Arizona Sees High-Level Recruit Sign With MLB

Arizona baseball under Chip Hale had been bounced in regional play all three seasons and really had been close to making a super regional during that time. And despite ending the regular season by losing five out of its last eight games, the Wildcats were able to get hot and make a run to the College World Series with the season coming to a close after going 0-2 against Coastal Carolina and Louisville.

During the run, Arizona’s offense was able to keep the team in games helping them advance to the next round. The Wildcats averaged 6.5 runs throughout 11 postseason games and scored 10-plus runs four times and twice in the Eugene Regional.

The starting rotation will have talent coming back in Smith Bailey and Owen Kramkowski set to take on bigger roles after ending the season on a high note with the two combining for 11 innings of work in the CWS while striking out 11 batters while giving up just five runs.

The postseason success for Arizona was followed with the program seeing nine players selected in the 2025 MLB Drafted, which was highlighted by stars Brendan Summerhill, Aaron Walton and Mason White all going in the first fourth rounds.

Even with things going in the right direction, that hasn’t stopped Hale from looking across the country and seeing what players the Wildcats can snag in the portal to improve the 2026 roster.

In all, Arizona has been able to bring in eight transfers ahead of the window closing, which has officially closed for the time being.

Hale is working on retooling his roster and getting ready for the 2026 season. However, his Wildcats will be down a top-level recruit as right handed pitcher Cameron Millar has signed with the Kansas City Royals.

The Royals drafted Millar in the third round with the 138 overall pick and now have signed him to his rookie deal with a signing bonus of $1.49 million, which is $709,000 above the slot value.

This marks the second UA signee in the last three years to get drafted by the Royals and sign their rookie deal. The first was Blake Wolters in 2023 when he signed a $2.8 million deal.

As the Wildcats try to retool their roster with Hale landing guys from the portal and developing players within the current roster, it is a good sign that teams are interested in players Arizona is recruiting out of high school.