Kuzul

It’s June 7, and that means the first year player MLB first year player draft is finally upon us. The likes of Alex Rodriguez, Chipper Jones, Ken Griffey Jr., and Joe Mauer have all gone first in the MLB draft.

This year, it will be Bryce Harper.

Harper memorably dropped out of high school last year and got his G.E.D. so that he could play in junior college and be draft eligible this year. Harper should be a junior in high school and would not be draft eligible until the completion of his senior year. If he went to a traditional college rather than a junior college, he would be obligated to stay for three years before being allowed to enter the draft. However, since he dropped out and attended junior college, and the rules for N.C.A.A. players are not the same for JUCO players, he is draft eligible this year.

With that said, teams find diamonds later in the draft as well. The rest of the teams across the league have the opportunity to find a great talent who may be the star of their respective rotations or lineups. Guys like Chase Utley, Jason Heyward, and C.C. Sabathia have outplayed their draft positions.

Find out if your team finds one of these types as I update after each pick and give a quick scouting report that I have complied through research over the past few months and videos accumulated online. Most of the reports are combinations found online from BaseballAmerica.com, MLB.com, and projectprospect.com.

Look back after each pick and I’ll have the player plus the report up for the first round and supplemental first round. 

1. Washington Nationals: Bryce Harper, OF, College of Southern Nevada, 6″3, 205 lbs.

This pick comes as no surprise to anyone. Harper is easily the most talented player in the draft and some say he has more power in his bat than any amateur they’ve seen. Harper ended the season with 31 home runs and an on base percentage well over .500 while stealing 20 bags. The biggest surprise about this pick is that they announced him as an outfielder.

2. Pittsburgh Pirates: Jameson Tailon, RHP, The Woodlands Hills High School (Texas) 6”6, 225 lbs

Tailon is an 18-year-old giant, standing at 6”6, 225 pounds and hits the high nineties with his heater. He throws all four pitches with his curveball being his second best at this point. 

3. Baltimore Orioles: Manny Machado, SS, Brito Private High School (Florida) 6”2, 180 lbs

Machado does everything pretty well on the field. He’s got good bat control and grades out pretty well defensively, offensively, and athletically. He’ll stay at shortstop and his lanky 6”2, 180 lb frame seems to be the prototype shortstop of the present and future. 

4. Kansas City Royals: Christian Colon, SS, Cal State Fullerton, 6”0, 180 lbs

He could move to 2B but could stay at SS as well. His bat plays well for his position. He’s not very quick and most of his value offensively comes from his bat control gap type power

5. Cleveland Indians: Drew Pomeranz, LHP, Mississippi, 6”5, 231 lbs

Pomeranz stands at 6”5 and he weighs 231 lbs, so he is a very big pitcher to say the least. He has a fastball, curveball, and changeup which all have the potential to be recognized as plus pitches. 

6. Arizona Diamondbacks: Barret Loux, RHP, Texas A&M, 6”5, 220 lbs

Loux packs a low-90’s heater with some good movement on it. In the age of the changeup, he probably has one of the most developed changes in the draft. If he focused more on his fastball and changeup combination I think he’d have more success. I’m not too big of a fan of his breaking balls. Personally, I would dump one and work extensively on the other to have a decent third pitch to counteract a great fastball and changeup combination. 

7. New York Mets: Matt Harvey, RHP, North Carolina, 6″4, 225 lbs

Harvey sits at the mid-90’s which is awfully impressive. He doesn’t have the best control or the best secondary stuff, but a big college right hander who throws in the mid 90’s is obviously what the the Mets were looking for.

8. Houston Astros: Delino DeShields Jr., 2B, Woodward Academy (Georgia), 5”9, 175 lbs

DeShields is the son of former Major Leauger Delino DeShields Sr. He was known for his outfield skill  in highschool, but he can play the infield as well. He’s full of speed defensively and on the basepaths. He’s a straight speed and defense type player who has solid bat control and can hit liners around the field. You know exactly what you are getting with DeShields, an athletic player who will tear up the basepaths. 

9. San Diego Padres: Karsten Whitson, RHP, Chipley High School (Florida) 6”4, 190 lbs

Whitson already throws in the mid-90’s and throws a slider and changeup to compliment his heater. Personally, I’d like a longer stride but he throws hard regardless. His fastball and changeup both come down about 10 mph off of his fastball.

10. Oakland Athletics: Michael Choice, OF, Texas-Arlington, 6”1, 215 lbs

Right now, Choice is a twinge outfielder. He could end up on the corners but could end up in center if he improves his range as well. His bat, obviously, would play better in center than anywhere else. Aside from Harper, most powerful bat drafted, in my opinion.

11. Toronto Blue Jays: Deck McGuire, RHP, Georgia Tech, 6”6, 218 lbs

McGuire throws in the low-90’s and has really hard slider to boot. He gets his slider up to 85-86 mph and has exceptional command. I like him better than others who have went before him. He’s got three solid pitches, including his changeup, he throws strikes and has good command, and has great size. What’s not to like?

12. Cincinnati Reds: Yasmani Grandal, C, Miami, 6”2, 210 lbs

Grandal is a switch-hitting catcher with good size and decent athleticism for the position. His bat and overall skills probably don’t equate to his draft position, but the fact that he catches and switch-hits makes him a mid first rounder. 

13. Chicago White Sox: Chris Sale, LHP, Florida Gulf Coast University, 6”5, 175 lbs

The 21-year-old, 6”5 175 lb Sale has a fastball in the low-to-mid nineties with a solid curveball and changeup. He’s recognized as a mentally strong pitcher with a great arm and a lanky frame. 

14. Milwaukee Brewers: Dylan Covey, RHP, Marantha High School (California), 6”2, 200 lbs

Covey packs a miid-90’s fastball with downward movement and a curve and changeup as his secondary pitches. His curveball is well ahead of his changeup developmentally and he’s got a solid build to him. 

15. Texas Rangers (for Matt Purke): Jake Skole, OF, Blessed Trinity High School (Georgia), 6″1, 185

Skole was injured for most of the year. He’s very raw right now and was a two sport athlete. He was a star football player on top of being a skilled and talented baseball player. This is a risky pick based on future production, but safe pick based on signability.

16. Chicago Cubs: Hayden Simpson, RHP, Southern Arkansas, 6″0, 175 lbs

Hayden Simpson is a right-hander and was a division 2 beast last season. He throws a mid-90’s fastball and two breaking balls. is an absolute surprise to get picked in the mid first rounds. He’s not quite as popular of a name as most of the players drafted before him. 

17. Tampa Bay Rays: Josh Sale, OF, Bishop Blanchet High School (Washington) 6″0, 203 lbs

Sale is a corner outfielder and a shorter one at that. He’s short but has a pretty big frame and packs a lot of power. He’s probably got the second best power stroke in the draft behind Harper.

18. Los Angeles Angels (for Chone Figgins): Kaleb Cowart, 3B, Cook County High School, 6″3, 180 lbs

Coward was mostly valued as a pitcher. He wanted to play every day, but his asking price may be too much for the Angels to get. The Angels have a plethora of picks later on, so they can take a risk like this. He’s a switch-hitter offensively and has a short righty swing a long lefty swing, both which are powerful. 

19. Houston Astros (for Jose Valverde): Mike Foltynewicz, RHP, Minooka Community (Illinois), 6″4, 190 lbs

Foltynewicz is a sinkerballer who can get it up to about 95 mph. His changeup is a solid secondary pitch while his breaking ball is lagging behind at this point. With work in the minors, he should develop into a reliable and consistent pitcher. 

20. Boston Red Sox (for Billy Wagner): Kolbrin Vitek, 2B, Ball State, 6”3, 195 lbs

He’s a pretty big secondbasemen but I think he has the athleticism to stick there. On the Red Sox, however, he will move to the outfield most likely. He’s got a decent amount of power but it’s more like gap power than home run power. He’s very fast.

21. Minnesota Twins: Alex Wimmers, RHP, Ohio State, 6”2, 195 lbs

His fastball sits pretty much at 90mph so he doesn’t have overpowering stuff. He throws a curveball and changeup to compliment the fastball but the fastball works more like a sinker. I see a Tim Hudson comparison in there somewhere despite throwing a curveball rather than a slider. 

22. Texas Rangers: Kellin Deglan, C, R. E. Mountain (Canada), 6″2, 200 lbs

Deglan is a lefty hitting catcher with very good bat control and decent power. He’ll be a decent defensive catcher, but most of his value relies in his skills with the bat and hit line drives. 

23. Florida Marlins: Christian Yelich, OF, Westlake High School (California), 6”4, 190 lbs

Most saw Yelich as a first basemen prior to the draft. Yellich is pretty small for a first basemen, but the lefty-hitting, righty-throwing first basemen/outfielder should grow into his body as he ages. I think he turns into more of a power hitter while some think he remains a bat control guy as opposed to a pop hitter. He could stay at a corner outfield spot regardless of whether he develops the power, he’ll get on base.

24. San Francisco Giants: Gary Brown, OF, Cal State Fullerton, 6″1, 180 lbs

He’s a speedy centerfielder who only moved there this season. Nearly his entire game is speed and he will need to develop more patience to use it affectively. He’s got really good bat control but again, his patience needs to be better developed. 

25. St. Louis Cardinals: Zack Cox, 3B/2B, Arkansas, 6″0, 215 lbs

Cox is a small third basemen in comparison to most major leaguers, standing at just 6”0. He made the move to second base which obviously increases his value. He’ll be a left-handed hitting second basemen with a decent amount of pop and great bat control. He’s known to be pretty slow in comparison to most second basemen, but his bat is what makes him a first rounder. I’m surprised he has slipped so far.

26. Colorado Rockies: Kyle Parker, OF, Clemson, 6″1, 200 lbs

Parker was Clemson’s starting quarterback and there are serious signability questions at this slot. It is very odd that the Rockies seem to go after college quarterbacks (Helton, Smith, and now Parker), but Parker’s athleticism cannot be denied and he would be a very productive hitter if he were to sign. 

27. Philadelphia Phillies: Jesse Biddle, LHP, Germantown High School (Pennsylvania), 6″6, 225 lbs

Jesse gets the chance to play for his home town team. He has a fastball that sits around 88 mph and his changeup is probably his strongest out pitch right now. The Phillies decided to go with a projectable lefty from their area. 

28. Los Angeles Dodgers: Zach Lee, RHP, McKinney High School (Texas) 6″4, 195 lbs

I would be shocked if the Dodgers are able to sign Lee, especially with their financial situation in flux. Lee is a top high school quarterback who is set to go to L.S.U. next season and unless the Dodgers pony up the cash to keep Lee, he’ll stick to football.

29. Los Angeles Angles (for John Lackey): Cam Bedrosian, RHP, East Coweta High School (Georgia), 6″1, 195 lbs. 

Bedrosian is the son of former Major Leaguer Steve Bedrosian. He has a low 90’s fastball with a curveball and a changeup that have the potential to grade out well. He’s very signable. 

30. Los Angeles Angles: Chavez Clarke, OF, Marietta High School (Georgia), 6″1, 190 lbs

He’s a leadoff hitter in the pros and has a ton of speed. He’s a switch-hitter who hits low liners and grounders with regularity. He’s still very young and should have time to improve his baseball skills as he’s a pretty raw talent right now. He’s perfect for the Angels style of play. 

31. Tampa Bay Rays (for LeVon Washington): Justin O’Conner, C, Cowen High School (Indiana), 6”1, 190 lbs

O’Conner is straight talent. He’s learning the catcher position part-time and his value at that position obviously skyrockets. His arm is tremendous and his hitting is decent to this point. He’s a great athlete with a ton of potential. He doesn’t quite have the experience, but his skills on the baseball field and athleticism are worth noting. 

32. New York Yankees: Cito Culver, SS, West Irondequoit High School (New York), 6″2, 175 lbs

Most see him as an outfielder, but the Yankees drafted him as a shortstop. He’s a switch hitting and long player he has a good deal of projectability. He’s got a rocket arm defensively and he is very athletic. 

Supplemental first-round:

33. Houston Astros: Mike Kvasnicka, 3B, University of Minnesota, 6″2, 210 lbs

Switch hitting third basemen with a pretty solid bat overall. Defense needs some work but he’s very athletic. 

34. Toronto Blue Jays: Aaron Sanchez, RHP, Barstow High School (California), 6″3, 175 lbs

Strong fastball with electric stuff. He’ll develop into his body a bit more and fill out before reaching the majors. 

35. Atlanta Braves: Matt Lipka, SS, McKinney High School (Texas), 6″1, 190 lbs

Lipka was Zach Lee’s wide receiver at McKinney. He’s an athletic player who may need to move from shortstop in the future.

36. Boston Red Sox: Bryce Brentz, OF, Middle Tennessee State, 6”0, 185 lbs

He’ll be a corner outfielder in professional baseball. He’s pretty quick and can hit the ball over the fence anywhere in the ballpark. His problem is his small stature for a corner outfielder. He’s pretty quick and throws the ball well defensively. 

37. Los Angeles Angels: Taylor Lindsay, SS, Desert Mountain High School (Arizona), 6″0, 170 lbs

Lindsay is a lefty hitting shortstop with a very solid bat. He’s a quick hitter and may be a future second basemen. 

38. Toronto Blue Jays: Noah Syndergaard, RHP, Legacy High School (Texas) 6″6, 215 lbs

Syndergaard is big right hander with a lot of downward motion on his fastball. Decent secondary stuff, lots of upside.

39. Boston Red Sox: Anthony Ranaudo, RHP, Louisiana State, 6”7, 230 lbs

Ranaudo is a really tall right hander who uses his height to his advantage. He throws from a pretty hard slot and has a ton of downward motion due to his height. His secondary stuff is questionable but if he can keep the ball down his arm slot should make his curveball more deceptive. 

40. Los Angeles Angels: Ryan Bolden, OF, Madison Central High School (Mississippi), 6″3, 190 lbs

He’s a straight athlete with a big right handed bat that could be a power bat as he develops. He throws lefty and bats righty. 

41. Toronto Blue Jays: Asher Wojciechowski, RHP, The Citadel, 6”4, 235 lbs

Asher sits in the low 90’s and features a slider and changeup as well. He’s a big pitcher and uses his legs to his advantage. To me, he looks like a bullpen pitcher with his repertoire.

42. Tampa Bay Rays: Drew Vettleson, OF, Central Kitsap High School (Washington), 6”1, 185 lbs

Vettleson pitches and plays the outfield, and it is currently unsure of which he’ll stick at. I think he’ll be an outfielder. He’ll be a corner guy if he does decide to hit. If he pitched, he’s a switch pitcher which is really rare to see. Obviously, he is a very athletic player.

43. Seattle Mariners: Taijuan Walker, RHP, Yucaipa High School (California), 6″5, 200 lbs

Walker is an extremely athletic multi-sport athlete. He’s got great stuff and projectability. He was a tremendous basketball player. 

44. Detroit Tirgers: Nick Castellanos, 3B, Archbishop McCarthy High School (Florida), 6”4, 210 lbs

Castellanos is one of those players that does everything pretty well without doing anything in particularly that great. He’s pretty projectable as a hitter but he will never be a star. I think by the time he would reach the majors he would have learned a few other positions for flexibility. I feel that he hit just enough to stick at any corner but won’t be someone in the top of your lineup. He could prove me wrong though.

45. Texas Rangers: Luke Jackson, RHP, Calvary Christin High School (Florida), 6″2, 180 lbs 

He’s got solid stuff with the ability to be a middle of the rotation starter. 

46. St. Louis Cardinals: Seth Blair, RHP, Arizona State University, 6″2, 190 lbs

Very good fastball and slider combination which makes him a bullpen option. He’s talented with decent control but great backend type stuff. 

47. Colorado Rockies: Peter Tago, RHP, Dana Hills High School (California), 6”1, 160 lbs

He’s got that kind of electric stuff you hear people talk about. He’s small and skinny but throws the ball in the low-to-mid 90’s. He’ll develop stuff as he progresses through the minors and I don’t really like any of his secondary stuff just yet. With that said, he’s just 17 and extremely talented. He could end up being a steal in the late first round, but I understand why teams wouldn’t take him earlier. There are surer bets that are ahead of Tago.

48. Detroit Tigers: Chance Ruffin, RHP, Texas, 6″1, 185 lbs

Ruffin was a dominant college closer and will be in the back-end of a bullpen in no time. The Tigers are wise to go after a player so close to the majors. 

49. Texas Rangers: Mike Olt, 3B, Connecticut, 6″2, 210 lbs

Olt plays shortstop and third and has a decent bat that could play at third. It would play better at shortstop should his defense progress.

50. St. Louis Cardinals: Tyrell Jenkins, RHP, Henderson High School (Texas), 6″4, 180 lbs

Dual sport athlete, committed to playing quarterback at Baylor. He’s a great athlete and has some very impressive stuff combined with solid size. 

For more on the draft you can follow me on twitter @Ben_Duronio

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