A rare gem: Okemos star Caleb Bonemer among Lansing area's best baseball prospects ever

Caleb Bonemer had already hit a home run when he stepped back into the box for another at-bat last July during the Perfect Game National Showcase at the home of the Arizona Diamondbacks in Phoenix.

On a stage with some of the nation's best high school baseball prospects, the day quickly became even more memorable when Bonemer blasted another ball deep into the seats beyond the left field fence at Chase Field.

It was quite the moment for the Okemos senior standout shortstop and pitcher, who a month earlier had been named the Gatorade High School Baseball Player of the Year in Michigan.

And performances like that throughout last summer have contributed to the growing buzz surrounding Bonemer on the national level. Over the past nine months, his name has become popular with baseball prospect analysts and last month he was named a preseason All-American by Perfect Game.

Websites such as MLB Pipeline, Future Star Series and FloBaseball have put Bonemer on a pedestal that no high school player from Greater Lansing has ever achieved: They all project he will be a first-round pick in the Major League Baseball draft in July.

"It's pretty cool," said Bonemer, who is committed to play in college at the University of Virginia. "You see it on social media and stuff. You definitely see it. Personally, I just try to focus on what I've got to do and get my work in. I think as long as I do that and stay mentally focused, everything will take care of itself.

"It feels good to know that the hard work definitely pays off, but at the end of the day all that matters is getting to work every day and getting better every day."

Just 25 Michigan high school baseball players have been taken in the first round of the baseball draft since it was instituted by MLB in 1965. The list includes notable names such as Kalamazoo Central's Derek Jeter (1992), Detroit Catholic Central's Frank Tanana (1971) and Waterford Kettering's Kirk Gibson (1978). The last Michigan high school player selected in the first round was Bloomfield Hills Brother Rice's Nick Plummer, who was taken 23rd overall by the St. Louis Cardinals in 2015.

"It's exciting for everybody," Okemos baseball coach Raul Presas said. "Obviously he gets a lot of attention locally and nationally. We were in Florida (for spring break) and there were a couple handful of scouts at every one of our scrimmages. It's obviously a great thing for him. It gives a little bit of energy to the rest of the group. They feed off of that."

More: Get to know Okemos senior and Major League Baseball draft prospect Caleb Bonemer

Boosted by big brother

First-round draft picks in baseball tend to come from states with warmer climates like Florida, Georgia, Arizona, Texas and California where players are able to play year-round. But Bonemer's emergence is putting a spotlight on Michigan talent.

The journey to being a projected first-round draft pick was largely shaped by his family. Bonemer can recall from an early age spending hours and hours at fields with his father, Barrett, and his older brother, Gabe, sharpening his hitting and fielding skills.

Friends quickly noticed the work Bonemer put in — and his talent. Brennan Walton remembers a U9 tournament they played in when Bonemer was promised by his grandparents $50 for each home run he hit. Bonemer cashed in that weekend during what Walton remembers being a four-game tourney.

"I think he hit six bombs," Walton said. "It's how he conducts himself — he never thinks he's too good. He hit six home runs, but it was OK, cool, we won. That's what he's excited about. It's not the six home runs or the money that he got.

"It's stories like that and him just being a dog, truthfully. There's so many moments of just him (in a big at-bat). He doesn't mind it."

Bonemer regularly played with older age groups as he was growing up. After that U9 season, Bonemer played up with Gabe, who is now a junior infielder at Calvin University. Bonemer's talents continued to stand out and he's taken it to another level since arriving in high school. Last season he hit .548 with 12 doubles, three triples, 12 home runs, 43 RBIs and had 16 stolen bases on his way to being named to the Michigan High School Baseball Coaches Association Dream Team.

"Probably one of the biggest things for me as a really young kid was being able to play up with him and his buddies," Bonemer said. "(They) definitely developed me a lot because I was playing three ages up as a little kid. I give a lot of my success to him and working out with him and things like that.

"He's a great player, too. I definitely think he can keep playing this game. I attribute a lot of my success to him and my family."

More: Get to know Okemos senior and Major League Baseball draft prospect Caleb Bonemer

Sharing traits with the greats

Presas is familiar with being around top high school talent; he played against and with John Smoltz during the 1980s. Smoltz — who went on to star in the Major Leagues for 21 season and is now in the Baseball Hall of Fame — was the last area player to generate such big-time buzz during his high school career at Waverly, including one of the most iconic moments of the Dean Shippey Diamond Classic when he hit a game-winning homer in the title game in 1985.

Presas sees some key similarities between Bonemer and Smoltz.

"They were just never satisfied," Presas said. "They always wanted a little bit more. They always were looking to improve their game. They never rested anything on their talent. They never let talent get in the way of their desire to get better. I would say those are the common things when you compare the two.

"Caleb approaches the game like he has everything to prove and everything to gain. He's only trying to prove to himself that he can get better. His work ethic is unmatched. Everything that he's earned — all the recognition has come because a lot of hard work and a lot of commitment on his part and the part of his family as well."

And Bonemer is determined to maintain that approach even with the many eyes that will be on him in the months to come as he navigates his senior season for the Wolves and then awaits his MLB draft fate in July.

"(We) know how humble he is and he does hate the attention," Walton said. "He just loves the game. It's what's important to him. It's insane to think half of us will be in college and he'll be playing in (a pro organization). Hopefully he can continue to do what he loves to do. That's the goal."

But before Bonemer starts thinking about his future, he wants to help Okemos put together the best season it can. Bonemer helped the Wolves claim a district title last season with his three-homer game against Grand Ledge in the title game. He also contributed to a CAAC Blue title in 2022.

Bonemer's goal is to block out all the external hype and help the Wolves be in the mix for CAAC Blue, Diamond Classic and district titles.

"I just focus on winning games and trying to make our team the best we can be," Bonemer said. "I think that's really all I try to focus on is the team and winning games."

Contact Brian Calloway at bcalloway@lsj.com. Follow him on X @brian_calloway.

This article originally appeared on Lansing State Journal: Okemos star Caleb Bonemer projected as possible 1st round MLB draft pick