​Two more Arizona State players were chosen on the second day of the MLB draft, bringing ASU’s total to three selections. Senior infielder Nu’u Contrades was picked by the San Diego Padres in the sixth round, 186th overall, while pitcher Derek Schaefer was selected by the St. Louis Cardinals in the seventh round, 204th overall. These selections follow the earlier pick of pitcher Cole Carlon, who went in the first round to the Toronto Blue Jays, 39th overall, on July 11.
Contrades, who hails from Ewa Beach, Hawaii, played four years for ASU. His 2025 season was shortened by a hand injury that kept him out of the postseason. In 2026, he emerged as the team’s second-leading hitter behind sophomore outfielder Landon Hairston. He appeared in 53 games, starting 49, and posted a .366 batting average on 74 hits in 202 at-bats. His stat line included 15 doubles, a triple, 21 home runs, 48 runs scored, and 61 RBIs. Contrades delivered a standout postseason performance as well, belting four homers in the Lincoln Regional. Notably, he hit a grand slam in ASU’s 17-0 win over South Dakota State, and he went deep twice in a 14-inning marathon defeat to Mississippi in the opening game of the event.
Schaefer, a local product from Cactus Shadows High School, was used primarily as a reliever and served as ASU’s closer. He appeared in 31 games out of the bullpen, finishing with a 1-3 record and a 5.88 ERA, but notched nine saves. Over 33.2 innings, he allowed 22 earned runs and 14 walks, while striking out 42. His performance in relief helped stabilize ASU’s late-game situations throughout the season.
In addition to the Sun Devils’ selections, Arizona’s Owen Kramkowski, a junior right-handed pitcher, was the first from the Wildcats to be chosen in this draft, going to the Tampa Bay Rays in the fifth round. Kramkowski’s selection marks a notable moment for a program that had several players drawing attention from MLB scouts, even while ASU continued to produce a number of talent-rich rosters.
This report synthesizes information from multiple sources, including coverage of the MLB draft on July 11 and July 12, and references the broader context of Arizona State and Arizona’s recruiting and draft outcomes. The content highlights Contrades’s and Schaefer’s selections and places them in the context of the teams’ seasons and postseason performances, including Contrades’s significant contributions during the Lincoln Regional.