Cameron Millar’s dream senior season has culminated in a dream come true for the former Alhambra pitcher. 

Millar was selected on Sunday by the Kansas City Royals in the third round of the MLB draft (No. 97 overall), opening the door to a professional career after Millar posted a 0.11 ERA and went 7-1 on the mound for Alhambra this season in 12 appearances. 

It’s still uncertain whether he will begin his professional tenure immediately or honor his commitment to the University of Arizona. Millar already traveled to Tucson to join his future teammates, finding out about his draft selection while preparing for summer workouts. 

Whatever he decides, it won’t diminish the joy of the occasion. Alhambra coach Gabriel Sahagun was up close for Millar’s growth, and he long-distance celebrated with Millar and his family when the young pitcher’s name was called. 

“He did all the hard stuff. It’s just cool to watch, and someone who deserved it more than most,” Sahagun said. “Sometimes you see these guys, they just have it. And he obviously has it, but he also was one of those guys who really, really worked for it.”

Millar’s ascent came after a spring where he increased his maximum fastball velocity from 92 miles per hour to 97, sparking elevated interest in his pro prospects. It’s fitting, perhaps, that he was taken with the 97th pick. 

It seems to be a magic number for him.

“That’s what everybody zoned in on,” Sahagun said. “And I get it. A kid jumping from 92 to 97, that’s unbelievable in and of itself.”

Sahagun said Millar’s leadership went beyond his play on the field and was unusual even for such a skilled player.

“If I left the cage unlocked, Cameron would say, ‘Oh, yeah, coach, I’ll run over and lock it up,’” he said. “The small little intangibles as a leader, all those things everyone talks about, he had it all.”

Millar will now have to make the biggest decision of his life with help from his family, friends and advisors. He’s hunkered down in Tucson for now, trying to compartmentalize and figure out his next move. 

“He went down there, because you just never know with the draft and what’s going to happen,” Sahagun said. “So they were out there, but we were texting throughout the day in the process, me and him. It was cool. He was excited. At some point, I told him to just put his phone away. Go enjoy the family. I think he’s probably getting blown up quite a bit.”

Millar was the key to Alhambra’s season, which ended with a 13-12 record and a loss to Livermore in the North Coast Section Division II opening round. Alhambra won nine of the 12 games in which Millar pitched. 

They lost the other three 1-0, 1-0 and 2-1. Millar gave up four total runs and one earned run all season.

“We’re probably the smallest school in our division,” Sahagun said. “Technically, we’re supposed to be like a D-III, D-IV school. Everyone in our division is D-II with a splash of D-I. So having someone with Cameron’s skill set, he gave us opportunities to win every game he stepped on the mound, and that’s all we could ask for.”

Other local players selected in the MLB draft include Scotts Valley High’s Kaleb Wing (fourth round, Chicago Cubs), Aiden Taurek of Saint Mary’s College (13th round, Seattle Mariners), Stanford’s Trevor Haskins (15th round, St. Louis Cardinals) and West Valley College’s Nico Wagner (16th round, Atlanta Braves).

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Dublin High’s Elijah McNeal (20th round) will have the chance to stay local – he was selected by the San Francisco Giants. McNeal has also signed to play college baseball at UC Davis.

Notable undrafted high school players with Bay Area connections include De La Salle’s Alec Blair (ranked No. 52 by MLB.com’s 2025 prospect rankings), Irvington’s Brayden Jaksa (No. 88) and Valley Christian’s Brock Ketelsen (No. 165).

All three players are committed to colleges. Blair is playing baseball and basketball at Oklahoma and Jaksa will play baseball at Oregon. 

Ketelsen is staying local, heading to the Sunken Diamond to play for Stanford alongside fellow Valley Christian senior Quinten Marsh.