Moloka'i's Loo could be top pick from Hawai'i
By Stacy Kaneshiro
Advertiser Staff Writer
Hawai'i's highest high school draft pick from a year ago is projected to be the first player with ties to the state picked in this week's Major League Baseball First-Year Player Draft.
Moloka'i's Milton Loo, who earned junior college All-America honorable mention at Yavapai College in Arizona this season, is projected to be picked within the first five rounds, scouts told The Advertiser. Baseball America Online gives him a national ranking of 176th of its top 200 projected selections.
Loo was picked in the 17th round (the 489th overall pick) last year out of Moloka'i High. He was one of five Hawai'i high school players picked last year, but the highest among the group. He went to Yavapai instead. Since he attended a JC, the Reds still had signing "control" of Loo up until last Monday. Loo said he declined an offer of $200,000, or about the amount of a third- or fourth-round pick. He has indicated a desire to return to Yavapai.
"I decided on my own I needed one more year of college before I can become a pro player," Loo said.
But he hasn't totally ruled out signing.
"If they meet or exceed what I'm looking for, I just might sign," said Loo, who did not reveal what amount would sway his decision to sign.
Loo helped his stock with an impressive season at Yavapai, a member of the Arizona Community College Athletic Conference, an all-wood bat league.
A shortstop all his life, Loo played primarily at third base at Yavapai because the Roughriders' shortstop position was filled by another Hawai'i product in Gered Mochizuki, a 2003 graduate of Baldwin. (Mochizuki was a 49th-round pick of the Kansas City Royals in 2003.)
Loo didn't miss a beat making the transition from aluminum to wooden bats. He batted .404 with 14 doubles, six triples and five home runs with 38 RBIs. He had 21 steals in 24 attempts. He recently earned honorable mention for the NJCAA Division I All-America team.
"He has power, speed, he hits for average and is a very good defensive player," Yavapai coach Sky Smeltzer said. "He's worked on his body to become a five-tool player."
The adjustment from aluminum to wooden bats was a key transition. It was the first time he used wood, considered harder to hit with because there is less room for error when attempting to make solid contact.
"I like wood way better than metal bats," Loo said. "I never want to go back to metal bats. It feels better. Metal bats sting. You're not using your own strength; you can mis-hit the ball and it will still go far. I like that challenge. You've got to earn your hits (with wooden bats)."
Smeltzer said Loo adjusted so well because "he's very coachable."
"He understands how to use the entire field (when hitting)," Smeltzer said. "He's strong and has a nice stroke."
Loo is one of seven players from Moloka'i who have been drafted. Four signed, but all out of junior colleges (Keith Lu'uloa in 1993, Nathan Starkey and Michael McCutcheon in 1996 and Miles Lu'uloa in 1999). Kekoa Colon did not sign out of high school. Keahi Rawlins went to the University of Hawai'i after Philadelphia picked him in the 36th round in 2002.
With a population of about 7,000, everyone knows just about everyone on the Friendly Isle, Loo said. So it was easy to find role models, such as those drafted before him.
"I really looked up to them as role models," Loo said of previous Moloka'i players who were drafted. "The Lu'uloa brothers, Miles and Keith, they were shortstops. We always used to hear the stories about how they played. Miles used to come to our practices (at Moloka'i High) and he would help us."
Others to watch
Pepperdine senior right-handed pitcher Kea Kometani (Punahou 2001) is mentioned among the top 150 prospects in California by Baseball America Online. The 6-4, 205-pounder was 10-5 with a 3.35 earned run average with 90 strikeouts to 33 walks in 118 1/3 innings from 17 starts during the regular season and West Coast Conference tournament.
It was thought that height might be a factor working against Hawai'i's senior right-handed pitcher Stephen Bryant, listed at 5 feet 10 and 190 pounds. But apparently it was hard for scouts to overlook an all-Western Athletic Conference first-team performance where he was 8-3 with a 3.17 ERA. He started in three of UH's four shutouts. He had 110 strikeouts to 37 walks in 105 innings from 16 starts.
Bryant said he has heard from 15 teams, nine of which are still keeping close tabs in the past couple of weeks. Among those he said were interested were Cleveland, Colorado, Florida, Milwaukee, Minnesota, New York Mets, Houston and the Los Angeles Angels of Anaheim.
"He's going to have his size work against him, but if he gets an opportunity, he's going to do well because the kid can pitch," UH coach Mike Trapasso said.
It is uncertain how other Rainbows will fare.
Senior right-handed pitchers Colby Summer and Ricky Bauer have been drafted previously, but did not have strong seasons statistically.
Summer, who is 6 feet 8, pitched for UH for the first time this season after sitting out two years because of Tommy John surgery. He was 2-6 with a 5.61 ERA and missed his final start because of biceps problems. He was drafted in the 38th round as a shortstop out of high school in Oregon, and again last year in the 38th round by Boston.
Bauer was drafted by Boston in the 39th round out of Mid-Pacific Institute. He was 4-4 with a 5.52 ERA this season.
Juniors eligible for the draft include outfielder Matt Inouye, second baseman Isaac Omura and catcher Esteban Lopez.
Inouye and Lopez have been drafted before so there is always the possibility of getting picked again. If Inouye got WAC coaches' attention for first-team honors despite not having great statistics (.255, 3 HRs, 24 RBIs), scouts might have noticed the same characteristics that got him recognized.
Lopez had a strong second half. He will play in the inaugural season of the Hawai'i Collegiate Baseball League this summer, so a team could draft him and monitor his progress in the league before making an offer before UH starts classes.
Scouts said Omura has size (listed as 5-10) and speed working against him, but it was hard to overlook the fact he could hit. Omura led UH in nearly all offensive categories, such as batting average (.369), slugging (.568), doubles (19), home runs (6) and RBIs (47).
"Cross-checkers and scouting directors see Isaac as a very valuable senior sign," Trapasso said. "They don't see him as a draft this year, but then again, it only takes one guy to draft him. That's the way it is with any of our guys."
UH recruits
The Rainbows also have to monitor their recruits.
Infielder Ryan Selden (Canyon Springs HS), catcher Landon Hernandez (Desert Chapel HS), pitcher Matt Daly (Esperanza HS) and Cody Allen (Elk Grove HS), all of California, are among their state's top 55 players.
Hernandez, however, told The Advertiser he had warned scouts of his strong commitment to UH. Players that do sign with four-year programs sometimes get bypassed in the draft because of signability purposes, scouts said.
Bellevue College recruit Ian Harrington, a left-handed pitcher, also might get drafted, Trapasso said. Harrington was 4-7 with a 2.48 ERA. He was drafted in the 37th round by Baltimore last year.
Prep prospects
The biggest question mark of this year's draft is the high school seniors, scouts said.
There are no clear-cut standouts as in past years, such as Dane Sardinha, Jerome Williams, Bronson Sardinha, Brandon League and Shane Victorino. Baseball America's draft report on Hawai'i says "no one is likely to be picked in the first 10-12 rounds."
Rainbows' recruit Jayson Kramer, a right-handed pitcher from Mid-Pacific has been mentioned, but his commitment to UH might work against him, Baseball America Online said.
Kaua'i High right-handed pitcher/shortstop Kirby Yates has the genetics, not to mention a 90-mph fastball. His brother is New York Mets pitcher Tyler Yates.
Others drawing attention include Kamehameha outfielder Nick Freitas (signed with Miami), Iolani pitcher Ian Mopas, Saint Louis first baseman Chester Wilson and Mid-Pacific catcher Kip Masuda (signed with Long Beach State).
Other JC notables
Hawai'i players tucked away at JCs might also get a crack.
South Mountain (Arizona) Community College's Kala Ka'aihue had a strong season in helping lead the Cougars to the NJCAA World Series. He was drafted in the 22nd round in 2003 out of Iolani. He signed, but had his contract voided upon discovery of an elbow injury. His brother, Kila, plays for the Kansas City Royals high-class A affiliate at High Desert of the California League.
Diablo Valley (Pleasanton, Calif.) first baseman Kepa Wong ('Aiea 2004) and Saddleback (Mission Viejo, Calif.) pitcher Kanekoa Texeira (Kamehameha 2004) also might be considered. Both had strong seasons, scouts said.
There are no guarantees everyone mentioned will get drafted. There may be players not mentioned who will get picked.
"It's a crapshoot," as one scout put it.
Scouts declined to be identified as to not give away their respective teams' positions on prospects.
Reach Stacy Kaneshiro at skaneshiro@honoluluadvertiser.com or 525-8042.
MAJOR LEAGUE DRAFT
The Major League Baseball First-Year Player Draft is scheduled for Tuesday and Wednesday and is conducted via conference call from the commissioner's office in New York.
Clubs have up to 50 rounds of selections, more if they have supplemental picks as compensation for losing free agents. Tuesday's session will run from 7 a.m. to noon, Hawai'i time, with Wednesday's session from 6 a.m. to noon. The first day lasts about 20 rounds. Teams can stop selecting before the 50th round.
Each team has two minutes to make a selection. Usually a scout will call the player to let him know he was selected. Only players who have been registered with the commissioner's office can be drafted. Sometimes, players do not know if they have been registered.
Teams draft in reverse order of regular season win-loss records from the previous year. For example, Boston won the World Series, but it's raw order by regular season win-loss record is 28th. The New York Yankees and St. Louis Cardinals are 29th and 30th, respectively, in raw order. However, since Boston signed Type A free agent Edgar Renteria from St. Louis, the Cardinals get the 28th as well as 30th picks. Since the Yankees signed Type A free agent Carl Pavano from Florida, the Marlins get the 29th pick.
There are 18 supplemental first-round picks, or sandwich picks, for free agent compensation. There are two second-round supplemental picks for the same reason.
Under Rule IV, residents of the U.S., Canada and Puerto Rico, and foreign students attending high school or college in the U.S. are eligible for the draft as long as they meet the following criteria:
1. High school graduates who have not yet attended college or junior college.
2. College players who have completed their third or fourth years or are at least 21 years old. Junior college players are eligible after any year.
Junior college players have until the week before the next draft to be signed by the original team that drafted them; for example, Milton Loo was drafted by the Reds last year, went to Yavapai and was still under the Reds' "control" until last Monday. Since he was not signed by the deadline, he is eligible for this year's draft.
Fifth-year seniors at four-year schools are eligible to be signed as free agents even before the draft.
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