- September 6, 2024
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Ryan Waldschmidt could be next in line.
The former Braden River High baseball star was drafted by the Arizona Diamondbacks with pick No. 31, a supplemental pick between the first and second rounds in the 2024 MLB Draft on July 14.
Waldschmidt, a junior outfielder, spent one season at Charleston Southern University before transferring to the University of Kentucky. In 2024, Waldschmidt broke onto the national scene thanks to his hitting. He overcame a summer league ACL injury to hit .333 with 14 home runs, 46 RBIs, 41 walks and 25 stolen bases in 213 at-bats. He was named to Baseball America's All-American Third Team.
Waldschmidt now hopes to become a star in pro baseball. He is the East County area's second first-round MLB draft pick and hopes to be the fifth player from Braden River High, Lakewood Ranch High or the Out-of-Door Academy to reach the MLB level.
Here's a look at how the four East County players to reach the majors fared:
A first-round pick of the New York Mets, No. 12 overall, in 2003, Lastings Milledge went straight to the pros after graduating from Lakewood Ranch High. Before he left, he helped the Mustangs win the Florida High School Athletic Association Class 5A state championship.
Milledge, an outfielder, made his Mets debut in May 2006. Though Milledge never became the perennial All-Star player the Mets hoped he would be, he played in the major leagues through the 2011 season, spending time with the Mets, Washington Nationals, Pittsburgh Pirates and Chicago White Sox. He then spent three seasons playing baseball in Japan for the Tokyo Yakult Swallows, and one season with the Lancaster Barnstormers of the Atlantic League of Professional Baseball.
Milledge finished his MLB career with a .269 average, 33 home runs, 167 RBIs and 40 steals, as well as a .989 fielding percentage.
A Braden River High alum, Myles Straw played the outfield at St. Johns River State College after graduation. Despite playing at a small school, Straw caught the attention of MLB scouts because of his speed and defense. He was selected in the 12th round of the 2015 MLB Draft by the Houston Astros.
Straw's athleticism allowed him to climb the Astros' organization with relative quickness. He made his MLB debut in 2018. Though he was never a full-time starter with Houston — primarily being used as a utility outfielder and defensive replacement — he stayed on the Astros roster until he was traded to the Cleveland Guardians in 2021.
Straw saw more regular playing time with the Guardians. His best season was 2021 as he hit .271 with 29 doubles, 48 RBIs and stole 30 bases. Straw was waived by the Guardians prior to the 2024 season and has spent the entirety of the year with the AAA-level Columbus Clippers.
A catcher from Lakewood Ranch High, Mike Ohlman was drafted by the Baltimore Orioles in the 11th round of the 2009 MLB Draft straight out of high school. Ohlman signed with the club, but toiled in the club's system for six years, never getting past the AA level.
Ohlman's contact was purchased by the St. Louis Cardinals in 2015. He stayed with the organization for two years, reaching the AAA level. Ohlman signed with the Toronto Blue Jays organization before the 2017 season and finally got a chance, albeit a brief one, to play in the major leagues. Ohlman made his MLB debut on May 9 against Cleveland and recorded his first hit on May 15 against Atlanta.
Ohlman would be sent back to AAA after a May 19 game against Baltimore. He was recalled for two games in August of that season, but that was the end of Ohlman's MLB career. He spent the 2018 season with the Boston Red Sox organization before leaving baseball. Ohlman finished his career with three hits (.231 average), an RBI and a run scored.
Gus Schlosser pitched for Lakewood Ranch High before graduating in 2007. He spent two years pitching for the State College of Florida, Manatee-Sarasota, before transferring to Florida Southern College, where he spent another two years and showed glimpses of being a dominant pitcher. As a senior, Schlosser held a 2.90 ERA over 96.1 innings.
He impressed the Atlanta Braves, who selected Schlosser in the 17th round of the 2011 MLB Draft. He put up good numbers at each level of the minor leagues and made his Braves debut on March 31, 2014, in a relief role against the Milwaukee Brewers. He pitched 1.2 scoreless innings in that game. It would be one of the best performances of his MLB stint — Schlosser made 15 appearances for Atlanta that season and finished with a 7.64 ERA.
Schlosser was traded by the Braves, along with pitcher David Hale, to the Colorado Rockies for catcher/first baseman José Briceño and outfielder Chris O'Dowd in 2015. Schlosser never reached the majors with Colorado, nor in his final professional season with the Los Angeles Dodgers organization in 2016.
