Photo by: Andrew Shortall
Rosario Drafted by Twins
6/12/2020 8:47:00 AM | Baseball
RIVERSIDE – Kala'i Rosario, a signee for California Baptist University's 2021 recruiting class, was drafted by the Minnesota Twins on Thursday night.
Rosario went to the Twins in the fifth and final round of this year's shortened draft at 158 overall. It was no surprise, as the center fielder from Waiakeia High School in Hilo, Hawaii was ranked 90th in Baseball America's Top 500 Draft Rankings, while MLB.com slotted him as the 183rd overall prospect.
"More than just a slugger, Rosario is a mature hitter who makes adjustments, can shoot the ball the other way and limits his strikeouts… Rosario has the bat to profile at any position and the strong makeup components to get the most from his talent," Rosario's profile on Baseball America states.
The Lancers came into the draft on a 10-year streak of having a player drafted. There is a rich draft history at CBU, with 35 Lancers being drafted over the past 38 years and 24 players taken during Coach Gary Adcock's 16-year tenure. Two other Lancers have signed free-agent contracts in the last two years.
Tyson Miller is the highest-ever drafted Lancer, as the Chicago Cubs took him in the fourth round at 134th overall in 2016.
Rosario made everyone's radar with his performances on a national stage last summer. He tied for the second-highest exit velocity at the 2019 Perfect Game National Showcase and then won the home run derby at the Area Code Games, Baseball America writes, and was recently named the 2019-20 Gatorade Hawaii Baseball Player of the Year.
"All talk around Rosario centers around his bat, more specifically his plus-plus raw power… He does have the power potential to profile well in an outfield corner, and that could be enough for the California Baptist recruit to get drafted," reads his bio on MLB.com.
Once baseball starts back up, Rosario could join six other former Lancers at the professional level. Miller, Trevor Oaks and Caleb Dirks are all set to begin their seasons at the Triple-A level of the Cubs, San Francisco Giants and Atlanta Braves organizations, respectively. Adam Hofacket will start with the Los Angeles Angels' Double-A affiliate, while Logan Rinehart and Andrew Bash are waiting to begin year two at the next level with the Seattle Mariners and Angels.
Rosario went to the Twins in the fifth and final round of this year's shortened draft at 158 overall. It was no surprise, as the center fielder from Waiakeia High School in Hilo, Hawaii was ranked 90th in Baseball America's Top 500 Draft Rankings, while MLB.com slotted him as the 183rd overall prospect.
"More than just a slugger, Rosario is a mature hitter who makes adjustments, can shoot the ball the other way and limits his strikeouts… Rosario has the bat to profile at any position and the strong makeup components to get the most from his talent," Rosario's profile on Baseball America states.
With their 5th-round pick (No. 158 overall) of the 2020 #MLBDraft, the #MNTwins select Waiakeia HS OF Kala'i Rosario, No. 182 on the Top 200 Draft Prospects list: https://t.co/TSiR6zvShO
— MLB Draft (@MLBDraft) June 12, 2020
Watch live: https://t.co/cmm19LFrdg pic.twitter.com/6jz9UTVU9N
The Lancers came into the draft on a 10-year streak of having a player drafted. There is a rich draft history at CBU, with 35 Lancers being drafted over the past 38 years and 24 players taken during Coach Gary Adcock's 16-year tenure. Two other Lancers have signed free-agent contracts in the last two years.
Tyson Miller is the highest-ever drafted Lancer, as the Chicago Cubs took him in the fourth round at 134th overall in 2016.
Rosario made everyone's radar with his performances on a national stage last summer. He tied for the second-highest exit velocity at the 2019 Perfect Game National Showcase and then won the home run derby at the Area Code Games, Baseball America writes, and was recently named the 2019-20 Gatorade Hawaii Baseball Player of the Year.
Hawaii stand up!
— Baseball America (@BaseballAmerica) September 6, 2019
Talent on the island is rising. This week, Cal Baptist commit Kalai Rosario entered our draft rankings for the first time. https://t.co/f7omgaaiJT pic.twitter.com/gr78LRPXzj
"All talk around Rosario centers around his bat, more specifically his plus-plus raw power… He does have the power potential to profile well in an outfield corner, and that could be enough for the California Baptist recruit to get drafted," reads his bio on MLB.com.
🎉🎉🎉
— CBU Baseball (@CBUbaseball) June 12, 2020
Congratulations to class of 2021 signee Kala'i Rosario on being drafted by the @Twins in the fifth round. Hard work pays off!#LanceUp⚔️ pic.twitter.com/FkSeYOhlZs
Once baseball starts back up, Rosario could join six other former Lancers at the professional level. Miller, Trevor Oaks and Caleb Dirks are all set to begin their seasons at the Triple-A level of the Cubs, San Francisco Giants and Atlanta Braves organizations, respectively. Adam Hofacket will start with the Los Angeles Angels' Double-A affiliate, while Logan Rinehart and Andrew Bash are waiting to begin year two at the next level with the Seattle Mariners and Angels.
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