BASEBALL AMATEUR DRAFT : Braves Pick Ex-Los Alamitos Star Kelly Second

The Atlanta Braves Monday made former Los Alamitos High outfielder Mike Kelly, a junior at Arizona State, the second pick in the amateur draft by major league teams.

Kelly, 21 and expected to be one of the top three picks, was one of five local players selected in the first round. Succeeding rounds will be held through Wednesday, but players picked in those rounds will not be announced until June 12.

The New York Yankees, who had the first pick, chose 19-year-old pitcher Brien Taylor of Beaufort, N.C. They had considered taking Kelly, but chose youth over experience.

Taylor, a left-hander from East Carteret High who has thrown as fast at 98 m.p.h., becomes only the seventh pitcher chosen No. 1 since the amateur draft began in 1965.

Kelly, 6-feet-4 and 195 pounds, batted .373 with 15 home runs, 56 runs batted in and 23 stolen bases in 62 games this season. He was Baseball America’s collegiate player of the year in 1990.

Chuck LaMar, the Braves’ director of scouting and player development, said he hoped to sign Kelly in the next few weeks. Kelly reportedly is seeking a multiyear deal worth $1 million, plus a signing bonus of about $750,000. The Yankees are expected to offer Taylor a $1-million signing bonus.

Other Southern California players selected in the first round include shortstop Dmitri Young of Oxnard Rio Mesa High, fourth, by the St. Louis Cardinals; outfielder Mark Smith of USC, ninth, by Baltimore; pitcher Tyrone Hill of Yucaipa High, 15th, by Milwaukee, and outfielder Shawn Green of Tustin High, 16th, by Toronto.

Larry Young, Dmitri’s father, said he was not surprised his son was taken by the Cardinals. St. Louis put Dmitri through at workout at Rio Mesa last month.

Young, 6-2 and 215, was a four-year starter at Rio Mesa, batted .488 and was among Southern Section leaders in hits with 159, runs scored with 137, doubles with 36, home runs with 29, and RBIs with 127.

Young, who has signed a letter of intent with the University of Miami, is expecting a signing bonus worth more than $300,000. That is the amount former Westlake High catcher Mike Lieberthal received last year when Philadelphia made him the the No. 3 pick.

Other Valley-area players selected include Burroughs High right-hander Mike Rossiter, who was taken in the second round by Oakland. The 6-6 senior struck out 103 batters in 60 2/3 innings this season. He was 3-5 with a 1.62 ERA.

The Cal State Northridge duo of pitcher-outfielder Craig Clayton and pitcher-first baseman Scott Shorts also were drafted. Sharts was selected in the 10th round by Cleveland and Clayton in the sixth round by Seattle. The Mariners said they plan to use Clayton, who was 14-5 with a 2.25 earned-run average, as an infielder.

Outfielder Joel Wolfe, a 1988 Chatsworth graduate who has played the past three seasons at UCLA, was taken in the third round by Oakland. Third baseman Andy Martin of The Master’s was selected in the 13th round by Philadelphia.

Area high school players selected include Chatsworth outfielder Mitch Root (16th round, Chicago Cubs), Canyon pitcher Erik Hiljus (third round, New York Mets), Camarillo shortstop Mike Muncy (10th round, New York Yankees) and Westlake outfielder Rob Neal (14th round, Minnesota).

Catcher-third baseman Bobby Hughes, a 1989 Notre Dame High graduate, was contacted by the Chicago White Sox but instead will accept a scholarship to play next season at USC.

Smith, a junior, said he expects to leave USC as soon as he agrees on a contract with Baltimore. The former Arcadia High standout said he plans to attend tryouts for the national team next week in Tennessee but will report to the Orioles as soon as they need him.

Last year, first-round picks averaged signing bonuses of $250,000, a 37% increase over 1989.

Smith, 6-2 and 195, led USC in hitting this season with a .333 average. He had 11 home runs and a team-high 54 RBIs. He was a three-year starter.

Being selected by the Brewers was a fitting end to a successful senior season for Yucaipa’s Hill. On Saturday, the left-handed pitcher led his team to its first Southern Section title in a 6-2 victory over Riverside Norte Vista in the 2-A Division championship.

Hill, 19, finished the season with an 11-1 record and a .035 earned-run average. Although he expected to go in the first round, no one was projecting him as high as the 15th pick.

Hill, 6-6 and 195, had not signed a letter of intent with a college yet because he was awaiting results of the Scholastic Aptitude Test.

Tustin’s Green said he is undecided whether he will sign with the Blue Jays or honor his letter of intent with Stanford.

Draft Notes

Minnesota made Stanford third baseman David McCarty the third pick. McCarty, Baseball America’s player of the year this season, hit .420 with 24 home runs and 66 RBI’s in 1991.

Times staff writers Mike Reilley, Jeff Riley, Brian Murphy and Steve Elling contributed to this story.