Saguaro High phenom Cam Caminiti joins Atlanta Braves as 24th overall pick in 2024 MLB Draft

Caminiti went 9-0 in games pitched last season and led the Sabercats to their first state title in more than 13 years.

SCOTTSDALE — Ahead of the 2024 MLB Draft, Saguaro High School’s Cam Caminiti was a prominent name on many teams’ radars. The 17-year-old proved his dominance as a senior and earned the right to be called by name Sunday in the first round, where he was selected 24th overall by the Atlanta Braves.

“This is an incredible organization and I feel so good to be here tonight,” Caminiti told ESPN after being selected. “It’s incredible. I was a little nervous at first, but I’m so excited to take the next step in my journey and I couldn’t be more excited,”

Caminiti is the cousin of Ken Caminiti, who was voted National League MVP in 1996. Ken, who died in 2004, played for the Braves in 2001 and finished his 14-year career with three consecutive Golden Gloves and three All-Star appearances.

Caminiti has made a name for himself on the Arizona baseball scene with his incredible versatility on the mound and with a bat in his hands, while living up to his family name in more ways than one. In 52 ⅔ innings pitched last season, Cam struck out 119 batters and had a 0.93 ERA. He went 9-0 in games pitched last season and led the Sabercats to their first state title in over 13 years.

He struck out 11 batters in the 4A championship against Canyon del Oro High School.

“Playing both fields is very versatile. It helps you get to the next level faster. If you’re better at one, it gives you the opportunity to do more on the baseball field and that’s huge,” Caminiti said. “There’s nine fields on a baseball field and if you can play five or six of them, then you’re golden.”

Caminiti is looking to utilize his dual-threat abilities in Atlanta’s pitching development system. Not only are his pitching abilities a bonus over most draft prospects, but his outfield play and hitting abilities have proven that he is versatile in all aspects of the game.

On the mound, Caminiti has excellent pitch selection with a fastball that hovers between 93 and 95 mph and has even reached 98 mph. His slider and curveball have immense range and spin, and he can consistently strike out with both. He added a changeup to his repertoire in his final season, which has made him one of the toughest young pitchers to face in the United States.

From the batter’s box, Caminiti made 69 at-bats and posted a .493 batting average. He proved indispensable in the lineup with 33 runs, 28 RBIs and three home runs in 29 games.

In a career-best game against Deer Valley High School, Caminiti struck out the first 16 batters he faced in five innings. He opened the game with a clean inning and recorded a four-strikeout inning two innings later. Since 1888, only two MLB pitchers have accomplished that feat in the same season.

Caminiti did it in a high school game.

“I was as surprised and upset as everyone else. There aren’t many games where the pitcher can strike out 16 batters in a row and get a no-hitter,” said Dom, Caminiti’s father. “I was very surprised.”

Caminiti’s progression has been rapid. He wasn’t expected to be eligible for this year’s draft class, but an early graduation and reclassification beckoned him in June 2023 after meeting with scouts.

“In the early summer of 2023, Cam played in a club tournament where he threw a no-hitter and struck out 13 batters. There were scouts there, and they were the first ones to ask him if he was going to move up,” Dom said. “We were already thinking about it, but the scouts helped Cam realize that he really had a chance to do it.”

The stars aligned, allowing Caminiti to graduate earlier than expected.

“Saguaro really helped me fit all the right classes into a schedule that worked for me and helped me achieve that dream of moving to the next level,” Caminiti said. “It allowed me to play in better competition sooner and limit the risk of injury during the high school season.”

Caminiti is the first Arizona high school pitcher to be drafted since the Tampa Bay Rays selected Matthew Liberatore in 2018 with the 16th overall pick out of Mountain Ridge High School. Liberatore is currently pitching in the St. Louis Cardinals’ rotation and is 2-2 so far in the 2024 season.

Caminiti now has a choice between Sunday’s selection and a commitment to Louisiana State University. However, with the impressive development of pitchers in the Braves’ farm system, it’s unclear where he might end up.

“I’m very excited,” Caminiti said of his future. “But I’ll be thrilled wherever I’m chosen to go and whether it’s MLB or LSU, it’ll be a great opportunity for me.”