Surrounded by family and friends in the backyard of his Holbrook, NY home, Rafe Schlesinger took a call from his agent expecting to be selected by the San Diego Padres. The Cleveland Guardians had other plans.
Schlesinger was taken in the fourth round, 113th overall, and is the first player from Sachem East to be drafted. He is the first Sachem player since 2014 when Alec Sole went to Tampa in the 18th round and is the 10th Sachem alum drafted all-time.
“It kind of set in when my name got called,” he said after lighting cigars and popping champagne to commemorate the achievement. “It was a hectic moment where one team calls and another team counter offers. I thought I was going to be a Padre for a minute. The next thing you know, my dad tapped me and said you’re going right here. It was a surreal moment. It was a reflection on the hardships in my career, but this makes it all worth it.”
Jockeying between picks to outmaneuver other teams, the Guardians wanted the 6-foot-3 left-handed pitcher who touched 97 mph with his fastball this year.
“Coming into the day, we had the mindset to be opportunistic on whatever the best players are available and their fit into the organization,” Guardians vice president of scouting Paul Gillispie told MLB.com. “I think it just happened to be a pitching-heavy day today.”
Schlesinger, who pitched for the Long Island Titans in travel ball, Iwas converted from a reliever to a starter in 2024. In three seasons, he was 9-6 with a 5.01 ERA and 115 strikeouts. At Sachem East, Schlesinger was an All-Long Island selection and won the Gibson Award as the top pitcher in Suffolk County. He went 4-1 with a 0.70 ERA and 80 strikeouts as a senior.
“We first saw him in eighth grade at a pitching lesson, saw his arm, and we knew from his demeanor and mindset that he would be great,” said Sachem East coach Kevin Schnupp.
Schlesinger shares a unique path with Neal Heaton, who pitched at Sachem and Miami and was drafted by Cleveland. He went on to play 12 seasons in the big leagues and was an All-Star in 1990.
He will likely sign his contract in the coming days.
“I’m ready to get to work,” he said. “My advisors were calling me saying, ‘Congratulations,’ but I was saying, ‘Congratulations to the Guardians.’ They’re going to get all of me. I believe in myself. I don’t want to sound arrogant; it feels like I have the upper edge on guys mentally. I’m ready to get to work. I have spoken to people in or around the organization who said they are one of the best pitching organizations, so the fact that they can finally get their hands on me and work with me one-on-one, I am excited to roll.”
Sachem Players Drafted by MLB Teams
- Neal Heaton, Class of 79: Drafted 2nd rd 1981, Indians (drafted by Mets out of HS too)
- Larry Huggins: Class of 79: Drafted 28th rd 1983, Reds
- Al Labozzetta, Class of 80: Drafted 5th rd 1984, Tigers
- Eric Reichenbach: Class of 88: Drafted 6th rd 1991, Mets (drafted by Blue Jays out of HS too)
- Jason Alaimo, Class of 93: Drafted 37th rd 1996, Marlins
- Andrew Gordon, Class of 92: Drafted 25th rd 1996, Cardinals
- Mike Parisi, Class of 01: Drafted 9th rd 2004, Cardinals
- Kevin Fitzgerald, Class of 02: Drafted 45th rd 2005, Cardinals
- Alec Sole, Class of 11: Drafted 18th rd 2014, Rays
- Rafe Schlesinger, Class of 21: Drafted 4th rd 2024, Cleveland