Caleb Ferguson was selected by the Dodgers in the 38th round of the 2014 MLB First Year Player Draft. He was the 1,149th overall pick meaning that only 66 players were selected after him in the 40-round draft. Right-handers Jeff Bain and Sam Moore were selected by the Dodgers in the final two rounds of the draft marathon but chose not to sign, no doubt hoping to improve their draft lot in 2015 or later.

Ferguson – a 6′-3″ / 215-pound left-hander – attended West Jefferson High School in West Jefferson, Ohio – a community with a population of less than 5,000. He initially committed to attend West Virginia University following his high school graduation. West Virginia is in the early stages of building a new stadium and he was excited to be one of the first recruiting classes to play on the new field.

Ferguson had been approached by other universities who were attempting to recruit him to their baseball programs. In an interview with Prep Baseball Report he explained the thinking behind his decision to attend West Virginia University: “I chose WVU because I feel like the coaching staff has a lot to offer and I like their philosophy. Being their first year, they had a great first season and I think they are going to build on that. WVU also has great facilities and solid academics and lots of majors to choose from. I have to say the scholarship also helped me choose them of course!”

Upon learning he had been drafted by the Dodgers, Caleb Ferguson had another decision to make. In his senior year with the West Jefferson Roughriders his baseball statistics were impressive. As a hitter he had 28 hits in 67 at bats with eight doubles, two triples and one home run along with 26 RBI, a .418 batting average and a .462 OBP. As a pitcher he gave up nine hits in 23 innings while striking out 37 and walking 11. He was leading his team easily with an ERA of 1.22 and a WHIP of 0.87. Then his season and career hit a definite speed bump on his baseball path. In late May, after experiencing arm pain, he had Tommy John surgery and a very promising senior year was cut short by the surgeon’s knife.

Ferguson’s decision was whether he should accept the college scholarship offer from West Virginia University or sign a professional contract with the Dodgers. That was no doubt a difficult decision complicated by his surgery. After discussing it with his family he decided to follow his life-long dream of playing professional baseball and on July 3rd, one day after his 18th birthday, he signed a professional contract with the Dodgers. He announced his decision on Twitter sending the following message to his friends and followers: “Blessed beyond belief!! Proud to say I have signed a professional contract to play with the LA Dodgers.”

Ferguson signs his Dodgers contract at, of all places, Beacon Orthopaedics and Sports Medicine – where he underwent his Tommy John surgery.
(Image courtesy of Beacon Orthopaedics and Sports Medicine)

It seems that the Dodgers were the only team willing to take a chance on Caleb Ferguson following his TJ surgery. It was a selection made with no risk to the Dodgers and a decision that a could reap significant rewards. Logan White, the Dodgers former Vice President of Amateur Scouting, said there is no longer a worry about athletes who have had the surgery. “It’s definitely more of a trend with the travel ball and the way these kids are playing all year round. I think it’s going to continue to be more common,”

Caleb Ferguson reported to the Dodgers facilities in Camelback Ranch following the draft to continue the rehabilitation of his surgically-repaired elbow. He is one of four Dodger draft selections in 2014 that have had the now famous and relatively common Tommy John surgery. The others – right-handed pitchers Jeff Brigham, Trevor Oakes and Joe Broussard – all pitched with the Rookie League Ogden Raptors in 2014.

Ferguson will turn 19 in July so he hopefully will have returned to action with the Arizona League Dodgers by then – if not before. The hard-throwing left-hander certainly will be monitored carefully with pitch count but should be ready for full fledged action in 2016. His family and friends, along with Dodgers minor league enthusiasts, will be following his progress with more than a little interest.