Keep an Eye on These AppleSox Ahead of Monday's MLB Draft

Michael Toglia won WCL MVP as a member of the 2016 AppleSox.

Monday is already exciting enough with it being the Wenatchee AppleSox’ season-opener, but is also notable for being the start of the 2019 MLB First-Year Player Draft.

Former AppleSox utilityman and 2016 West Coast League MVP Michael Toglia has a chance at being a first-round selection. MLB.com currently lists Toglia as the 40th-best prospect on its 2019 Prospect Watch. At 40, he has the potential to sneak into being a first-round pick.

In 2016, Toglia hit .306 with 52 hits, seven home runs and 40 RBI, all team-bests. The Bruins first basemen entered the weekend with a 10-game hitting streak and is hitting .315 with 14 home runs, 56 RBI and a 1.009 OPS. Last season, the Gig Harbor, Washington, native hit .336 with 11 home runs, 58 RBI and a 1.037 OPS.

AppleSox head coach Kyle Krustangel has also noted that incoming Sox pitcher Jake Saum and returning outfielder Cole McKenzie could be selected in the 2019 Draft.

Saum is a UCLA commit who posted a microscopic 0.94 ERA in 52.1 innings for St. Bonaventure High School in Ventura, California. Opponents hit just .159 against Saum and he struck out 97 of them.

McKenzie just completed a stellar junior year at Purdue in which lead the team with a .317 AVG, .407 OBP, 25 walks, 65 hits and 205 AB in 2019. The junior reached base safely in each of his final 22 games and ended the season on a nine-game hitting streak.

The AppleSox have two true first-round selections, meaning that they were were not selected in the Compensation Round or beyond. Marco Gonzales was selected 19th overall in 2013 by the St. Louis Cardinals and Keston Hiura was taken ninth overall in 2017.

The 2019 MLB First-Year Player Draft begins with the first two rounds at 4 p.m. PT on Monday and can be seen on MLB Network. The Draft will continue the next two days with television coverage on mlb.com.