Like many others Irvine baseball player Mikey Filia waits for a chance to fullfill his dream

Mikey Filia (left) with his father Mike Filia last year. (Photo courtesy Filia family)

Like many baseball players with Major League dreams, former Irvine High and UC Irvine baseball player Mikey Filia is playing the waiting game.

Minor league baseball was cancelled this season because of the coronavirus pandemic, so Filia, who was selected by the Kansas City Royals in the Major League draft in 2019, is waiting and trying to stay ready for when he gets a chance to prove himself again.

“We haven’t really heard much, obviously (Major League) baseball is back which is a plus and I’ve been continuing to work out and train; you never know if maybe we have instructs (instructional leagues),” said Filia, who was selected in the 31st round.

“We had instructs last year in the September, October area. You never know if that will happen or if we’re just preparing for spring training in the February or March area.

“They could call me tomorrow and say, ‘hey we’re going to do instructs or we’re going to play,’ or whatever it’s going to be so I’m just training every day like I need to be training.”

Filia was at spring training with the Royals organization for two weeks in Arizona this year when the Major League season was postponed. No minor league games were played.

“I was honestly super surprised,” he said. “We thought we would come back, not obviously quick but sooner rather than later but then the numbers started getting higher and stuff started happening, you come to the realization that we probably won’t be playing this year unfortunately. But you just have to keep working hard and getting better every day and getting ready for either instructs or spring training.”

Filia said he isn’t sure what will happen the rest of this year.

“I don’t know about this year because with the coronavirus it’s tough to be doing these things right now,” he said. “I’m hoping we can do some sort of baseball activities but I’m just preparing every day like we’re going to be playing soon.

“The waiting game is tough. I’m at home working out and working to get extra money and doing things that I normally wouldn’t be doing during this time. It’s a little bit different, but I’m just trying to enjoy the time with family and friends and enjoy the time off and getting after it in the weight room and doing the things I need to do.”

Filia, a 2015 Irvine High graduate, went to play for the Burlington Royals in Burlington, N.C. last year after being drafted.

Before that, he completed his junior season with UCI, where he earned a baseball scholarship. He redshirted his freshman year. Filia had a .250 career batting average and was third on the team in RBI, starting every game in center field.

Filia said he was pleased with his first season with the Royals organization.

“It went well, I don’t know my exact stats, but I had a really good season,” he said. “I started off being an every other day player and then I worked hard to become an every day player.”

However, Filia said he sustained an injury and was out a few weeks.

“But I ended up coming back to play in the playoffs every game and then we ended up unfortunately losing the last game of the championship,” he said.

“You don’t want to be injured during that time, especially when you’re playing well and playing every day. Everything happens for a reason and it was a great season and I met a lot of great guys.”

Filia, fully recovered and healthy, realizes he has challenges ahead but said he he still has dreams of playing Major League baseball one day.

“Growing up, I wanted to play football, I was a big football guy,”
said Filia, who also played football at Irvine. “And baseball was just another sport I played. And then all of a sudden, I think in my junior or senior year in high school, it kind of just flipped the switch for me that baseball was my dream and I wanted to go all the way with baseball. I’ve been grinding ever since to reach my goals and I’m going to continue to do that until I reach my goals.

“I am very determined; I know it’s going to be tough with everything going on. Not only that, it’s with me being a later round pick and it’s harder and the odds are against you. But I’m determined to show what I have and I hope it is the Royals, but if it’s not the Royals, some team will give me the opportunity to fulfill my dream.”

-Tim Burt, OC Sports Zone; timburt@ocsportszone.com