The Philadelphia Phillies made sure talk about how unpredictable the 2016 MLB draft class was didn’t go unwarranted by selecting Mickey Moniak with the first pick in Thursday’s draft.
So began a wild ride as the draft process rolled through the first 41 picks, counting compensation selections and the Competitive Balance Round A.
Teams attacked the board in aggressive fashion, selecting from a pool of elite high school and collegiate prospects to round out their farm systems and ensure a competitive future.
Whether it was Florida pitcher A.J. Puk falling out of the top five or something else, Thursday’s Round 1 demands attention before the draft continues Friday. Here’s a look at a Round 1 listing and grades for each franchise.
2016 MLB Draft Day 1 Results
Round 1 Grades
Round 1 Picks to Know
2. Cincinnati Reds: 3B Nick Senzel, Tennessee
In a draft class without much in the way of certainty, the Cincinnati Reds chose to throw the full force of their weight behind a prospect who boasts an incredible floor at the plate.
Tennessee’s Nick Senzel confirmed the draft isn’t about upside more than anything, as the Reds made him the pick at No. 2 hoping his bat continues to develop and that he can actually stay at third base.
It wasn’t long ago ESPN.com’s Keith Law ranked him eighth on his big board and offered strong praise:
The most advanced college hitter in the draft, Senzel also has improved his defense at third base to the point where most scouts believe he’ll stay at the position. That said, the raw power he has shown in batting practice has yet to show up in games, making him a high-floor player but perhaps without much ceiling.
One of the few non-pitchers in the draft who can make a notable impact on the majors soon, Senzel is just the type of player to help a mid-market team like the Reds reload.
Keep an eye out for Senzel soon.
6. Oakland Athletics: LHP A.J. Puk, Florida
The aforementioned Puk looked like a prospect who could come off the board to Philadelphia at No. 1 before an odd free fall out of the top five.
Inconsistency seems to be the key here, as Puk posted a 3.21 ERA over 15 starts on the season with the Gators. He’s massive at 6’7″ and 230 pounds, but clearly scouts wanted to see more for him to seize the top slot in an iffy class.
Still, Puk was by far the best college arm in the class and boasts huge upside. That said, he’s got some learning to do about his new home, as John Shea of the San Francisco Chronicle humorously pointed out:
The staff in Oakland will want to help Puk get his control in check, but from there it’s all systems go as far as what could be a fast ascent into a rotation in some capacity.
As far as value goes, the team famous for the movie Puk mentioned did great here.
11. Seattle Mariners: OF Kyle Lewis, Mercer
Say hello to the prospect who could be the steal of the 2016 draft.
Lewis, a freakish athlete who comes in at 6’4″ and 210 pounds, hails from Mercer and made a name for himself quickly once he committed to baseball.
Let an ESPN.com scouting report do some of the talking:
Lewis’ sophomore campaign and subsequent Cape Cod League stay were a revelation. He hit .367 with 17 homers (seventh in the country), slugged .677 (eighth) and his tools stood out above his teammates on a loaded Orleans club during the summer. The catalysts for such success: plus bat speed and athletic gifts that have counterbalanced some mechanical excess.
Or let Lewis himself explain why he has perhaps more upside than any player in the class, as captured by MLB.com’s Greg Johns:
It’s not often a team can sit around outside of the top 10 and can grab a player who probably should have come off the board in the top five, but so it goes for the Seattle Mariners here.
Seattle now has an elite all-around prospect on its hands who can make an impact soon. Add the proverbial chip on the shoulder to the alarming ceiling, and Lewis’ name could ring out in Seattle for a long time.
23. St. Louis Cardinals: SS Delvin Perez, Colegio Individualizado PJ Education School (P.R.)
Delvin Perez was one of the biggest stories entering Thursday’s draft after he reportedly failed a drug test, according to Jon Heyman of Today’s Knuckleball. It was later reported by Law that Perez’s failed test was due to a performance-enhancing drug.
Rather than coming off the board in the top five as the draft’s top shortstop, Perez took a nosedive to No. 23 with the St. Louis Cardinals.
For the Cardinals, it couldn’t be a smarter move given the team’s standing in the draft, as Derrick Goold of the St. Louis Post-Dispatch pointed out:
Perez had to come off the board at some point. He’s a high school prospect with a reported performance-enhancing-drugs issue on his resume, but there was always going to be a team willing to take a risk with available resources to gamble.
Keep in mind, too, this could have been smooth maneuvering by the Cardinals. Maybe St. Louis wanted to wait and grab Perez at a later pick, but the San Diego Padres likely had an interest and clutched the two picks after this one.
St. Louis now has one of the youngest players in the draft with a borderline immeasurable amount of upside after a fall down the board.
Stats and info courtesy of MLB.com unless otherwise specified.
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