As so often happens these days, relatives of former players tend to make their way into professional baseball. Such was the case on Thursday evening when Gavin Lux, the nephew of former Toronto Blue Jays 1982 first-round draft pick Augie Schmidt, was selected by the Dodgers in the first round of the 2016 MLB First-Year Player Draft.

Lux, an 18-year-old shortstop out of Indian Trail High School in Kenosha, Wisconsin, was the 20th overall pick and is clearly excited to be drafted by the Dodgers.

But Lux isn’t the only one excited about his selection.

“We’re really excited that we were able to select Gavin,” said Dodger Director of Amateur Scouting Billy Gasparino. “We think he’s a bright young man with a lot of ability and comes from a baseball family. He is a pure shortstop that can run, hit, and hit with power from the left side.”

During his senior year with the Indian Trail Hawks, the 6′-2″ / 175-pound left-handed hitting – right-handed throwing shortstop hit .531 (43 for 81) with six home runs, 10 doubles, four triples and 31 RBIs. He also stole 23 bases and drew 29 walks while striking out only twice in the 26 games in which he appeared.

Gavin Lux
(Photo courtesy of the3rdmanin.com)

Prior to Thursday’s draft, Lux was ranked by Baseball America as the fourth-best shortstop in the draft class of 2016 and the 36th overall prospect. He was also named Wisconsin’s Gatorade State Player of the Year.

Shortly after his selection, yet another connection was revealed about Gavin Lux – this one directly to the Dodgers.

Although Augie Schmidt never made it to the big leagues, he is currently the head baseball coach at Carthage College – a Division III school in Kenosha, Wisconsin. He also played a huge role in Gavin’s development.

Lux becomes the first position player to be drafted by the Dodgers in the first round since rookie sensation Corey Seager was selected as the 12th overall pick in 2012. The Dodgers have selected a pitcher with their first pick of the draft in 10 of the last 12 years.