For the second straight year, Hawaii was a popular spring destination for Major League Baseball scouts.

Eight players who graduated from local high schools were selected in the 2013 MLB draft, highlighted by fourth-round selections Kean Wong of Waiakea High and Mid-Pacific’s Isiah Kiner-Falefa.

This year’s class is headlined by another Waiakea product, pitcher Kodi Medeiros, who could become the third player from Hawaii drafted straight out of high school in the first round, joining Kamehameha’s Bronson Sardinha and Waipahu’s Jerome Williams.

Medeiros, a 6-foot-1 left-hander, is a unique prospect, according to Perfect Game USA scouting supervisor Todd Gold, who visited Hawaii last month to see Medeiros pitch in the state tournament.

Medeiros’ fastball sits in the low 90s and has touched 95 mph. He has a breaking ball that is "one of the best in the high school ranks," according to a Baseball America scouting report.

"The velocity is what grabs the attention of scouts, but it’s not just the velocity with him," Gold said. "The movement he has on his pitches is rare. There haven’t been many pitchers that throw from a three-quarters arm slot with the velocity and movement that he has. Some people would point at (San Francisco’s) Madison Bumgarner as a comparison, but he’s 6-5."

Mock drafts have Medeiros as a favorite of the Kansas City Royals, who own picks 17 and 28. Gold sees Medeiros as a late first-round or early second-round pick.

"I think his (mechanics) will give teams a little bit more hesitation (to draft him) than there normally would be," Gold said. "That combined with so many pitching prospects would make him slip a little more than he might in a different draft class."

Both Perfect Game USA and Baseball America rank him as the No. 32 overall draft prospect. (There are 30 MLBteams, but there are 41 first-round picks.)

The only other player to crack both lists from Hawaii is Punahou catcher K.J. Harrison, an Oregon State signee, who is ranked No. 149 by Baseball America and No. 343 by Perfect Game.

Harrison competed in a workout in Anaheim just prior to the state tournament with Hilo’s Jodd Carter, Kamehameha-Hawaii’s Makoa Rosario and ‘Iolani’s Christian Donahue and showed off a power bat to go along with his plus arm and solid defensive skills.

"He could go in the second round but more realistically is a third- to fifth-round pick," Gold said. "He benefits from there not being a lot of catchers in this draft and is a guy that teams think they can get into their player development programs and really improve."

After getting 13 players drafted from 2010 to 2012, the University of Hawaii did not have a single player selected last year.

That should change this season with left-hander Scott Squier projected as a mid-round pick despite not having his best year.

Recent graduate Matt Cooper put himself into position to be selected after going 6-5 with a 1.60 ERA and 106 strikeouts in 106 2/3 innings.

Cooper clearly had the more dominant season, but Squier’s potential as a 6-foot-5 lefty who performed well last summer in the New England Collegiate League will get him a look from teams.

Squier was taken in the 21st round by the Detroit Tigers out of high school.

"He was on the radar coming into this year but didn’t have the season people thought he would have," Gold said. "He’s a guy that has a lot of talent but is raw, and teams have that belief that they can get players into their development system that will make them successful and get the most out of them."

The Rainbow Warriors have four recruits to keep an eye on, including junior college pitchers Luke Eubank and Josh Pigg, who are both rated in Perfect Game’s top 100 junior-college prospects list.

The draft begins at 1 p.m. Thursday with rounds 1 and 2 live on the MLB Network. Medeiros is one of seven high school players who earned invitations to attend the draft in Secaucus, N.J.

Rounds 3-10 will be held Friday, with rounds 11-40 on Saturday.