MLB Draft Overview: Round One

Welcome to Rising Apple’s 2016 MLB Amateur Draft Overview: Round One

Thursday evening, MLB’s 30 member clubs began selecting potential prospects from among the nation’s top eligible high school and college players.

Among the Mets’ division rivals, the Philadelphia Phillies entered this year’s annual draft holding the #1 overall pick. The Atlanta Braves picked third overall, and the Miami Marlins picked seventh overall. The Mets selected #19 overall. Meanwhile, the Washington Nationals waited patiently to make the 28th and 29th overall selections of the first round.

The Mets also benefited from a compensation pick in the first round, #31 overall.

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The 2016 Amateur Draft Top Ten Selections:

The first ten selections were split down the middle between high school and college players. The Phillies made a high school player the first overall selection, while the Reds selected the first college player.

Six pitchers and four position players comprise the top ten picks.

#1) PHILADELPHIA – With the first overall pick of the 2016 amateur draft, the Phillies selected high school outfielder Mickey Moniak. He bats left, throws right, and played center field for La Costa Canyon H.S. in California. MLB Prospect Watch ranked him #5; Baseball America nailed this pick.

#2) CINCINNATI – The Reds selected University of Tennessee junior, third baseman Nick Senzel. Many believe he was one of the top hitters on the board. However, he’s still learning how to play his position. A former DH and second baseman, he did not start playing third base until last year. MLBPW had him ranked seventh; BA had him dropping down to sixth.

#3) ATLANTA – The Braves selected left-handed pitcher Ian Anderson out of Shenendehowa H.S., New York. At 6’3″ and 170 pounds, his frame does not necessarily fit my personal prototype. he was briefly sidelined with an oblique strain earlier this season. MLBPW ranked him #13; BA did not rank him among their potential first round selections.

#4) COLORADO – The Rockies selected highly-touted right-handed pitcher Riley Pint from St. Thomas Aquinas H.S. in Kansas. He features a mid-90s fastball that broke the 100 mph barrier earlier this spring. Unlike Ian Anderson, Pint weighs in at 6’4″ and 210 lbs. MLBPW ranked him second overall; BA nailed this pick again.

#5) MILWAUKEE – The Brewers selected sweet-swinging lefty Corey Ray, a junior out of Louisville who was previously drafted out of high school by the Mariners in 2013. He projects very well in both power and speed and possesses a strong outfield arm. MLBPW ranked him #6; BA 5.0 correctly paired Ray with the Brew Crew as well.

#6) OAKLAND – Should the Athletics feel fortunate pitcher A.J. Puk outlasted the first five selections? A junior out of Florida, he was ranked #4 by MLBPW and #2 by Baseball America, and was once considered a strong favorite to get selected first overall by the Phillies. Scuttlebutt has it that scouts recently began questioning his sense of mound accountability.

#7) MIAMI – The Marlins selected left-handed pitcher Braxton Garrett out of Florence H.S. in Alabama. He is said to possess a low-90s fastball, but features a very polished curveball. MLBPW ranked him tenth; BA was spot on.

#8) SAN DIEGO – The Padres made a curious selection. Cal Quantrill is a right-handed pitcher out of Stanford, whom underwent Tommy John surgery during his sophomore season. MLBPW ranked him #22; BA saw this one coming.

#9) DETROIT – The Tigers selected right-handed pitcher Matt Manning out of Sheldon H.S., California. He features a high-90s fastball and sharp curve, with a change-up in the works. MLBPW ranked him #11; BA had him dropping all the way down to #29.

#10) CHICAGO, A.L. – The White Sox selected the first and highest-rated catcher of the draft — a college junior from “The U” of Miami. Zack Collins bats left and throws right, and was previously drafted by the Reds in the 2013 draft in the 27th round. MLBPW ranked him #14; BA 5.0 was on it again.

Winners: Reds, Rockies, Brewers, Athletics, White Sox.
Losers: Braves, Padres, Tigers.
Undecided: Marlins, Phillies.

Selections 11 through 23:

#11) SEATTLE – Highly touted outfielder Kyle Lewis, a junior at Mercer College, Georgia. Both MLBPW and BA ranked him #3 overall.

#12) BOSTON – Jason Groome was MLBPW #1 overall prospect, but only ranked #14 on BA’s 5.0 projection. He’s a big southpaw pitcher at 6’6″ and 220 lbs., out of Barnegat H.S. in New Jersey. He authored a 19-strikeout, no-hit game earlier this season.

#13) TAMPA BAY – The Rays selected third baseman Joshua Lowe out of Pope H.S. in Georgia. He bats left and throws right. He projects power and plays above average defense. MLBPW had him ranked #17; BA had him going as low as #24.

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#14) CLEVELAND – Will Benson, a 6’6″, 220 lbs., lefty-swinging outfielder from the Westminster Schools in Georgia. MLBPW ranked him #38; BA likewise projected him to go as late as #25.

#15) MINNESOTA – Outfielder Alex Kirilloff out of Plum H.S. in Pennsylvania. He was ranked #18 by MLBPW, #16 by Baseball America.

#16) LOS ANGELES, A.L. – Catcher Matt Thaiss, a junior from University of Virginia. This was the Angels second straight draft in which they selected a college catcher in the first round. MLBPW ranked him #35; BA ranked him #23.

#17) HOUSTON – Forrest Whitley is a right-handed pitcher out of Alamo Heights H.S. in Texas. he ranked #12 on MLBPW, and #30 on BA’s 5.0 projection.

#18) NEW YORK, A.L. – Outfielder Blake Rutherford is from Chaminade College Prep in California. He bats left and throws right. MLBPW ranked him much higher at #8; BA projected him falling into the Mets’ lap at #19.

#19) NEW YORK METS – Justin Dunn, a right-handed pitcher out of Boston College who boasts an occasional 100 mph fastball. He was previously selected by the Dodgers in the 37th round of the 2013 draft. MLBPW listed him at #29, but BA thought more of him at #11. Dunn is said to possess a mid to high 90s fastball, as part of a four pitch repertoire.

#20) LOS ANGELES, N.L. – MLB Network described Gavin Lux as the best (high school) shortstop of the draft. He’s out of Indian Trail Academy of Wisconsin. Ranked #33 by MLBPW, and #13 by Baseball America.

#21) TORONTO – T.J. Zeuch; RHP, University of Pittsburgh

#22) PITTSBURGH – Will Craig; drafted as a pitcher, he hit for power as a third baseman at Wake Forest.

#23) ST. LOUIS – Delvin Perez; attended International Baseball Academy in Puerto Rico, but is quite the controversial pick. A #9 rated prospect by MLBPW, he went unlisted by BA in their first round preview. A week before the draft, he tested positive for PEDs.

Compensation Picks, Selections 24 through 34:

#24) SAN DIEGO – Hudson Sanchez; 3B/SS, Carroll High School, Texas

#25) SAN DIEGO – Eric Laurer; LHP out of Kent State.

#26) CHICAGO, A.L. – Zack Burdi; RHP, Louisville.

#27) BALTIMORE – Cody Sedlock; RHP, Illionois.

#28) WASHINGTON – Carter Kieboom; 3B/SS, Walton High School, Georgia.

#29) WASHINGTON – Dane Dunning; RHP, Florida

#30) TEXAS – Cole Ragans; LHP, North Florida Christian High School.

#31) NEW YORK METS – Anthony Kay; LHP, UCONN. As compensation for Daniel Murphy, who signed with Washington, the Mets selected Kay, a southpaw out of the University of Connecticut. MLBPW had him ranked #43 on their draft list, while Baseball America remained on target with their mock draft projection at #31 overall. In addition to UConn, Kay pitched in the Cape Cod League in 2014 and for Team USA last season. He is said to possess a mid to low-90s fastball made more effective by a quality change-up.

#32) LOS ANGELES, N.L. – Will Smith; catcher, Louisville.

#33) ST. LOUIS – Dillon Carlson; high school outfielder out of California, left unranked by MLB.com’s top 200 prospects.

#34) ST. LOUIS – Dakota Hudson; RHP, Mississippi State

Selections by position:

Pitcher 18
Outfield 7
Shortstop 4
Catcher 3
Third Base 2

An equal number of high school players and college players were selected in the first round.

Teams with multiple first round picks: San Diego (3), St. Louis (3), NYM (2), L.A. Dodgers (2), Washington (2), ChiSox (2).

Round One Thoughts:

For the first time as general manager of the Mets, Sandy Alderson did not draft a position player with his first overall selection. In fact, he bucked a trend of selecting high school players with his #1 pick in four of his five previous drafts by opting for a college pitcher this year.

But his first two selections weren’t necessarily what I had in mind. The Mets have a lack of organizational depth at several key positions, so I thought investing their first two picks on more position players was in order.

But, considering the inconsistencies of Rafael Montero, the trading away of Michael Fulmer, and the general thinning of the mid-organizational pitching ranks, I can understand why Alderson chose to replenish with college level hurlers.

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