Players make case for being selected at MLB Draft Combine at Chase Field

The Arizona Diamondbacks aren't in town this week, but their home is being put to use.

Major League Baseball's Draft Combine is at Chase Field, and the two days of on-field, pro-style workouts that concluded Wednesday featured many of the top draft prospects being evaluated in several areas.

Upwards of 300 top high school and college prospects from all over the country, including Puerto Rico, accepted invitations to the third combine, and the first one in Phoenix. Pitchers threw off the mound with their pitch speed and the break of their pitches displayed on the main scoreboard. Infielders took ground balls and threw to first base, position players took batting practice, catchers made throws to second base from behind home plate and outfielders threw to home plate from the field.

The suite level at Chase Field was for individual clubs to hold interviews with the players, in advance of the draft which takes place in Seattle July 9-11 in conjunction with the MLB All-Star Game in the city.

Bill Francis, MLB Director of Draft Operations, said some 300 personnel from big-league clubs are in town for five days of interviews with prospects.

"It just gives a 25-minute window for clubs and players to get to know each other better, and better understand the evaluation process prior to having to make a decision on July 9," Francis said.

Much like the NFL and NBA combines, everything from workouts to measurements and medical evaluations to interviews with teams is all in one place at the MLB version. Several former players, including former Diamondbacks Luis Gonzalez and Chris Young, were also on hand as either MLB Network analysts or there to dispense advice and guidance to the players.

"We get to meet these guys, to get to know who they are as players, it's probably the biggest separator," Diamondbacks general manager Mike Hazen told MLB Network. "When they're drafted, all these kids can play. They can all have talent. For us to get to know what we want to get done with those players in the minor leagues, get to know who they are, how they work, we get so much more information with that. And I think that benefits the players and it benefits the club."

Former Chandler Hamilton shortstop Roch Cholowsky took part on Wednesday. The Gatorade Arizona High School Player of the Year and UCLA commit could be a first-round draft pick next month.

Cholowsky was excited to see how he measured up against the other prospects, with his whole family watching from the seats. Two days after Hamilton won the 6A state baseball championship last month, he said, he was back to working out in preparation for the combine.

"I'm just trying to be myself and show everybody what I have. Because I mean, I've got a great situation lined up for me at UCLA," Cholowsky said. "Whatever works out works out, it's meant to happen. So I'm excited wherever it takes me."

Phoenix Pinnacle's Duce Robinson, who is committed to USC in football as ESPN's No. 1 rated tight end recruit in the nation for the 2023 class, was also at the combine. He's projected as a potential Top 100 baseball draft prospect as an outfielder, but said he plans to be in Los Angeles working out prior to the football season when the MLB Draft takes place.

"USC, I feel like college football, college baseball is better when USC is good," Robinson said before getting in some swings in live batting practice. "I feel like the world's better when USC is good."

Oregon third baseman-catcher Sabin Ceballos, from Puerto Rico, was everywhere with a smile and enthusiasm on Wednesday. He was among the first to take batting practice, then moved on to shagging balls in the outfield and getting his throwing arm warmed up. From there it was taking grounders and throwing across the diamond in a drill led by former major leaguer Luis Alicea, then a few minutes to put on his catcher's gear and make throws down to second base.

Ceballos was a top performer on the Oregon team that won the Pac-12 baseball tournament in Scottsdale last month, as the underdog Ducks got to the super regionals in the NCAA tournament.

"It's another day to learn and just enjoy. No pressure, just have fun. Another day doing what we love. Every player is prepared for this moment. " said Ceballos, who was drafted in the 14th round out of junior college last year before transferring to Oregon.

His hope is to be drafted much higher this year.

"I just want to make my family proud of me. You know, I worked all my life with this," Ceballos said. "I appreciate the Oregon Ducks for giving me the opportunity to be a D-I player."

The combine might have found a permanent home in Phoenix, with Chase Field having a roof and hotels for players and personnel and families nearby. But that has yet to be determined.

"It definitely could be, you know, we evaluate on a year to year basis," Francis said. "We're trying to work through that process right now for (20)24. We don't have a 100 percent answer, but I think things have gone really well so far. And, you know, we're definitely interested in coming back."

This article originally appeared on Arizona Republic: MLB prospects let it loose at combine as draft approaches