The Santa Clarita Valley has a history of producing top prospects for the MLB draft, and this year is no different.

Two players with ties to Santa Clarita, Hunter Greene and Keston Hiura, are slated to be picked in the first round of the draft, tonight.

Hunter Greene, the hard throwing right hander and shortstop who graduated from Notre Dame (Sherman Oaks) this spring, is a highly-touted prospect destined to go in one of the first picks of the draft.

Green will more than likely hear his name called first overall to the Minnesota Twins, or second overall to the Cincinnati Reds. Baseball America’s latest mock draft has the Twins passing on Greene, and the Reds picking him with the second overall pick.

Another top ten pick could be Valencia ℅ 2014 graduate Keston Hiura, who finished his junior season at UC Irvine with a .442 batting average (best in the country), was named Big West Conference Player of the Year, and is a semi-finalist for the Golden Spikes award.

The Golden Spikes award is given to the best amateur baseball player in the country.

Hiura battled an elbow injury all season, and was strictly the designated hitter for the Anteaters.

Mock drafts have had Hiura getting picked at multiple positions in the top 15, but Baseball America’s latest mock draft has him being selected by the Oakland Athletics with the sixth overall pick.

Jared Oliva, another Valencia High graduate and current University of Arizona outfielder could be the next player from the Santa Clarita Valley to be picked.

The junior hit .321 and started all 59 games for the Wildcats this season. Oliva is currently ranked number 140 on Baseball America’s draft prospects list.

Other Valencia players with the possibility of being drafted include 2017 Vikings teammates’ Chase Farrell (ranked #436) and Ben Fariss (ranked #490), and current UC Santa Barbara Gaucho Colton Burns (ranked #323).

Burns transferred from COC to UCSB, where he was a utility player this year and hit .308.

West Ranch graduate Jake Bird will also appears to be on track to get drafted, as he is ranked No. 265 on Baseball America’s list of draft prospects.

After shoulder inflammation sidelined Bird early in the year, he finished his junior season with 18 appearances and a 2.75 ERA.

“My stuff (pitches) has gotten much better under Coach Savage,” said Bird. “I’ve learned a new slider,  my change up has improved immensely, and these improvements make me much more prepared for professional baseball.”

“The shoulder inflammation I suffered from this year really took away an opportunity to build up my draft stock, so I feel like the team that picks me is getting a huge bargain,” added Bird.

The draft showcases the immense amount of talent that is produced and developed in the Santa Clarita Valley, and Jake Bird attributed this collection of talent to the Hart baseball league, where most young players in the valley get their start.

“I think all of the talent being picked in the draft from the Santa Clarita Valley shows the role that Hart Baseball played on youth baseball,” Bird said. “It will be interesting to see where other players from the valley end up, and that is what I’m most excited to see. Baseball in the Santa Clarita Valley is special, there’s no doubt about that.”

“The Santa Clarita Valley takes a lot of pride in its baseball,” added West Ranch coach Casey Burrill. “This valley has a great reputation in the country, and the six schools out here are great places to play baseball, and have the opportunity to play baseball in college.”

The first round, and the competitive balance round A will be televised on MLB Network tonight.

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