Baseball
Rays take Iolani's Sasaki in third round




Two-time All-Hawaii first-team outfielder Shane Sasaki was picked in the third round by the Tampa Bay Rays on the second day of the Major League Baseball Draft Tuesday morning.

The recent Iolani School graduate was the 99th overall pick and the only player with ties to Hawaii drafted through 10 rounds. His bonus slot is listed at $587,400 on the MLB.com draft tracker.

Rounds 11 to 40 conclude the draft Wednesday.

Sasaki, Iolani's center fielder, said in a phone interview that he is comfortable with the suggested signing bonus set by MLB and is "leaning towards signing" with the Rays. He had earlier committed to play collegiately at Cal Poly.

"I'm very excited," Sasaki said of his selection. "I'm just trying to embrace it all."

Sasaki is a repeat first-team selection on ScoringLive's All-Hawaii Division I baseball team. He led the state with a .565 batting average with 26 runs scored, 26 RBIs, five doubles, three triples and five home runs, which tied hm for third in the state among Division I players.

"He showed all five tools that graded out at least average on all of them," Hawaii's Tampa Bay scout Casey Onaga wrote in a text message. "He can hit to all fields with power. (He has an) advanced plate approach, makes adjustments at-bat to at-bat. Above average arm, defense, and running."



Reach Stacy Kaneshiro at [email protected].




Show your support

Every contribution, no matter the size, will help ScoringLive continue its mission to provide the best and most comprehensive coverage of high school sports in the state of Hawaii and beyond.

Please consider making a contribution today.

ADVERTISEMENT


MORE STORIES

Aiea downs Radford to claim first OIA D2 title since 2017

Na Alii led early and rapped out 13 total hits to pull away from the Rams to clinch their first OIA Division...

Pagampao powers No. 1 Mililani past No. 7 Kapolei for 12th OIA crown

The senior belted three home runs, including the go-ahead and game-ending blasts, to lead the Trojans...

Kapolei dethrones Campbell to set up OIA D1 title tilt with Mililani

The Hurricanes pulled away from the Sabers in the final frame while the Trojans held off a late charge...

Surfriders cash in on Na Alii miscues to claim 15th league crown, ninth under Ishigo

Kailua sent eight batters to the plate and scored five runs in a tide-turning bottom of the third inning,...

Waianae rolls past Radford to claim first OIA championship since 2017

Shysten Nagasako did work on both the mound and at the plate in the Seariders' mercy-rule shortened win...

No. 1 seeds Aiea, Kailua to face off for OIA Division I baseball crown

Na Alii posted a 3-1 win over Roosevelt behind Aidan Yoshida's complete game, while two pitchers combined...