Saint Louis pitcher Jordan Yamamoto was drafted in the 12th round by the Milwaukee Brewers. Evan Asato | SL

Purchase image 1 of 1

The Milwaukee Brewers are trying their best to become Hawaii's favorite big league team.

They not only made Waiakea left-handed pitcher the 12th overall selection in the first round of the Major League Baseball First-Year Player Draft, but considered taking Saint Louis right-handed pitcher Jordan Yamamoto earlier than the 12th round, where he ended up going.

Friday, the second day of the three-day, 40-round draft, covered rounds three to 10. Yamamoto said his adviser - who becomes his agent if he turns pro - told him several teams called to see if he would sign if picked during the eight rounds. Yamamoto said the Brewers offered $340,000 if he signed in the fifth round. The 146th slot that Milwaukee had is valued at $336,400.

"What happened was the Brewers called (my adviser) and said they were going to draft me in the fifth round," said Yamamoto. "But they weren't going to give me the money I asked for, so I turned it down."

It is a similar situation that happened to Saint Louis School catcher Iolana Akau in last year's draft. Akau said last year before signing with the Oakland Athletics that they called him and asked if he would sign for $250,000 in the fifth round. He turned that offer down, but was taken by the A's in the 20th round. He ended up signing for $375,000, or about late-fourth round slot value. Akau had signed a letter of intent with the University of Hawaii.

Still, Yamamoto, who is signed with the University of Arizona, was surprised he was picked in the 12th round. His adviser had to wake him up early Saturday morning, when the final 30 rounds of the draft resumed.

"My adviser texted me," Yamamoto said. "He said to 'Wake up, you're about to be drafted.' I was like, 'What?'

He jumped on his computer and saw it.

"It's always someone's dream, growing up to be a professional player," Yamamoto said.

Yamamoto's two-hit, 2-0 victory against Medeiros and Waiakea in the quarterfinals of the recent state tournament might have had an influence on the Brewers' decision.

Yamamoto, the ScoringLive All-Hawaii Division I Player of the Year, will appear Sunday at Ala Moana Center's Center Stage for ScoringLive's Distinguished Athlete Awards ceremony set for 5 p.m.

Medeiros and Yamamoto were among 10 players with ties to Hawaii taken in the draft. Nine of them went in the last 30 rounds.

* Kodi Medeiros, LHP, Waiakea: The 12th overall selection by Milwaukee is the highest pick out of a Hawaii high school. Punahou graduate Justin Wayne is the highest overall when Montreal took him fifth overall in the 2000 draft out of Stanford. The previous highest high school pick was Kamehameha infielder Bronson Sardinha, a supplemental first-round pick by the New York Yankees, who was taken 34th overall.

Wayne, also drafted out of Punahou in 1997 in the ninth round by Boston, signed for $2.95 million. Sardinha signed for $1 million. At the time of his draft, he was called by the Yankees and asked if he would sign for that amount. He agreed and was subsequently picked. Both players had brief careers in the majors.

Medeiros, an All-Hawaii pick, is the fourth player drafted out of Waiakea. Previous picks include infielder Kean Wong, a fourth-round pick last year by Tampa Bay, and left-handed power pitcher Onan Masaoka, a third-round pick by the Los Angeles Dodgers in 1995. Both signed. Masaoka made it to the big leagues.

* Jordan Yamamoto, RHP, Saint Louis: The 356th overall selection by Milwaukee became the 14th different Saint Louis alumnus to be drafted. Among past draftees include: 2001 second-round pick Brandon League (by Toronto), a relief pitcher for the Dodgers; 1992 and 1993 pick Benny Agbayani, both times out of Hawaii Pacific, who played in an MLB and NPB (Japan) World Series; and Chad Santos, a 22nd-round pick by Kansas City in 1999, who made the big leagues with San Francisco in 2006.

* Scott Squirer, LHP, University of Hawaii. The junior was the 467th overall pick in the 16th round by  the Miami Marlins.

* Matt Cooper, RHP, University of Hawaii: The senior was taken right after his teammate as the 468th pick by the Chicago White Sox.

* Michael Suiter, OF, University of Kansas: Picked in the 24th round by the White Sox (708th overall). The junior outfielder was drafted out of Punahou in the 37th round by Cincinnati in 2011. He helped the Jayhawks to an NCAA regional appearance.

* Jodd Carter, OF, Hilo: Picked in the 28th round by Cleveland (728th overall). The All-Hawaii outfielder is the fifth Hilo alumnus to get drafted. Among them was Robert Medeiros, who was picked out of UH in 1997 and is not to be confused with Kodi's father, who also has the same name. Carter was a UH commit.

* KJ Harrison, C, Punahou: Picked in the 25th round (758th overall) by Cleveland. The All-Hawaii catcher is the 18th Punahou alumnus to be picked. Among them is Joey Meyer, who was picked in the fifth round out of UH in 1983 by Milwaukee. He also was drafted in the eighth round by the California Angels in 1981 out of Punahou. He played for the Brewers and in Japan. Harrison is signed with Oregon State. His father, Kenny Harrison, was drafted in the 33rd round by Minnesota in 1993. He holds the distinction of being the only University High alumnus to be drafted.

* Marc Flores, 1B, University of Hawaii: The senior was taken in the 30th (888th overall) round by the White Sox.

* Robert Kahana, RHP, University of Kansas: He was picked in the 32nd round by the Houston Astros. The Jayhawks' starting pitcher was drafted in the 44th round by Colorado out of Campbell High in 2011.

* Joey Aquino, RHP, San Diego Christian: The 35th-round pick (1,044th overall) by Toronto is a 2009 graduate of Mililani.