San Diego, CA
UCSD ace, USD slugger among San Diego’s top prospects in this year’s baseball draft
For more than a decade, San Diego-area baseball players were the talk of the MLB Draft.
From 2011 to 2022, 19 players with ties to San Diego were taken in the first round.
The list included future major leaguers and current top prospects Joe Musgrove, Kris Bryant, Bradley Zimmer, Alex Jackson, Connor Joe, Kevin Newman, Tyler Nevin, Mickey Moniak, Korey Lee, and Alika Williams as well as top prospect Marcelo Mayer, Carson Williams and Spencer Jones.
Now, there’s a question if there will be a San Diego player taken on the first day of the MLB Draft when it starts Sunday.
Ryan Forcucci, a right-handed pitcher from UC San Diego who played at San Marcos High School, and power-hitting USD outfielder Jakob Christian, who played at St. Augustine High School, are San Diego’s top prospects.
For the third straight year, there figures to be no players taken directly out of a San Diego high school.
Forcucci and Christian both come with questions.
Forcucci, who wasn’t a prospect coming out of high school, was off to a great start this season, going 2-1 with a 2.16 ERA.
With a fastball that hits 96-97 mph, a sound delivery and a budding slider, he had 37 strikeouts in 25 innings and just six walks in five starts.
An arm injury ended his season early.
Still, MLB.com has him ranked as the 86th-best prospect in the draft; Baseball America has him at No. 88.
Christian wasn’t a prospect in high school, either.
As a senior at St. Augustine, he hit. 333 with three homers, 13 doubles and 26 RBIs.
He has since blossomed into one of the top power hitters in college baseball.
As a sophomore at Point Loma Nazarene, Christian hit 28 home runs and drove in 70.
Wanting to prove himself at a higher level, he transferred to USD and hit 26 homers and drove in 67 this season.
MLB.com has him rated as the 216th-best prospect in the draft. Baseball America has him at 457.
“What are the scouts seeing that I’m not?” USD coach Brock Ungricht asked.
”All the guy does is produce. It’s not like he’s 5-foot-9. He’s 6-5. He can run. He plays great outfield defense. And he’s a great teammate.
“Scouts tell me he should be drafted at the bottom of the first round or the top of the second. Yet he gets no respect in the player rankings.”
What scouts don’t like is that Christian didn’t hit with power in wood-bat college summer leagues, knocking just two homers in 26 games in the Northwoods League and one homer in 19 games with Yarmouth Dennis last summer in the prestigious Cape Cod League.
While scouts like Chrisitian’s raw power, they say he has a loopy swing, question that his power won’t translate from aluminum to wood and wonder about the level of the competition.
“Say what you want about our competition, but look at what he did in the NCAA Regional, look at what he did against USC, Cal State Fullerton, Michigan and Dallas Baptist,” Ungricht said.
“That should tell you something.”
Christian went 5-for-12 with three homers and seven RBIs in three Regional games against Oregon, Fresno State and UC Santa Barbara. He was 4-for-13 with three homers and five RBIs in four games vs. Michigan. One of those homers was in Dodger Stadium.
He was 3-for-9 with three RBIs vs. Dallas Baptist and 4-for-11 with two homers and four RBIs in games vs. USC and Cal State Fullerton.
The only other San Diego players ranked among the top-500 prospects are UCLA second baseman Duce Gourson, who played at Point Loma High School; Texas A&M shortstop Ali Camarillo, who played at Otay Ranch; and Long Beach State closer Mike Villani, who played at El Camino.
Gourson is ranked No. 158 by MLB.com and No. 231 by Baseball America.
Camarillo is No. 180 by Baseball America and No. 246 by MLB.com.
Villani checks in at No. 453 by Baseball America.
Santa Fe Christian outfielder Jack Haferkamp is the only San Diego high school player in the Top 500, checking in at No. 274 on Baseball America’s list.
Hard-throwing right-hander Will Sanford drew a lot of attention from scouts.
Baseball America calls this draft “among the weakest ever for high schoolers.”Haferkamp and Sanford, however, both indicated they are likely headed to college — Haferkamp to UC Santa Barbara and Sanford to Oregon.
“I’ve got a great college option,” Haferkamp said. “After talking to coaches, my adviser and people we trust, college looks like the best thing right now.
“UCSB is a great program, so I can’t go wrong either way.”
Sanford echoed Haferkamp’s comments.“Pro ball is the ultimate goal,” Sanford said. “But it might not happen immediately. I’ll get a good education, play great baseball and grow up some at Oregon.
“So we’ll see what happens.”
San Diego has a number of other outstanding high school players, including right-handers Stunner Gonzalez and Cooper Walls and catcher Kalen Applefield of La Costa Canyon, left-hander Brady Dockan of Rancho Bernardo and catcher Jack Giordano of Patrick Henry.
All, however, appear to be headed to college.
MLB Draft facts
When: First 74 of 615 picks Sunday, starting at 1 p.m. on the MLB Network Tuesday is Rounds 3-10. Wednesday is Rounds 11-20.
San Diegans most likely to be selected in MLB Draft
Name, Position, School, Comment, Projected roundRyan Forcucci, RHP, San Marcos HS/UC San Diego, Injured after 5 starts, but has fastball that touches 96-97 mph, 2-3
Jakob Christian, OF, St. Augustine HS/USD, Big power with 67 college HRs, 2-10
Duce Gourson, 2B, Point Loma HS/UCLA, Lefty swinger and slick fielder, 3-5
Ali Camarillo, SS, Otay Ranch HS/Texas A&M, Skilled defender with CWS experience, 5-10
Peyton Schulze, 1B, Rancho Bernardo HS/Cal, Good power gap hitter, 7-15
Josh Randall, RHP, USD, Fastball sits at 95-96 MPH, 10-15
Austin Machado, C, La Costa Canyon HS/Hawaii, Superb defender with power, 10-15
Mike Villani, RHP, El Camino HS/Long Beach State, Could profile as a reliever, 12-20
Matt Halbach, 3B, UC San Diego, Injured after 19 games, but hit .408 with speed, 12-20
Ryan Fenn, IF, Granite Hills HS/Cal Poly SLO, Gap hitter with speed, 12-20
Ariel Armas, C, St. Augustine HS/USD, Gold Glove winner, 12-20
Austin Smith, LHP/OF, Granite Hills HS/USD, Was 7-0 and hit 7 HR, 12-20
Makana Olaso, C, Palomar College, Big kid with 20 HRs, 16 doubles, 12-20
Justin DeCriscio, SS, USD, Slick fielder, gap hitter, 12-20
Jake Entrekin, C, Steele Canyon HS/ Point Loma Nazarene, Catchers are coveted, 15-20
Other college players
Randy Abshier, LHP, Otay Ranch HS/Hawaii, Lefty with good stuff, Senior sign
Scott Anderson, IF, Sage Creek HS/Point Loma Nazarene, Has power, drives in runs, Senior sign
Mac Bingham, OF, Torrey Pines HS/LSU, Solid player with speed, Senior sign
Ray Cebluski, LHP, Eastlake HS/Point Loma Nazarene, Veteran just wins, Senior sign
Jack Costello, 3B/OF, USD, Has power, drives in runs, Senior sign
Alec Jones, C, Rancho Bernardo HS/Cincinnati, Teams value catching, Senior sign
Izaak Martinez, LHP, UC San Diego, Close. Pitched well in the Cape, Senior sign
Dylan Miller, RHP, Coronado HS/Point Loma Nazarene, Innings-eater workhorse, Senior sign
Ivran Romero, RHP, Poway HS/USD, Fastball sits at 95, Senior sign
James Sashin, LHP, Point Loma Nazarene, Tall closer with 18 saves, Senior sign
Calvin Schapira, LHP, USD, Fastball sits 94-95, Senior sign
Eric Smelko, OF, Helix/Point Loma Nazarene, Older veteran who just hits, Senior sign
Ricky Tibbett, RHP, Eastlake HS/UC Irvine, Veteran with good stuff, Senior sign
High school players
Kalen Applefield, C, La Costa Canyon HS, Strong lefty hitter, Committed to Cal
Brady Dockan, RHP, Rancho Bernardo HS, Big man who teams like, Committed to Cal State Fullerton
Jack Giordano, C, Patrick Henry HS, Teams covet catchers, Committed to USD
Stunner Gonzalez, RHP, La Costa Canyon HS, Big man, Committed to LSU
Jack Haferkamp, OF, Santa Fe Christian HS, Rare combo of power and speed, Committed to UC Santa Barbara
Will Sanford, RHP, Point Loma HS, Hard thrower with great stats, Committed to Oregon
Cooper Walls, RHP, La Costa Canyon HS, Hard thrower who was hurt late, Committed to Hawaii