After ‘Iolani’s Shane Sasaki was taken with the 99th overall pick by the Tampa Bay Rays in the third round of the Major League Baseball First-Year Player Draft on Tuesday, six more players from Hawaii high schools or the University of Hawaii were selected on Day 3 of the draft.
UPDATE: Sasaki says he’s agreed to deal with Rays with signing bonus of $475,000.
>> The Minnesota Twins selected UH right-hander Dylan Thomas in the 13th round, No 389 overall. Thomas is the highest draft pick from UH since the 2011 draft that featured Kolten Wong (Round 1), Lenny Linsky (Round 2) and Blair Walters (Round 11).
>> Cal State Bakersfield junior Edgar Barclay, who pitched prior at two different junior colleges, became the first St. Joseph alum in Hilo to be taken in the MLB draft when the New York Yankees took him in the 15th round, No. 465 overall. Barclay threw a one-hit shutout with 10 strikeouts against Hawaii this year at Les Murakami Stadium. He finished the season 6-4 with a 3.69 ERA and 111 strikeouts in 90 2/3 innings.
>> Loyola Marymount right-hander Codie Paiva became the 19th Kamehameha alum taken in the MLB draft, tying Punahou for the most from a Hawaii high school, when the Miami Marlins took him in the 22nd round, No. 651 overall. Paiva went 8-5 with a 1.91 ERA as a senior and was named the West Coast Conference pitcher of the year.
>> Stephen F. Austin right-hander Trayson Kubo, a Leilehua alumnus, was taken in the 24th round, No. 734 overall, by the Oakland Athletics. After spending two years at Western Arizona College, Kubo spent the past two seasons with the Lumberjacks and struck out 64 in 64 innings as a senior. He if the first Leilehua alum selected since Scott Loucks in 1977.
>> ‘Iolani catcher Micah Yonamine, the Star-Advertiser All-State player of the year, went in the 29th round, No. 870 overall, to the Philadelphia Phillies. Yonamine, who signed with Illinois State, hit 11 home runs as a senior and sat down for an extended interview prior to the draft. He also talked about what it will be take for him to sign.
>> Right-hander Anthony Hoopii-Tuionetoa, who was the 2018 Star-Advertiser All-State player of the year out of Baldwin, was drafted for the second year in a row when the Texas Rangers took him in the 30th round, No. 895 overall. Hoopii-Tuionetoa was taken in the 16th round by the Minnesota Twins in 2018 but did not sign and went to Pierce College in Washington instead.
That’s it for the draft.
Question for baseball historians and experts: has there ever been a high school team in Hawaii that had two seniors drafted in MLB straight from high school?
Robert Kahana and Chadwick Kaalekahi from Campbell in 2011 although neither signed. Bronson Sardinha and Hunter Pruett from Kamehameha in 2011 both signed. Makana Lum and Billy Pieper in 1996. Justin Wayne and Scooter Martines from Punahou in 1997. Both didn’t sign. Jandin Thornton-Murray and Chad Santos from Saint Louis in 1999. Might be a couple more I just scanned our list really quickly.
Marcus Doi and Isiah Kiner Falefa from Midpac. Marcus went 25th round and Isiah went 4th round. Marcus chose UH over the draft…. Isiah went straight.