The second day of the MLB Draft showcased interesting local picks and different selection trends than the previous day. However, one selection that came as no surprise was outfielder Casey Soltis of Granada High School.
Soltis was the 137th overall pick (fifth round) and was taken by the Miami Marlins. He had been tabbed by MLB Top 200 Prospect Watch as the 113th best prospect.
"We’re all pretty pumped up," Granada coach Corrigan Willis said. "He’s a tremendous guy and had a great season for us. His plate discipline was really great this year."
Willis said Soltis has a difficult decision to make since he's also committed to Oregon.
But for now, there's excitement at Granada.
"I think it’s a great day for Casey and his family and Granada baseball," Willis said. "All of the coaches were pumped up.”
Soltis has a quick, short swing and is anything but an easy out because he can hit the ball both ways. This year, he hit .353 and struck out just eight times in 106 plate appearances.
Soltis was one of few area high school athletes chosen today. Other players who were plucked were Brian Schales of Edison, Logan Webb of Rocklin High School and Stetson Woods of Liberty.
However, there were numerous former area preps who have gone on to excel at the collegiate ranks who were plucked, most prominently former Serra star pitcher Julian Merryweather of Oklahoma Baptist University.
Merryweather helped Serra to a section title as a junior under former Padres coach Pete Jensen and a 17-0 record out of the gate his senior year under coach Craig Gianinno. He was the fifth-round pick of the Cleveland Indians.
The senior is 6-foot-4, 200 pounds and throws right-handed -- sort of a heavier, righty version of Dan Serafini, a Serra left-hander taken by the Minnesota in the first round in the early 90s. Merryweather has thrown in the high-80s most of his career, but humped it up to 90-plus this season and hit 95 on at least one occasion.
Merryweather was named to the 2014 NAIA All-America team, going 12-3 on the mound with an ERA of 1.07 in 100 2/3 innings pitched. He allowed just 12 earned runs all season and struck out 132 while holding opponents to a .181 batting average. He also made the Avista-NAIA Baseball World Series all-tourney team after shining in the tourney at Lewiston, Idaho.
Another former Serra player taken on Day 2 was outfielder Matt Page -- also of Oklahoma Baptist -- who was taken by the Washington Nationals in round 10 (pick 304).
Wrote Serra coach Craig Gianinno about his former players: "Julian's competitive intensity and fierce make-up on the mound matched with his physical skill set was one of the best I've seen at Serra. Matt's work ethic, commitment and leadership qualities are a few intangibles that he brought to the team and entire Serra program on and off the field."
Former Menlo School infielder Danny Diekroeger of Stanford was taken in the 10th round (315th overall) by the St. Louis Cardinals.
Said Diekroeger on Twitter: "Thanks to everybody who has helped me get to this point. Can't wait to be a Cardinal. But first we gotta get the Stanford Cardinal to Omaha."
Ryan Williams is another former area player to get plucked after going the college route. The Sobrato High grad was taken in the 10th round by the Cubs (289th pick). He played at West Valley College and East Carolina.
As for Schales and Webb, they were chosen in the fourth round, 107th and 118th respectively. Neither Schales nor Webb were listed in MLB’s Top 200 Prospect Watch. Shortly after the Marlins selected Schales, the Giants picked Webb.
Stetson Woods, the final NorCal high school ballplayer picked, went to the Giants in the ninth round as the 268th overall pick.
The dramatic change in the draft today was the decrease in the number of high school athletes getting picked. In the first round, which included a total of 34 picks, 16 of the players selected -- two of whom are locals -- were high school graduates. From the sixth round to the rest of the day, however, there was only one NorCal prep picked.
After St. Francis grad and Stanford infielder Alex Blandino was selected by the Reds in the first round of the draft on Thursday, two of his teammates got chosen today. Guess which team drafted Austin Slater in the ninth round? The Giants.
Other regional athletes picked were UC-Davis second-baseman Steven Peterson (308th overall, 10th round), UC Irvine first-baseman Connor Spencer (242nd overall, 8th round) who has Bay Area ties, Fresno State right-handed pitcher Derick Velazquez (196th overall, 7th round) and Sacramento State first-baseman Rhys Hoskins (142nd overall, 5th round).
