Maria Carrillo graduate Andrew Vaughn makes history as No. 3 overall draft pick

Andrew Vaughn was selected by the White Sox as the highest pick ever from the North Bay.|

LORI A. CARTER

THE PRESS DEMOCRAT

June 3, 2019

Local Draft History

Highlights of Sonoma County players selected in the MLB Draft over the years:

2019 - Andrew Vaughn, out of Maria Carrillo High School and a University of California junior, was made the third overall pick by the Chicago White Sox.

2017 - Jake Scheiner, who graduated from Maria Carrillo and Santa Rosa JC before going to the University of Houston, was taken in the fourth round by the Philadelphia Phillies, 113th overall.

2012 - Catcher Chadd Krist of Petaluma, was chosen in the ninth round by the Chicago Cubs out of Cal.

2011 - Former Analy pitcher Nick Mutz was selected in the ninth round by the Los Angeles Angels out of Dakota State.

2010 - Robby Rowland was a third-round pick of the Arizona Diamondbacks after posting a 0.32 earned-run average his senior year at Cloverdale.

Scott Alexander was drafted in the 37th round out of Cardinal Newman, but did not sign. In 2010, he was selected by the Kansas City Royals in the sixth round after three seasons at Sonoma State.

2006 - After being drafted in the 40th round out of Rancho Cotate but not signing, pitcher Brandon Morrow was selected by the Seattle Mariners as the fifth overall pick after playing at Cal.

2004 - Sonoma Valley first baseman Tommy Everidge was drafted by the Oakland A's in the 10th round out of Sonoma State.

2002 - Casa Grande grad Joey Gomes went to the Tampa Bay Devil Rays in the eighth round out of Santa Clara.

2001 - Jonny Gomes, out of Santa Rosa JC and Casa Grande, was picked by Tampa Bay in the 10th round.

1999 - Outfielder Jason Lane, who played at El Molino High, Santa Rosa JC and then Southern California, was drafted by the Houston Astros in the sixth round.

1995 -- Pitcher Phil Lowery, originally drafted out of Casa Grande in the second round in 1995, was a sixth-round pick of the Florida Marlins out of Arizona State.

1985 - Pitcher John Wetteland, originally drafted out of Cardinal Newman in the 12th round, was selected by the Dodgers in the second round of the January Draft-Second Phase after playing at USC.

At 4:27 p.m. Monday, Andrew Vaughn received news that will forever change his life.

At that moment, the 21-year-old former Maria Carrillo High School baseball star became the first North Bay player in over a decade to be chosen in the first round of the Major League Baseball first-year player draft.

Drafted by the Chicago White Sox as the No. 3 overall selection, Vaughn is the highest pick ever to come from the area, ahead of former Rancho Cotate and Cal pitcher Brandon Morrow, who was selected fifth overall in 2006.

Surrounded by family and friends at his parents’ home in Santa Rosa watching the 2019 draft broadcast from New York, Vaughn received news that wasn’t entirely unexpected.

He’d been widely predicted as a potential No. 3 pick and called “best all-around hitter” in the draft by MLB analysts. Still, what a life-altering moment.

“It was very indescribable,” he said of being selected as the first-round draft pick of the White Sox. “It’s everything I worked for. It just came through right there.”

A quiet, unassuming young man, Vaughn has gone from backyard whiffle ball marathons with his father to a rising top prospect headed for professional baseball.

The 2016 Press Democrat All-Empire Baseball Player of the Year continues to make history along the way.

He was the Pac-12 Freshman of the Year in his first collegiate season after graduating from Carrillo in 2016, then hit .402 with 23 homers as a sophomore to win the Golden Spikes Award as the best amateur player in the nation, a rare feat for an underclassman. His selection at No. 3 overall also makes him the highest draft pick ever taken from Cal.

Vaughn’s selection also likely will make him a very rich young man, assuming he signs with the American League club.

The 6-foot, 214-pound right-handed first baseman is eligible for a signing bonus of as much as $7.22 million if agrees to join the White Sox.

“I don’t really know what I’m going to do with any of that right now,” he said. “That’s too far in the future. I’m just living in the moment right now.”

He left little doubt he will leave school and begin talks with the White Sox soon.

“I just really enjoyed my time playing at Cal,” he said. “It’s kind of an emotional moment knowing that I probably won’t play there again. It was a great place and I hope I left a good mark on it.”

He did. Vaughn is the first Cal player ever to win the Golden Spikes Award, and he’s a finalist for the award again this year. He is the 17th athlete to be named a finalist twice, but the first since Vanderbilt - now Boston Red Sox - pitcher David Price did it in 2006 and 2007.

He also helped lead the Golden Bears to the NCAA Tournament for the first time since 2015. They were eliminated on Saturday in a regional game in Arkansas.

Vaughn batted .381 with an on-base plus slugging percentage of 1.260 while hitting 14 homers with 50 RBIs in his junior year. That follows his sophomore numbers of .402 with 23 home runs, 14 doubles and 63 RBIs.

“We are thrilled to add a player of Andrew’s caliber to the organization,” said White Sox director of amateur scouting Nick Hostetler in a team statement. “He’s a premium bat who has shown the ability to hit at every level. Andrew is considered one of the top offensive talents in this season’s draft, and we can’t wait to see him grow at the professional level.”

Oregon State catcher Adley Rutschman was selected by the Baltimore Orioles as the No. 1 overall pick, followed by Texas prep shortstop Bobby Witt Jr. at No. 2 to the Kansas City Royals.

Though the North Bay has a solid history of baseball talent, Vaughn is now the highest MLB draft pick ever taken from the area.

After Morrow, Cloverdale pitcher Robby Rowland was selected in the third round (88th overall) in 2010, while Scott Alexander - now pitching for the Los Angeles Dodgers - was drafted that year in the sixth round by the Kansas City Royals.

Two years ago, Jake Scheiner, another Carrillo grad, was taken by the Philadelphia Phillies in the fourth round, 113th overall. Scheiner, playing for the Class A Florida State League Clearwater Threshers, was sent Sunday to the Seattle Mariners in a trade involving veteran outfielder Jay Bruce.

A sure-fire top five pick heading into Monday, Vaughn said being back home with loved ones for the draft announcement felt like “a little Christmas Day.”

He had trouble sleeping Sunday night and woke up early. He and his girlfriend went for a hike and grabbed lunch to keep himself occupied.

“Today was just a very good day,” he said.“A bunch of family and friends came over. … Hearing my name called third was unbelievable.”

The announcement, which took just a few seconds on TV, became a blur in the living room filled with jubilant friends, relatives, a couple of teammates and former Little League friends.

“Everyone kind of cheered and I just kinda hugged my family,” he said.

Vaughn’s coach at Maria Carrillo, current Cardinal Newman coach Derek DeBenedetti, said even as a preteen player, Vaughn demonstrated a calmness about him, an ability to rise to any challenge with dignity.

“It would be very, very easy for someone of his caliber of talent to not be humble … to go down that path of feeling you’re bigger than life,” he said. “But of all the people I’ve coached, at the caliber of his talent, he’s the most humble person I’ve come across.

“It makes him very easy to root for. That’s one of the reasons why he’s such a great story. You couldn’t write it any better. You know there are a lot more chapters to be written.”

You can reach Staff Writer Lori A. Carter at 707-521-5470 or lori.carter@pressdemocrat.com. On Twitter @loriacarter.