In May, star Washington Huskies shortstop heard his name called as the Pac-12’s final Defensive Player of the Year. On Tuesday, the junior heard it again as the Miami Marlins selected him in round No. 14 of the 2024 MLB draft.
Clayton’s best tool is his defense, as he held a .980 fielding percentage with the Huskies last season, committing just four errors and turning 24 double plays. He also boasts a .964 career fielding percentage with just 24 errors to his name on 649 chances over three seasons.
The product of Lakeridge High School in Lake Oswego, Oregon, can hold his own at the plate too. Clayton has a .294 career batting average over 660 at-bats with 22 home runs, 99 runs batted in, and an .832 OPS.
His best season at the plate came during his sophomore year when he earned All-Pac-12 honors thanks to a .325 with 80 hits, 11 home runs, 42 RBI, and a .938 OPS.
If Clayton chooses to forgo his senior season and sign with the Marlins, he’ll be joining a farm system that was ranked No. 29 by MLB Pipeline at the start of the season, but he’ll be joined by a familiar face. In the tenth round, the Marlins selected third baseman Michael Snyder from the Oklahoma Sooners, who played in 144 games over four seasons in Seattle.
Coach Eddie Smith has to be hoping that Clayton will return to Montlake for his senior season, where the star shortstop could be a major building block for the first year of his tenure.