardians in MLB draft

Published 1:27 pm Wednesday, July 17, 2024

South Medford High graduate Bennett Thompson had two home runs and four RBIs in Friday's historic 9-8 comeback win over Oral Roberts in the NCAA Super Regional.

Flanked by family here in Medford, Bennett Thompson experienced a moment he had been waiting his whole life for Tuesday when the Cleveland Guardians selected the Oregon catcher in the 13th round of the MLB draft.

Thompson, who graduated from South Medford High in 2021, was chosen with the 385th pick overall by the Guardians to become the second-highest catcher drafted in the modern era of Ducks baseball.

“It’s been a really exciting day,” Thompson said Tuesday evening.

“It’s obviously a day that everyone dreams of, having their name called,” he added. “It’s something that I’ve thought of for some time but, at the end of the day, it’s really just another step in the journey and just the start of a pro career. The real work starts now going forward and I’m looking forward to the grind of just trying to get better every single day.”

Thompson, 21, said he had some idea of where he might slot in during the draft, which began Sunday, but that was about it.

“I kind of figured the middle rounds going in, so the timing of it made sense,” he said of draft expectations. “The team, though, I really had no idea. I kind of had some other teams throughout the whole draft process of the spring and leading into the summer that I thought had some interest. Even leading into today, Cleveland wasn’t a team that was really on my radar until the pick happened. It was pretty exciting to hear my name get called and it was just awesome.”

Thompson was tipped off by his adviser a few picks prior that the Guardians would not let him pass by again should no team select him prior to their No. 385 pick, but hearing his name actually called and seeing it on the TV screen provided a surreal moment.

“It’s a dream, for sure,” he said. “I think that every little kid when they’re young dreams of playing professional baseball and making it to the major leagues. This is another step in that journey for me and I’m really excited for this opportunity. I’ve enjoyed every level of baseball that I’ve played to this point and this is just going to be another opportunity to keep playing the game that I love. That’s pretty awesome.”

Since joining the Ducks, Thompson has posted a career .314 batting average with 64 runs and 52 RBIs. This past season admittedly carried some ups and downs for Thompson, when he hit .286 with 35 runs and 24 RBIs. He hit three of his eight career home runs in 2024 and three of his four triples, along with swiping eight of his 11 career stolen bases.

Oregon (40-20) ultimately bowed out of the NCAA Tournament in the College Station Super Regional to Texas A&M, which went on to finish runner-up at the College World Series.

“As a team, it was awesome to see the guys come together and us go on the run that we did back to the super regionals again as one of a handful of teams to go to the super regionals in back-to-back years,” said the 5-foot-10, 195-pound catcher, who holds a .987 career fielding percentage and has thrown out 48% of potential base-stealers.

“It really is a testament to the program that the staff has put together over the past five years,” he added, “and the work that all my teammates and I put in over the course of the season, starting in September and going all the way through the supers. It was another special group that I’m fortunate to be a part of and in continuing to build the culture of Oregon baseball.”

As a junior, Thompson technically still has one year of eligibility remaining so that may play a factor in negotiations in terms of signing bonus for someone in his draft slot.

“It gives me a little bit of leverage when it comes to signing bonuses and stuff like that,” he said, “but, obviously, for me the money’s not the biggest thing. The opportunity to get to play baseball at the next level is the biggest part of it for me, but it never hurts to be in a position where you have some advantages financially as well.”

“Whatever ends up happening with that I’m sure will be awesome,” added Thompson. “I’m getting paid to play a kid’s game, so that’s going to be pretty sweet.”

If Thompson had a lean, however, it would be toward advancing his baseball career at the professional level.

“From the conversations I’ve had with the coaching staff at Oregon and with my family, I think that it’s the right time for me personally,” he said. “I’ve enjoyed my three years at Oregon and accomplished a lot and been a part of some really great teams. I’ve felt like I’ve developed a lot as a player and I think that now is kind of that sweet spot time of feeling like I accomplished what I wanted to accomplish at school — probably even more than I ever could’ve dreamed of accomplishing with those guys — but then also getting ready to start my professional career as well.”

“Obviously, I think they would like to have me back for another year,” he added, “and if that’s what ended up happening I would love to go back for another year, but I think at this particular time me going and playing professional baseball is the right move for my career.”

After all, the goal is to become a professional player and, in Cleveland, Thompson said he has a tremendous opportunity to further that dream.

“It’s definitely one of those opportunities that’s really hard to say no to,” he said. “The fact that I was lucky enough and blessed enough to get this opportunity, I’m going to take it and put in the work I can to take advantage of it.”

Thompson would also be part of a recent organizational trend of adding players from the Pacific Northwest, with Cleveland opening this year’s draft by selecting Oregon State second baseman Travis Bazzana with the first overall selection. Fellow Beaver Steven Kwan is currently shining as a left fielder with the Guardians, who also traded for former Oregon State outfielder Justin Boyd last year.

“The northwest is definitely an area that it seems like they’ve targeted a little bit in the past few years,” said Thompson, “so it’s just awesome to go to that organization. I’m looking forward to learning more about their organization and getting started with all of that.”

Cleveland has won two World Series (1920 and 1948) and has played in four World Series since then — 1954, 1995, 1997 and 2016 — but fell short in those later championship bids. The Guardians, who changed their name from the Indians in 2022, entered the All-Star break with the best record in the American League (58-37).

“They’re a historic organization that’s looking to win again,” he added. “Having the best record in baseball this year on one of the lower payrolls is pretty impressive and speaks bounds toward their development. I’m looking forward to getting to be a part of that organization and working my tail off to hopefully contribute to that success that they’ve started to have there again in Cleveland.”

In the next week or so, Thompson said he expects to travel to Goodyear, Arizona, to Cleveland’s spring training complex and go through an introductory process that includes medical evaluations and contract negotiations.

After that, it could potentially all be up to the Guardians on his next steps.

“For this next week, I’m going to enjoy time with my family and enjoy time with loved ones and continue to workout and just be prepared for anything,” he said. “I’m just enjoying the ride. It’s a pretty surreal thing that I’ve been blessed with to have this opportunity.”

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