photos: Anthony DeModna

Oliveto; from Hauppauge, NY was drafted 34th overall in the 2025 MLB Draft by the Detroit Tigers.

 

Jordan: Talk about what type of training and workouts you are doing in Lakeland, Florida?

Michael: Here in the morning, we start with some conditioning, get our running in, our sprint work, getting us in the shape for the season, build up some stamina and then we’ll do our hitting we’ll hit in the cage, off the machine and some days we’re hitting out on the field and other days we have this traject machine. It’s really awesome it can put any pitcher on a screen and it looks like it’s their delivery and arm slot and that’s good to start working in even though it’s not live arms it’s close as you can get to seeing a live arm so that’s awesome. Then we’ll do our catching stuff off the machine catching bullpens just getting reps in and trying to get in shape for the season and then we do workouts. Workouts now are starting to get a little lighter as we get closer to start time more at home the past couple months when I was back in New York it was more heavy lifting and trying to gain muscle and gain some weight but now it’s more about getting the body be able to be prepped to withstand the long season.

Jordan: Talk about last summer with the FCL Tigers in the Florida Complex League.

Michael: Yeah, so I was down here for four months after the draft and the season ended two months in. So, they didn’t really have us playing games we did the Bridge League. It was basically some scrimmages against the Blue Jays rookie guys and it was no stats just kind of getting our feet wet into pro ball. I think they had me on the roster for the FCL team but I never was at any of those games it was just the Bridge League for us.

Jordan: Last July what would you say you and your family’s initial reaction was after you got drafted? You had just worn your cap and gown at Hauppauge High School a couple weeks prior and now you’re with the Detroit Tigers!

Michael: I mean a lot happened really fast with the whole draft process and school ended last few days of June so there were basically two weeks from graduation to the draft. It was awesome. My parents have been my biggest supporters. They gave up so much to help me get to where I am and help me follow my dream and there was a lot of emotion after it. It was a really special night and it was a lot of hard work and time that all seemed to come together on that draft day and it was really just an awesome experience to be able to share it with my family and friends and coaches.

Jordan: How would you say growing up in Hauppauge paved the way to becoming a professional baseball player?

Michael: I think the whole community has been so supportive from growing up playing in Little League and going to the Hauppauge baseball camps at our high school there would be a bunch of those and the players would run those camps and I grew up got to play on varsity and then I was the player that was helping running those camps and working with those kids that I was at one point it was awesome to be able to see I was in these kids shoes and this past year there was so much support from younger kids, the alumni, the coaches, the whole community, the teachers, everyone it was a really great experience and having such a close community it takes a village so that really helped me get to where I am right now.

Jordan: A lot of people have an innate talent they were born with, when would you say in your life you realized that you really could go pro?

Michael: I mean, that’s always been my dream and I never really thought about “maybe this is real” it was always going out playing having fun playing whiffle ball in the backyard just enjoying it and I really grew to love the game and it’s all I’ve ever wanted to do with my career and this past year or so is when it really started to seem like it was going to be a possibility. I was kind of late to the process and my name kind of got out there a little later cause I didn’t do many of the showcases or anything, I would just play in the tournaments and I went to Jupiter for the Perfect Game Tournament in October of 2024 and I played well and that’s really when I got my first interests from pro teams so it was really fast that everything happened after that because that was in October and then draft is in July about nine months later, it all happened really quickly so that’s when it became OK this can really happen but it’s always been in my mind that I could just keep working and keep chasing after this dream.

Jordan: How excited are you for Spring Training in February?

Michael: Oh, I’m pumped up. I’m really eager to get going and see what it’s about. This is something you always as a kid are like oh, “they report for Spring Training” and now I’m reporting for Spring Training! So, it’s a really cool thing and I’m very excited to get moving.

Jordan: What are your goals for your first season of professional baseball?

Michael: I don’t necessarily have any number wise goals or level goals I just want to be able to go have fun, compete, and just stick to the process. I can’t ride the highs and you can’t get down when your in a slump. Just stay in even and level and just competing and trying to win at bats, win every pitch, and stick to the process and the results will come and just being able to go out and compete. This first year it’s going to be an adjustment for sure coming from high school ball but I’m hoping and I’m confident that I’ll be able to just stick to the process and keep trying to win each pitch and keep my mental state and I think that will be a successful year in my mind.

photos: Anthony DeModna