San Diego high school players shut out of MLB Draft for first time

The MLB Draft was instituted in 1965.

In the first 57 drafts, at least one San Diego area high school player was taken each year.

That streak ended Tuesday when the 2022 draft ended with no prep players from the county being picked.

“There were a number of good players available, but there was something about every player that kept him from being drafted,” said one MLB scout.

Scripps Ranch hard-throwing right-hander Tyler Bremner had the best chance of being picked this year. He was No. 120 on Baseball America’s Prospect List and was projected to go around the fourth round.

But he has a college commitment to UC Santa Barbara, a college with a reputation for developing pitchers.

Late last week, Bremner hadn’t made up his mind on turning pro. His final home visits with scouts told them to stay away.

“How can I go wrong?” Bremner said. “On one hand, I’d get a chance to play pro ball.

“On the other, I go to UCSB, play college ball, get better, get three years of school behind me, and get drafted then.”

Left-hander Sam Garewal from Canyon Crest Academy was this year’s CIF San Diego Section’s Player of the Year.

However, both his parents graduated from Stanford, his mother is a law professor at USD and he has a scholarship to Northwestern. He’s considered a pro prospect, but teams passed because of his academics.

Mission Hills hard-throwing right-hander Cody Delvecchio also had a chance to get drafted. But he’s 5-foot-10, so scouts want to see how he performs at UCLA.

“Remember, the draft is only 20 rounds now,” the scout said. “In the old 40-round days, there would have been a lot of high school players from San Diego taken.

“Teams would have taken a chance on a Bremner, a Garewal, a Delvecchio late in the draft with hopes of signing them.

“Now teams can’t take a chance. They have to hit on all 20 picks.”

Day 3 saw just four players with local ties chosen.

Outfielder Kyle Nevin (Poway HS/Baylor), the son of Angels interim manager and former Padres slugger Phil Nevin, was taken in the 11^th round by the Dodgers. (Kyle’s older brother, Tyler, plays for the Baltimore Orioles.)

Right-hander Mason Pelio (Rancho Bernardo/Boston College) was chosen in the 12^th round by the Reds; Grossmont College right-hander Andrew Owens went two rounds later to the Rangers; and left-hander Zachary Veen of Point Loma Nazarene went in the 18^th round to the Twins.

San Diego area draft picks

Player, School, Team (Round/overall selection)

OF Spencer Jones, La Costa Canyon HS/Vanderbilt, Yankees (1/25)

LHP Brycen Mautz, Westview HS/USD, Cardinals (2/59)

RHP Michael Knorr, Carlsbad HS/Coastal Carolina, Astros (3/103)

RHP Troy Melton, San Diego State, Tigers (4/117)

SS Chase Meidroth, USD, Red Sox (4/129)

OF Anthony Hall, Point Loma HS/Oregon, Yankees (4/130)

RHP Derek Diamond, Ramona HS/Ole Miss, Pirates (6/170)

C Caleb Ricketts, USD, Phillies (7/212)

OF Murphy Stehly, Santa Fe Christian HS/Texas, Nationals (10/291)

LHP Ian Churchill, USD, Blue Jays (10/308)

OF Kyle Nevin, Poway HS/Baylor, Dodgers (11/345)

RHP Mason Pelio, Rancho Bernardo HS/Boston College, Reds (12/363)

RHP Andrew Owen, Grossmont College, Rangers (14/409)

LHP Zachary Veen, Point Loma Nazarene, Twins (18/534)