Only one Alaska player in the 2018 MLB Draft; Michael Cesar stands as a longshot

Only 13 high school players this century were drafted out of Alaska, and Michael Cesar is the only prospect from the state in this year’s draft.

 The odds of the Juneau-Douglas High player going to a Major League team are a long shot.

Cesar is a 5’9 catcher with a good instincts behind the plate and an all-around consistent hitter. Last season he hit .466 with 20 hits and 12 RBIs in 15 games. That same year he became the fourth player from Juneau-Douglas to be named Alaska’s Gatorade Player of the Year.

“I’ve been coaching for 18 years up here, and Michael Cesar is the as much a mix of class act and great player as I’ve seen. If I was going to do a draft of players in the state, he’s my first pick. Great energy, great player, great mix of intangible and tangibles.” Opposing manager Taylor Nerland of South Anchorage High School said in a press release to the Gatorade Player of the Year Committee.

While Cesar getting drafted this year is highly unlikely, it’s not completely out of the question. In the last 11 years, three former Gatorade Alaska Baseball Players of the Year have been drafted: Jonny Homza (Drafted by Padres in 2017), Scooter Bynum (Drafted by Reds in 2014) and Dylan Baker (Drafted by Indians in 2012).

If he doesn’t get drafted he will most likely be playing for Pacific Lutheran University in Tacoma, Washington next season.