Local lefties Volantis, Bateman are early options in Major League Baseball Draft

Dylan Volantis’ momentum towards the Major League Baseball Draft started more than a year ago.

When an illness forced Newbury Park to juggle its starting rotation ahead of the last week of the regular season, Volantis found himself pitching the season finale against senior Cole Miller.

Which means the 1-0 gem he spun against the eventual fourth-round pick of the Oakland Athletics came before an audience of pro scouts.

“I was very lucky,” Volantis said. “That’s how it started.”

By the time Volantis threw the first pitch of his senior season as many as 15 scouts showed up to watch him. More than 30 were there for a his three-hit shutout of Calabasas on March 21.

Ventura County’s Year of the Lefty should continue during the MLB Draft, which begins with the first two rounds Sunday and continues through Tuesday.

Left-handed pitchers Volantis and Boston Bateman, who both enjoyed two of the best pitching seasons in county history this spring, are among the locals who could be selected early.

“I’m just in a great spot,” Volantis said. “I’m very thankful and fortunate to be where I am. My emotions are all over the place. I’m excited, although I’m not sure where I’m going to end up going.”

Volantis was 8-1 with a 0.33 ERA, powering Westlake to the Marmonte League title. The USC commit struck out 96 in 63 innings.

Volantis is ranked 148th in the draft class by MLB Pipeline, 200th by Prospects Live and 211th by Baseball America.

MLB Pipeline gave Volantis a 60 grade on his signature curveball.

“The team that likes his feel for spin and can dream on the fastball getting bigger could take a chance on the upside in the top five rounds and sign him away from his Southern California commitment,” reads his MLB Pipeline scouting report.

Bateman was 11-1 with a 0.54 ERA, powering Camarillo to the Coastal Canyon League title and CIF-SS Division 4 championship. The LSU commit struck out 130 in 64.1 innings.

Bateman is ranked 57th by MLB Pipeline, 77th by Baseball America and 131st by Prospects Live.

“Every morning, I get up and I train,” Bateman told The Star about his draft preparation last month . “I do my workout for about an hour and a half. I throw for about an hour and half. Then I eat. Basically my whole day is filled with baseball, which is what I love.”

Baseball American called Bateman “perhaps the most imposing presence on the mound in the 2024 class.”

“The LSU recruit gets high marks for his work ethic, adding confidence that he can do what’s needed to excel at the next level,” reads his MLB Pipeline scouting report.

Bryce Rainer, the Harvard-Westlake shortstop who grew up in Simi Valley, is expected to a first-round pick. MLB Pipeline and Baseball American both ranked Rainer at No. 10 in the class.

Volantis grew up playing first base in Thousand Oaks Little League.

“I had the height and the (left-handedness),” Volantis said. “It was an automatic at that age.”

He also played water polo at Westlake until coming into his own as a junior, shortly after he began weight training six days a week.

“That’s really helped,” Volantis said. “My legs were stronger. I had better command. My velocity jumped four or five miles per hour.”

He committed to USC as a junior. A year later, he had to learn to pitch as the center of attention.

“When all those Major League scouts came out, that was a big adjustment,” Volantis said. “I didn’t believe it at first. … I had to focus on staying in the game.”

He eventually came to a realization.

“They’re there for a reason,” Volantis said. “I don’t need to show up anything more than what I can do.”

Westlake has its own Major League resources in former All-Star catcher Mike Lieberthal and current All-Star outfielder Christian Yelich.

Volantis was able to pick Yelich’s brain when the Milwaukee Brewers star visited a Westlake practice earlier this year.

“He came to one of the practices,” Volantis said. “I ended up talking to him. We obviously play different positions, but I was able to ask him about his process and how it went.”

As he prepares for the draft, Volantis continues to work with Joey Hanley of Fearless Sports Performance in Westlake Village. His advisor is Erik Castro of VaynerSports.

“I’ve just been kind of doing what I’ve been doing for the summer,” Volantis said. “I work out for two hours every day and keep throwing lightly. Just keeping the arm moving.”

Joe Curley is a staff writer for The Star. He can be reached at joe.curley@vcstar.com . For more coverage, follow @vcsjoecurley on Twitter , Instagram and Facebook .

This article originally appeared on Ventura County Star: Local lefties Volantis, Bateman are early options in Major League Baseball Draft