Diamondbacks first round pick Jordan Lawlar begins his journey through professional baseball

The Diamondbacks had the fortune for Jordan Lawlar, a high school shortstop from the Dallas area who had the talent to be a potential No. 1 overall pick, fall right to them with the 6th overall pick. What appeared to be a very tough negotiation for the Vanderbilt commit ended up resolving itself this week as the team was able to sign him without having to spend a penny over their total bonus pool. Instead of going to Vanderbilt, Lawlar will instead begin his journey through professional baseball after securing a $6.713M bonus. That bonus is the 3rd highest in the draft and the highest among all the position players selected.

Yesterday, Lawlar had a chance to speak to the media.

Thought process of signing vs. honoring Vanderbilt commitment

He had been thinking about Vanderbilt the entire time and chose to sign because the Diamondbacks made a great offer and showed how much they really wanted him in their organization.

When asked about if in January if he thought he’d go pro vs. going to Vanderbilt, Lawlar admitted he didn’t expect it at the time. During the negotiations, any questions or concerns with the organization were assuaged. Among the people that talked with Lawlar during the signing process was manager Torey Lovullo.

In the three-week time period between the draft and signing Lawlar admits to being a bit nervous with uncertainty, but felt he had two really good options for his future. During this waiting period, he opted to focus on spending time with the family and let the process play out.

Draft night experience

He tried to hide most of his emotion, although he admits there were some nerves there. When he heard his name and got the call from the Diamondbacks, it was a special moment for him that he’ll never forget.

He felt pretty uncertain up until about 30 minutes before his selection at 6. He knew pretty quickly he wasn’t going to go in the Top 4 picks. Right around the 4th pick was announced was when the Diamondbacks called his agent, Greg Genske, to inform them that Lawlar was their intended pick at 6.

Heading to Chase Field for the first time

It sounds like Lawlar had the chance to take his own round of BP as part of the signing process. He also met with some of the team’s veterans, David Peralta, Asdrubel Cabrera, and Kole Calhoun, and learned a bit from them.

Big League Aspirations and Comps

Lawlar sees himself as an impact, 5-tool player that can play a good shortstop in the majors. He looks forward to being around when the team is back to winning.

When asked about Derek Jeter and Carlos Correa comps, he calls both players special. He modeled his game after the Houston Astros shortstop, both offensively and defensively.

Big league players he watched to model his game after include perhaps the greatest defensive SS in MLB history in Andrelton Simmons, Correa, and also mentioned he’s a Yankees fan so he included Aaron Judge. He also said also watches Fernando Tatis Jr. and some of the big name players that make the game fun.

When asked about when he thought he had a chance to go pro, Lawlar said he didn’t have that one moment to look back to but felt he was always a step ahead of the competition or had slightly better tools than other draft prospects.

Audio [LINK]