‘No better organization in baseball,’ Sean McLain says after signing with Dodgers

Sean McLain signed this week with the Los Angeles Dodgers organization. (Photo courtesy McLain family).

Sean McLain hopes to be playing Major League Baseball one day for the Los Angeles Dodgers in front of family and friends at Dodger Stadium.

That became a possibility when the former Beckman High School and Arizona State standout agreed to terms this week with the Dodgers, who a week earlier drafted him in the fifth round of the MLB Draft.

“I didn’t go day one, I ended up going day two,” McLain said Thursday. “The Dodgers gave me a call in the fifth and asked me if I wanted to sign with them in the fifth and I thought there is no better organization in baseball to sign with so I accepted the offer in the fifth round. First I hugged my dad, and then I went over to my mom and hugged my mom and gave her a big kiss and everyone who was there was fired up.

“It was on the TV so I thought that was pretty cool seeing my name up on the TV for the first time.”

McLain, an infielder, officially signed his contract on Wednesday, said his father Michael McLain.

“He is pumped to be a part of the Dodgers organization,” Michael McLain said.

Although terms were not disclosed, Sean McLain said he was pleased with the signing package.

“I’m stoked, they gave me a good amount of money,” he said.

Sean McLain said he’s thrilled to be part of the Dodgers organization and is waiting to hear what minor league assignment he gets.

“I think they’re top two in player development and their Major League baseball team is pretty good too,” McLain said. “And they’re local, but I’ll be in the minor leagues sometime soon.”

McLain is a versatile player who switched from second base to shortstop this past season at Arizona State.

“I think I see myself as a shortstop in the organization but as everybody kind of knows as well as my coach at Arizona State and my coach in high school (Kevin Lavalle) knows I can play second base, I can play third and I can also play outfield too,” he said.

“I’m a utility player but whatever is going to get me to the big leagues fastest, that’s the goal. If it’s at second, if it’s at shortstop or third or center, I hope to play where I can get to the big leagues the fastest. Wherever they want me, I’ll put the work in and do that.

“I’m just excited to be out here and be blessed with this great opportunity.”

The 5-11, 170-pound McLain had the option of returning to Arizona State, where as a redshirt sophomore last season, he batted .333 with 34 RBI.

“I would not mind going back and playing for (Coach) Willy Bloomquist,” he said. “I think they have the program in the right position and ….. I think they’re the right coaches for the program. I definitely thought about going back and playing one year with Nick (his brother) as he transferred from UCLA to Arizona State.”

But he said the opportunity to play for the Dodgers was one he couldn’t pass up.

“I had to make that decision and go with the Dodgers,” he said. “Arizona State is kind of my second home and I enjoyed the time I spent there and I honestly wouldn’t trade it in for anything else. I’m glad I went to college and had that experience. It was a journey and I loved every part of it and I got to know a lot of people along the way.”

McLain is now in Glendale, Ariz. at the Dodgers Spring Training Complex training daily from 8 a.m. to 4 p.m.

“We’re doing like a mini-camp for all the guys who just got drafted so we will be playing in this league out here playing some of the complexes around us to start,” he said. “Then they will send some of us out to Rancho Cucamonga or maybe send one or two us to high A. But we will have to wait and see.”

McLain said he’s enjoying the experience so far.

“It’s my first job and I wouldn’t want to do anything else for my first job so I’m very excited,” he said.

A benefit of being drafted by the Dodgers is the possibility of playing Major League baseball near his hometown of Tustin.

“That will be fun and that will be local if that ever happens and the Reds (his older brother Matt was a first round selection by Cincinnati) come and play us, we will have the full family there,” he said.

Matt McLain, who is with the Chattanooga Lookouts in Tennessee, was on FaceTime when Sean McLain was drafted.

“I saw a big smile on his face which made me smile even more,” Sean McLain said. “Seeing my older brother happy for me, that was really cool because I remember watching him last year when I was out with Team USA, I was doing FaceTime as well.

“Nick was really pumped up for me. I don’t know if he shed a tear or not but he was super pumped up for me and gave me a big hug. I told him, ‘you’re next,’ he’s got to get it done and hopefully we will have three McLain brothers in pro ball. With Nick’s track record I think he will do it, I think he’s the most talented out of all three of us. He’s at a good place at Arizona State.”

Sean McLain’s coach at Beckman, Kevin Lavalle, was also excited, indicating how proud he was of McLain after he was drafted.

“I saw Coach Lavalle a few days before the draft and I was hitting in the cage and I was talking to him,” he said. “He was just really excited for me and he sent me a really heart-warming text that I really liked and I responded to him. He’s been a big part of everything too in my development as a baseball player. I give him a lot of credit as well.”

Many of his fondest baseball memories were at Beckman. Sean McLain vividly recalls the 2018 season when Matt McLain was a senior and competing with his brothers for the last time. Sean McLain said he was impressed with the way Coach Lavalle would run practices.

“He would always have us hitting because he would always want his team to have a lot of offense,” he said. “I give him a lot of credit for just grinding us through his hitting. We just did a ton of hitting during practice which was very helpful for my development.”

McLain said he remembers the CIF Division 2 final in 2018 when Beckman took on Yucaipa at Cal State Fullerton. Although Yucaipa won 8-1, the game was still memorable.

“The day that stands out the most for me at Beckman would probably be when we lost to Yucapia in that CIF final (in 2018) because I thought that would probably be the last time I would ever be on the field with my two brothers,” he said. “We ended up losing that game in the CIF finals but I thought that moment taking the field with my brothers was the coolest thing I’ve ever done baseball related.”

A new chapter has now started for McLain, who grew up cheering for the Angels.

“I’ve always watched the Dodgers, I was actually an Angels fan but now I’m officially a Dodgers fan, I thought that was hilarious. I’m officially a Dodgers fan, not really an Angels fan anymore,” he said. “I’ve been watching the Dodgers games, they had them on the TV the other night, which was cool.”

McLain suggested the Dodgers, who have a big lead in the National League West, could have a memorable finish this year, rating their chances of winning the World Series as “pretty high.”

“I would say they’re going to win it,” he said.

—Tim Burt, OC Sports Zone; timburt@ocsportszone.com