From Elk Grove and Granite Bay to Sac State, here are locals picked in MLB draft
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- Sacramento State saw three players selected in the 2025 MLB draft on Monday.
- Hornets topped major West Coast programs in Monday's draftee count, including UCLA.
- Sac State now has 32 MLB draftees under coach Reggie Christiansen since 2011.
It was already a spring to remember for the Sacramento State Hornets, and the momentum carried right into Monday in the heart of summer.
Fresh off of a Western Athletic Conference championship campaign, the Hornets on Monday saw three players picked in the Major League Baseball draft, a two-day even that saw 615 total players selected.
This now marks 32 players who have been drafted out of Sac State under coach Reggie Christiansen since 2011, and the 19th consecutive year that a Hornets player was picked.
This draft haul included pitcher Carson Latimer going in the 12th round to the Cincinnati Reds, record-setting infielder JP Smith going in the 17th round to the Minnesota Twins and pitcher Kade Brown going to the A’s in the 20th round.
Because baseball is all about competition and everyone keeps score, the Hornets noted that Sacramento State’s three draftees on Monday were more than other name college programs in the land on the same day, including: Stanford, UCLA and Washington with one each. Cal State Fullerton and Long Beach State each had none.
Christiansen said his three draftees Monday were reliable cogs this season with a high ceiling of potential in the pros.
“Really proud of these three and for what’s ahead of them,” he said. “Also very thankful to have assistant coaches dedicated to developing our players.”
The coach added, “When you look at the college programs on the West Coast that had three or more players drafted, there aren’t that many. We continue to show that we area program that can help a player chase his dream.”
Also of note, star infielder Wehiwa Aloy of Hawaii roots was with Sacramento State as a freshman along with Smith and Brown. He transferred from Sac State to Arkansas, where the shortstop became the highest drafted Maui-born player in the draft. He went 31st overall in the first round to the Baltimore Orioles.
Here’s a closer peek at Sacramento-area players drafted.
Aiden Jimenez, Elk Grove High, Arkansas
Round: 5th
Team: Kansas City Royals
Rundown: The 6-foot-3 right-handed pitcher sparkled in college as a redshirt sophomore for the Razorbacks, which competed in the College World Series last month. In a team-high 22 appearances, he went 4-1 with a save, striking out 40 in 42 1/3 innings. He was a Bee All-Metro player in high school. His father, Jason Jimenez of Elk Grove, reached the majors, and his grandfather, Ken Hottman of Elk Grove played in the bigs, making his MLB debut in 1971.
Caden Hunter, Granite Bay High, Sierra College, USC
Round: 6th
Team: Baltimore Orioles
Rundown: After his Granite Bay days, the pitcher was named the Pitcher of the Year in the Big 8 Conference while at Sierra College, and he was a factor with USC this past season, striking out 79 in 70 1/3 innings.
Carson Latimer, Sacramento State
Round: 12th
Team: Cincinnati Reds
Rundown: The 6-foot-3 right-handed pitcher from British Columbia, Latimer went 2-3 in 15 appearances. He struck out 28 in 36 2/3 innings.
JP Smith, Granite Bay High, Sacramento State
Round: 17th
Team: Minnesota Twins
Rundown: After helping power his high school team to a CIF Sac-Joaquin Section championship in 2022, the slugging Smith was a three-year anchor at Sac State and a three-time All-Western Athletic Conference pick, setting club records for career home runs, including 12 in 2025 to go with 52 RBIs.
Braeden Sloan, Woodcreek High, TCU
Round: 17th
Team: Baltimore Orioles
Rundown: A nationally recognized prep prospect pitcher in high school, the left-handed Sloan starred as an ace and then worked out of the bullpen at TCU for three seasons. He struck out 76 this season while holding opponents to a .203 batting average to win three games and save three more.
Chase Bentley, Granite Bay High, IMG Academy
Round: 19th
Team: Milwaukee Brewers
Rundown: A hard-throwing right-hander, Bentley was a three-year starter for Granite Bay, helping the team to championship seasons, and he pitched his senior season at IMG Academy in Florida, where he went 10-0 with an 0.94 ERA with 62 strikeouts and just five walks.
Anson Aroz, Placer High, Oregon
Round: 19th
Team: Los Angeles Dodgers
Rundown: A national prep catching prospect in high school, where he hit .515 with 16 RBIs as a senior, Aroz had a big season with the Ducks. He had 17 home runs and drove in 53 runs.
Kade Brown, Elk Grove High, Sacramento State
Round: 20th
Team: Athletics
Rundown: The right-handed pitcher was a third-team All-American in 2025 and a finalist for the “Stopper of the Year,” and he went 3-2 with a 2.93 ERA with 49 strikeouts, ranking fourth in the NCAA with 14 saves.
Dylan Wood, Franklin High
Round: 19th
Team: Kansas City Royals
Rundown: The hard-throwing right-handed pitcher could head to the Arizona Wildcats this fall on scholarship if he doesn’t sign a pro contract. He went 8-0 for the Wildcats of Elk Grove in 2025 with a 1.65 ERA and 100 strikeouts in 59 1/3 innings.
Freddy Rodriguez, River City High, Hawaii
Round: 20th
Team: Chicago Cubs
Rundown: The 6-3 right-handed pitcher set scores of pitching records in high school, went to Cal Poly and then transferred to Hawaii, where he went 7-2 with 52 strikeouts with two saves. He was 5-1 at home with a 1.59 ERA. Last summer in a collegiate league, he went 6-0 with a 1.02 ERA in earning West Coast League Pitcher of the Year honors with the Portland Pickles.
▪ Who’d we miss? Did a draftee slip through our cracks? Update us at jdavidson@sacbee.com
This story was originally published July 15, 2025 at 12:07 PM.