Kala‘i Ho‘okele Rosario was named the 2023 MiLB High-A Midwest League MVP.
Born in Papaikou, Rosario played baseball for Waiakea HS before getting drafted out of high school by the Minnesota Twins in the fifth round of the 2020 Draft (overall pick No. 158).
The outfielder played this season for the Cedar Rapids Kernels, batting .252 with 21 home runs, 94 RBI and an on-base-plus-slugging percentage of .831— helping lead the Kernels to their first Midwest League title in nearly 20 years.
He had a four-game home run streak in June, htting homers during every game of a series against the Lansing Lugnuts.
This month, Rosario recorded a pair of two-run homers and a pair of three-run homers. He tallied 24 RBIs in June, 19 in July, 18 in August and 16 in May.
Rosario was near-perfect in the field at .984 — notching 175 putouts and 14 assists in 192 chances, with just three errors.
He was also named a Midwest League Post-Season All-Star, and is currently the Twins’ No. 19 prospect.
Rosario was activated Friday by the Glendale Desert Dogs of the Arizona Fall League. The Desert Dogs will play their first outing Oct. 2 against the Salt River Rafters.