Lake Forest’s Paul Skenes headlines local players chosen in MLB amateur draft

Paul Skenes, a Lake Forest native who starred at El Toro High School before winning the 2023 National Pitcher of the Year Award with Louisiana State, was chosen first overall in the Major League Baseball amateur draft Sunday by the Pittsburgh Pirates.

Skenes went 12-2 with a 1.69 ERA and 209 strikeouts in 122 2/3 innings for the Tigers, who won the College World Series title. Teammate Dylan Crews was the second player chosen overall by the Washington Nationals.

“It feels like a lot of work and a lot of surrounding myself with the right people, and doing the right things for a long period of time,” Skenes said in an interview with MLB Network after the pick was announced.

Skenes was one of several Southern Californians who were selected on the first day of the MLB draft, which consisted of the first two rounds as well as all competitive balance round picks.

There was a strong industry consensus around the top five draft choices: Skenes, Crews, high school outfielder Max Clark (Detroit Tigers), Florida outfielder Wyatt Langford (Texas Rangers), and high school outfielder Walker Jenkins (Minnesota Twins).

The sixth player selected was Grand Canyon University shortstop Jacob Wilson, a native of Thousand Oaks. Wilson was chosen by the Oakland A’s, who also drafted Thousand Oaks High School infielder Max Muncy in the first round in 2021.

Wilson was among the handful of Day 1 picks who attended the draft ceremony in person, where he shook hands with commissioner Rob Manfred on stage at Seattle’s T-Mobile Park. He was joined there by family, including his father Jack Wilson, a former major league infielder.

With the 15th pick, the Chicago White Sox selected Ole Miss shortstop Jacob Gonzalez from Glendora. The 2021 Freshman of the Year is the first player from his college to be drafted in the first round.

With the 23rd pick, the Cleveland Guardians selected Huntington Beach High School catcher Ralphy Velazquez. A left-handed hitter, Velazquez helped the Oilers win the National High School Invitational title as a senior.

UCLA pitcher Alonzo Tredwell was chosen 61st overall, at the end of the second round, by the Houston Astros. The 6-foot-8 right-hander had his career at Mater Dei High School curtailed by Tommy John surgery, but he closed for the Bruins as a freshman in 2022 before moving into their rotation this year.