2 Hilo High alums picked in first 4 rounds of MLB draft
COURTESY DEVIN SALTIBAN
Recent Hilo High graduate Devin Saltiban was taken by the Philadelphia Phillies in the third round of the MLB draft today.
ASSOCIATED PRESS
Tennessee infielder Maui Ahuna, shown rounding third base after hitting a solo home run in the seventh inning of an NCAA college baseball tournament super regional game against Southern Mississippi, was picked by the San Francisco Giants in the fourth round of the 2023 MLB draft.
Hilo High had two alums taken in the first four rounds of the 2023 Major League Baseball First-Year Player Draft today.
Recent graduate Davin Saltiban, who had signed to play at the University of Hawaii, was selected by the Philadelphia Phillies with the 98th overall pick in the third round.
Maui Ahuna, a 2020 Hilo alumnus, was taken 19 picks later at No. 117 in the fourth round by the San Francisco Giants.
Saltiban, who was named to the Star-Advertiser All-State second team twice, was ranked No. 182 on MLB.com’s list of the top 250 draft prospects.
The slot value for pick No. 98 is $685,100.
In his write-up on MLB.com, “He has the chance to really hit, with a quick swing and excellent bat speed, which could point to decent power in the future. Challenging himself by competing in MLB’s Draft League ahead of the draft, Saltiban held his own, putting up some good exit velocities and punishing fastballs, albeit in a small sample.”
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Ahuna started his college career at Kansas and was named to the All-Big 12 first team as a sophomore when he hit .396 with 16 doubles, four triples and eight homers. He then transferred to Tennessee where he hit .312 in 53 games this past season with eight homers, 20 doubles, 43 runs scored and 45 RBIs.
Ahuna was rated as the No. 5 prospect out of high school in Hawaii in 2020.
The slot value for pick No. 117 is $569,100.
The Big Island has been a popular stop for scouts in recent years. Hilo’s Micah Bello was selected in the second round by Milwaukee in 2018 and Waiakea’s Kalai Rosario was taken in the fifth round by the Minnesota Twins in 2020.
Hilo has had two other high schoolers taken in the draft in the last decade — Jodd Carter in 2014 and Joey Jarneski in ’17.
