Local sluggers go high in draft

After a record-setting season and career at Chatsworth High, Mike Moustakas was regarded as a probable top-10 pick going into Major League Baseball’s first-year player draft.

But when Commissioner Bud Selig announced Thursday that the Kansas City Royals had chosen him with the No. 2 overall selection during the first televised draft, even Moustakas was caught off guard.

“It was unbelievable,” said the power-hitting infielder, who watched the broadcast with his family. “When they announced my name, it was news to all of us.”

Moustakas was the first of three Southland high school players selected in the first dozen picks. The Chicago Cubs took Cypress High third baseman Josh Vitters at No. 3, and the Florida Marlins took Chatsworth third baseman Matt Dominguez at No. 12.

Clemson left-hander Daniel Moskos, who played for La Verne Damien High, went fourth to the Pittsburgh Pirates.

Oakland made UC Riverside pitcher James Simmons the first player from a local college to be selected when the Athletics took him with the 26th pick of the 30-player first round.

The Dodgers, picking 20th, selected pitcher Chris Withrow of Midland Christian High in Texas, then took University of Tennessee left-hander James Adkins with the 38th overall pick in the supplemental portion. The Angels, who did not have a regular first-round pick, chose 58th and took pitcher Jonathan Bachanov of University High in Orlando, Fla.

Three other Southland players were selected in the supplemental portion of the draft, between the first and second rounds: Lakewood High catcher Travis D’Arnaud, who was taken 37th by Philadelphia; Cal State Fullerton pitcher Wes Roemer (50th, Arizona); and Long Beach Wilson High infielder Ryan Dent (62nd, Boston).

The Tampa Bay Devil Rays surprised no one when they chose Vanderbilt left-hander David Price with the first overall pick.

Then came Moustakas.

“We have felt strongly about him being an impact bat, which is something that obviously you want to get with the No. 2 selection in the country,” Royals scouting director Deric Ladnier told MLB.com. “We feel strongly that he will stay at shortstop. He is an athletic kid with good hands, plus his arm, feet are good. He is a baseball player with character makeup.”

Moustakas, 6 feet, 185 pounds, is a two-time City Section player of the year who helped lead the Chancellors to two City titles. He hit a state-record 24 homers with 59 runs batted in this season.

“I had an unbelievable season, we won the City title and now this,” said Moustakas, 18, who has signed a letter of intent with USC. “It can’t get much better.”

The 6-3, 195-pound Vitters was slowed this season by a bout with pneumonia, but he still batted .371 with eight homers and 25 RBIs. Vitters has signed a letter of intent with Arizona State.

Vitters, 17, attended the draft in Lake Buena Vista, Fla. After his selection, he became the first draft choice ever to pose -- wearing a Cubs hat and jersey -- next to Selig.

“This was really important -- a once-in-a-lifetime opportunity,” Vitters told reporters. “I’m glad to be part of it. There’s definitely some electricity, especially before I got picked. My heart was racing.”

Dominguez, 17, experienced the same sensation several times because of the number of top prospects named Matt. Dominguez’s emotions rose and fell listening to Selig announce Georgia Tech catcher Matt Wieters as the fifth pick by Baltimore and University of Florida outfielder Matt LaPorta as the seventh pick by Milwaukee.

“It was nerve-racking, kind of stressful, but I got through it and was happy where I ended up,” he said. “I’m pretty stoked.”

Florida General Manager Larry Beinfest, a Chatsworth High graduate, went back to his roots in selecting Dominguez, who slugged 13 homers with 41 RBIs this season. A slick fielder with a 6-2, 185-pound frame, Dominguez has signed a letter of intent with Cal State Fullerton.

Moustakas and Dominguez are the fifth set of high school teammates to be selected in the first round since the draft began in 1965.

“It was amazing what those two guys accomplished from day one, and for them to get the rewards is testimony to their work ethic and who they are,” Chatsworth Coach Tom Meusborn said. “It’s a great day to be a Chancellor.”

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gary.klein@latimes.com

eric.sondheimer@latimes.com

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Local interest

The first five rounds (and supplemental picks) of Major League Baseball’s first-year player draft were completed Thursday, and 30 of the 184 players selected had local ties:

*--* Pk Name Pos. Last team MLB team 2. Mike Moustakas IF Chatsworth HS Kansas City 3. Josh Vitters 3B Cypress HS Chicago (NL) 4. Daniel Moskos LHP Clemson/La Verne Damien Pittsburgh HS 12. Matt Dominguez 3B Chatsworth HS Florida 26. James Simmons RHP UC Riverside Oakland 37. Travis D’Arnaud C Lakewood HS Philadelphia 50. Wes Roemer RHP Cal State Fullerton Arizona 62. Ryan Dent SS Long Beach Wilson HS Boston 73. Barry Enright RHP Pepperdine Arizona 74. Greg Desme OF Cal Poly San Luis Obispo Oakland 76. Mike Stanton OF Sherman Oaks Notre Dame Florida HS 78. Freddie Freeman 1B-OF El Modena HS Atlanta 91. Danny Worth SS Pepperdine Detroit 93. Brant Rustich RHP UCLA New York (NL) 94. Austin Romine C El Toro HS New York (AL) 95. Nick Barnese RHP Simi Valley HS Tampa Bay 96. Daniel Duffy LHP Lompoc Cabrillo HS Kansas City 105. Daniel Carroll OF Valley View HS Seattle 110. Evan Reed RHP Cal Poly San Luis Obispo Texas 131. Eric Farris IF Loyola Marymount Milwaukee 136. Bryan Petersen OF UC Irvine Florida 152. Reggie Williams SS Bellflower HS Minnesota 156. Adrian Ortiz OF Pepperdine Kansas City 160. Brad Meyers RHP Loyola Marymount Washington 172. Thomas Eager RHP Cal Poly San Luis Obispo St. Louis 175. Marc Rzepcynski LHP UC Riverside Toronto 184. Adam RHP Pepperdine New York (AL) Olbrychowski

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*--* DODGERS SELECTIONS Pk Name Pos. Last team 20. Chris Withrow RHP Midland Christian (Texas) HS 39. James Adkins LHP Tennessee 86. Mike Watt LHP Capistrano Valley HS 116. Austin Gallagher 3B Manheim Township (Pa.) HS 146. Andrew Lambo OF-1B Newbury Park HS 176. Kyle Blair RHP Los Gatos (Calif.) HS

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*--* ANGELS SELECTIONS Pk Name Pos. Last team 58. Jonathan Bachanov RHP Orlando (Fla.) University HS 118. Matt Harvey RHP Fitch (Conn.) HS 148. Trevor Pippin OF Middle Georgia College 178. Andrew Romine SS Arizona State/Trabuco Hills HS

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Associated Press