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Two Suffolk County ballplayers saw their Major League dreams take a major step forward Sunday night.
Michael Oliveto, a catcher who just graduated from Hauppauge High School, was selected in the first round of the 2025 MLB Draft by the Detroit Tigers. Then, in the third round, Rocky Point native Cody Miller was picked up by the Atlanta Braves.
“It’s something I’ve been dreaming about since I was a little kid,” Miller told Greater Long Island. “My dad still has some of the projects I did when I was much younger when I said I wanted to be a Major League Baseball player.”
Now, that dream is one step closer to reality.
Miller, a junior at East Tennessee State, said he was thrilled — and a bit shocked — to be taken 96th overall. He hadn’t expected to go until the later rounds. His former high school coach, Anthony Anzalone, wasn’t even watching the draft when the pick came in.
“I was watching the Jim Abbott documentary and all of a sudden my phone started blowing up,” said Anzalone. “He was supposed to be picked on Day 2. But he’s got the ‘it’ factor. He’s the consummate professional.”
Miller started every game at shortstop this season, batting .331 with 18 home runs, 58 RBI and a team-high 27 stolen bases.
Anzalone said Miller’s potential was clear from the start.
“He was our 9th place hitter when he was in ninth grade. And everyone kept saying to me, ‘Who is this kid?’ No one could get him out.”
Meanwhile, Oliveto’s former coach at Hauppauge, Josh Gutes, told Greater Long Island that he predicted greatness for the young catcher before he ever stepped foot on the varsity diamond.
“I remember a conversation I had with a science teacher when Michael was in eighth grade. I said he’d be a top 5 player in Hauppauge history. He’s a generational player.”
The numbers back it up.
Oliveto led Suffolk County in home runs as both a junior and senior. He drew 30 walks and struck out just six times this past season. He was also honored with the Blue Chip Silver Slugger Award, given to the county’s top hitter.
“He was the kind of kid where we as coaches would just stay out of the way when it came to talking about how to play the game,” said Gutes. “He understands the game different than a typical high school kid.”
Now, Oliveto faces a major decision: whether to sign with the Tigers or honor his commitment to play baseball at Yale University. If he chooses college, he’ll need to wait at least three years before becoming draft-eligible again.
No word yet on when that decision will come.
Photos
Photo credit: Axcess Baseball
