Contrades, Aloy to begin pro careers after MLB draft selections

News admin July 15, 2026 0 Comments

Contrades, Aloy to begin pro careers after MLB draft selections

HONOLULU (HawaiiNewsNow) – This year’s Major League Baseball draft is wrapped up, and four players with Hawaiʻi ties got the call of a lifetime.

The prospects selected include Nuu Contrades (St. Louis), Kuhio Aloy (Baldwin), Ben Ziegler-Namoa (Baldwin and University of Hawaiʻi), and Jack Salmon (University of Hawaiʻi).

Contrades, a clutch hitter and consistent playmaker at Arizona State, was the first Hawaiʻi standout off the board when he was drafted by the San Diego Padres in the sixth round.

“It’s awesome,” Contrades said. “Their farm system is unreal. Their big league team is really good. Just looking forward to the opportunity to go and prove myself and play for the organization.”

It’s the culmination of a thorough draft process for the ʻEwa Beach native, who spoke with executives from 20 different teams.

The opportunity to play pro ball is even sweeter after he battled through multiple injuries in his sophomore and junior seasons to earn all-conference honors.

“I wouldn’t change it for the world, because it made me a better person and a better player,” Contrades said. “It made me not take for granted any opportunity or any at bat because at any point, it could be your last one.”

Five rounds after Contrades’ selection, Baldwin grad and Arkansas slugger Kuhio Aloy was taken by the New York Mets.

“Just super excited, super ecstatic,” Aloy said. “Always dreamt about this opportunity, and it finally came true.”

Aloy, who developed a reputation as a reliable designated hitter for the Razorbacks, is opting to go pro even with two seasons of college eligibility remaining.

“It was so stressful leading up to the call,” said Aloy’s father, Jamie Aloy. “I’m super happy that it’s over. Just the discussions involved with making a huge decision like this, because it’s life-changing. We just feel great about what he decided to do and move on with his professional career.”

The Aloys aren’t strangers to the business of pro ball. Jamie was drafted by the San Francisco Giants in 1999 and last year, Kuhio’s older brother, Wehiwa Aloy, went 31st overall to the Baltimore Orioles.

“I think their passion for it shines through and definitely been blessed and grateful for the opportunity they both had,” said Aloy’s mother, Napua Aloy. “It’s a miracle for both of them to be able to do this to live out their dreams.”