Whenever Joey Oakie got on the mound last year, a parade of scouts armed with radar guns seemed to follow.
Oakie pitched for Team USA, participated in the Perfect Game All-American Classic and was a regular on the Area Code circuits. He knew when he saw as many as 60 scouts watching him that the 2024 Major League Baseball Draft would be an important event for him.
“It gets you fired up,” Oakie said.
Plenty of eyes will be on Oakie again this weekend when the three-day draft kicks off Sunday. The hard-throwing right-handed pitcher from Ankeny Centennial High School is projected by some to be an early-round selection. That’s if a team is willing to offer him the amount of money required to convince Oakie to pass on a scholarship to play for the Iowa Hawkeyes.
“It’s a weird feeling,” Oakie said. “I want to know whether I’m going to play professional baseball in Florida/Arizona or go to the University of Iowa. Either way, I’m chasing my dream of becoming an eventual MLB baseball player. So it just depends on me, which opportunity I want.”
The Centennial senior boasts tons of potential and talent. He owns a fastball that has been clocked in the high 90s and could eventually reach triple digits. Oakie has widely been considered one of the top talents in the state for several years, having played on some of the nation’s biggest stages. Now another big stage: the draft. Rounds 1 and 2 will be held Sunday in Fort Worth, Texas. Rounds 3-10 are scheduled for Monday, and rounds 11-20 will be held Tuesday.
“I have good opportunity coming towards me,” Oakie said. “I’ll have a big decision come Sunday.”
There’s no question that Oakie is good enough to be drafted. Whether he will or not hinges on his signability. Teams typically negotiate with potential draft prospects before selecting them. That way they aren’t wasting a potential pick on a player who won’t sign. Because Oakie has the option to play for the Hawkeyes, a team he grew up cheering for, he can command top dollar.
Oakie wouldn’t say how much it would take to lure him away from college ball or whether a team has been willing to give him that amount. He’ll have a better idea as the draft progresses. He has spent most of the summer keeping his attention on his high school season.
“I’ve had some meetings with different teams in the past couple of weeks,” Oakie said. “During the (Centennial baseball season), I didn’t really want to hear about anything. So I kind of asked to be kept quiet because I wanted to focus on playing the game with my friends and playing baseball and pitching for my high school team.”
But now the draft is in plain sight. Oakie is ranked as the 46th-best prospect in the draft by MLB.com. One National League scout told the Register that Oakie could land in the second round, possibly around the time Iowan Mitch Keller went in the 2014 draft. Keller, a native of Cedar Rapids and an established MLB star, was taken by the Pirates in the second round with the 64th overall pick.
The Pirates were able to keep Keller from playing at North Carolina by giving him a reported signing bonus of $1 million, well beyond the assigned value of the pick. Something similar could happen to Oakie. The NL scout said Oakie has the potential to be a big-league starter or a late-inning reliever down the road.
“The slider is a big-league out pitch, sometimes right now,” the scout said.
But because there are so many high school right-handed pitchers available, and because of the time it takes to develop them, Oakie might not get the money he's looking for. On the other hand, a team might decide to roll the dice on a young pitcher who is still developing and already has so much talent.
Oakie said he doesn't know if he'll be able to finish his high school season if he decides to sign. One thing he does know: He plans to watch the draft Sunday with his family.
"It's going to be interesting," Oakie said.
Other Iowans who could be drafted
Joey Oakie isn't the only Iowan to keep an eye on when the draft begins. Several other native Iowans could hear their names called over the course of the next few days. Here's some other names to pay attention to.
Brody Brecht, right-handed pitcher, Ankeny and University of Iowa: Projected by many analysts to be a first-round pick.
Trever Baumler, right-handed pitcher, Dowling Catholic: Baumler has been attracting attention from scouts for years. He's committed to play at TCU. His brother, Carter, plays in the minor leagues with the Baltimore Orioles.
Blake Larson, left-handed pitcher, IMG Academy: Larson was a star southpaw in high school at Dowling Catholic but decided to attend the prestigious IMG Academy. MLB.com ranks him the 104th-best prospect in the draft.
Marcus Morgan, right-handed pitcher, Iowa: Morgan was a star at Iowa City West High School and at times was one of the best pitchers on the Hawkeyes' staff. MLB.com ranks him the 247th-best prospect.
Cade Obermueller, left-handed pitcher, Iowa: Obermueller flashed plenty of potential during his stint with the Hawkeyes. Even better, the former Iowa City High standout was impressive at the MLB Scouting Combine. His dad, Wes Obermueller, is a former big-leaguer. MLB.com ranks him as the 214th-best prospect.
Sam Petersen, outfielder, Iowa: Petersen, who hails from Huxley, boasted a big bat for the Hawkeyes. He hit .333 for Iowa last season. MLB.com ranks him as the 205th-best prospect.
Jackson Wentworth, right-handed pitcher, Kansas State: Wentworth was on the radar of MLB scouts while he was pitching at Waukee High School. After a successful stint at K-State, he's likely to be picked this time around. MLB.com ranks him the 164th-best prospect.
How to watch
The MLB Draft is scheduled for July 14-16 during All-Star Week in the Dallas area. The draft will feature 20 rounds across the three days.
Sunday: first two rounds, compensatory rounds, competitive balance rounds and prospect promotion incentive selections. MLB Network, ESPN, 6 p.m. CT.
Monday: Rounds 3-10, mlb.com, 1 p.m. CT
Tuesday: Rounds 11-20, mlb.com, 1 p.m. CT
Tommy Birch, the Register's sports enterprise and features reporter, has been working at the newspaper since 2008. He's the 2018, 2020 and 2023 Iowa Sportswriter of the Year. Reach him at tbirch@dmreg.com or 515-284-8468.
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