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The MLB draft is quite the different animal than its NBA and NFL counterparts. 

That isn’t to say it’s less entertaining or important. Whereas the other two leagues helped popularize the draft process for everyone to look for help now and later, the MLB edition is almost strictly about the later and the rounding out of farm systems.

Case in point, the lengthy process this weekend, which rattled off 77 selections beginning with the Philadelphia Phillies Thursday, then went through Rounds 3 through 10 Friday—to total 316 picks so far—to set up what should be a wild end to the weekend.

Before Day 3 gets started Saturday at noon on MLB Network, let’s run down important selections and grades to know.

2016 MLB Draft Rounds 1-3 Results

Full results through Round 10 available at MLB.com.

2016 MLB Draft Grades

Notable Draft Classes After Friday 

Texas Rangers 

The Texas Rangers slot as one of the most notable classes to know through 10 rounds, thanks to them nabbing one of the steals of the draft. 

First, though, it’s important to know the Rangers wanted to attack the bullpen at all levels in a hurry, hence selecting six pitchers with their first 10 picks in the class.

This process started with the selection of Cole Ragans at No. 30, a moldable prospect at 6’3″ and 190 pounds who received strong praise from an ESPN.com scouting report:

The stuff is solid and trending up. Ragans was 87-91 last summer and is now touching 93 with solid feel for a 12-6 curveball in the low-70s. While it has good depth and shape, curveballs that slow are rarely dominant offerings, and the pitch probably only projects as average. It’s possible that, as Ragans continues to fill out, he just naturally starts throwing everything a little harder and squeezes more out of Uncle Charlie.

The steal, though, was pitcher Alex Speas in the second round, a prospect with some of the most upside in the draft and a rocket for an arm, as Brian Sakowski of Perfect Game USA pointed out:

Indeed, the future looks bright for Texas on the mound if the coaching has the desired effect.

But the strong class doesn’t stop there. Grabbing pitcher Kyle Cody in the sixth round looks like a steal considering Minnesota drafted him in the second round one year ago. Speaking of value pitchers, Hever Bueno in the ninth round is a guy who probably would have come off the board earlier if he hadn’t suffered an injury.

After attacking a need with great value, it’s hard to hate the class so far by the Rangers. 

San Diego Padres

Sometimes a team playing it safe and striking balance over the course of a lengthy process isn’t a terrible idea. 

Look at the San Diego Padres, who seemed to go out of their way to keep the value consistent at each pick, as JJ Cooper of Baseball America detailed:

San Diego’s first two picks on their own personify this strategy to a point.

Taking pitcher Cal Quantrill at No. 8 seemed the obvious choice given the approach, as the prospect who continues to work his way back from Tommy John surgery likely would have come off the board even higher had he not suffered the issue.

ESPN.com’s Keith Law expanded on the situation: “Quantrill was a potential 1-1 (No. 1 overall) pick had he stayed healthy through the draft, and the 6-foot-3 right-hander could be huge value for some team in the late-first or early-compensatory rounds.”

It’s a similar value story for the team with its additional pair of picks in the opener round. The Padres used No. 24 on high-upside shortstop Hudson Sanchez and grabbed Kent State pitcher Eric Lauer right after.

Long story short, San Diego had 13 picks to work with and hit the necessary need spots such as pitcher (10 of them), shortstop and second base, all with a strong commitment to value in the hopes it provides depth over the long term.

Boston Red Sox

When reviewing the first two days of action this year, it’s a mainstay, such as the Boston Red Sox, that appeared to come away with the biggest steal of the draft, landing the team on any and all notable draft lists. 

The reason? Pitcher Jason Groome, the prospect the Red Sox made the No. 12 pick of the draft.

An offering from Jon Heyman of Today’s Knuckleball says quite a lot about the selection:

So does one by Joe Giglio of NJ.com after the draft:

Indeed, Boston takes a big risk with Groome in hoping they can actually get him signed while hanging on to the majority of their draft class.

And the rest of the draft class looks good too, starting with shortstop C.J. Chatham in the second round. From there it was all about balance, as Boston grabbed a few more pitchers and hit on the outfield, shortstop again and third base.

While maybe not one of the best overall classes right now, the upside is there. It’s worth monitoring because of this and the fact the Red Sox have to find a way to balance the checkbook and keep Groome around, as well as pick and choose what other prospects stick with the organization.

Stats and info courtesy of MLB.com unless otherwise specified.

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Two days into the 2016 MLB draft, a handful of franchises must hope fortune will favor the bold.

In a class lacking can’t-miss phenoms, teams searching for difference-makers were forced to roll the dice and accept a substantial amount of risk. Health hurdles, off-field issues and signing concerns caused top talents to plummet down the board until daring organizations swung for the fences.

A fair professor would wait until 2020 or later to grade all 30 teams. Looking back at 2013’s draft, everyone still gets an incomplete beside the Chicago Cubs, who earn an A-plus for snagging Kris Bryant with the No. 2 overall selection.

The internet, however, is not a fair place, so let’s jump the gun and assemble immediate assessments for each franchise. Full information is available on MLB.com.

Boldest Picks

San Diego Padres: SP Cal Quantrill (Pick No. 8)

Pitchers get hurt far too often for anyone’s liking. This could cause cautious teams to avoid spending precious draft capital on hurlers, but it could also add incentive to stockpile as many promising arms as possible.

Realizing nobody can avoid the inevitable, the San Diego Padres used their first pick on a pitcher who has already undergone Tommy John surgery.

Stanford’s Cal Quantrill sat out an entire season after undergoing the procedure to repair his pitching elbow on March 20, 2015. According to ESPN’s Keith Law, the righty could have gone far higher if not for that major setback:

He submitted a 2.57 ERA in 129.1 innings at Stanford, compiling 118 strikeouts to 42 walks. Per MLB.com’s AJ Cassavell, the Padres won’t have to wait around for his debut.

The Canadian prospect wisely didn’t risk returning and re-aggravating his throwing elbow before the draft. Yet it took guts for the Padres to spend a top-10 pick on someone who hasn’t pitched in nearly 15 months. Considering it also held the No. 24 and 25 picks, they must have felt someone else would have gladly taken the plunge instead.

Tommy John surgery is commonplace, and it has saved several careers, with pitchers returning without missing a beat. It’s also far from a perfect cure. For every Jose Fernandez and Stephen Strasburg there’s a Josh Johnson and Kerry Wood who never came back the same.

San Diego took the ultimate risk-reward gambit on a potential ace. Like many of the team’s past moves, it could pay major dividends or blow up in its face.

Boston Red Sox: SP Jason Groome (Pick No. 12)

Like Quantrill, Jason Groome was also once considered a legitimate candidate for the No. 1 pick. The Boston Red Sox landed the player with the highest ceiling when the high-school southpaw fell into their laps at No. 12.

It’s either the steal of the draft or a wasted selection.

Before the draft, MLB.com’s Jonathan Mayo and Jim Callis reported the New Jersey native changed his college commitment from Vanderbilt to Chipola College, a junior college in Florida. By going to the two-year school, he can declare for the draft after his freshman or sophomore year. At a four-year university, he’d need to wait three years.

This maneuvering gives him signing leverage, as the 17-year-old can try again next year if Boston doesn’t meet his demands. According to Yahoo Sports’ Jeff Passan, he still wants to be paid like a top pick despite sliding outside the top 10:

MLB.com rated him as the class’ top prospect. Already a menacing presence on the mound, he wields a mid-90s heater and deadly curve that Law described as the best he has seen since Washington Nationals prospect Lucas Giolito.

Mitigating some risk, the Red Sox would receive a compensatory pick at the end of next year’s opening round if Groome doesn’t sign. It’s a chance worth taking for a potential star.

St. Louis Cardinals: SS Delvin Perez (Pick No. 23)

Delvin Perez is a top-tier talent once considered a probable top-five selection. After Jon Heyman of Today’s Knuckleball reported he failed a drug test, he tumbled all the way to No. 23.

Some will call the St. Louis Cardinals shrewd for snagging the 17-year-old shortstop far below his original market value. Others, however, will raise an ethical red flag in protest of the Red Birds’ choice.

As seen in the video above, Harold Reynolds lambasted the Cardinals for the selection during MLB Network’s broadcast, calling it “a bad message for baseball.”

Per MLB.com’s Jenifer Langosch, Cardinals general manager John Mozeliak explained his organization’s thought process. 

“Our takeaway on this is that we understand he made a mistake,” Mozeliak said. “We understand that he realizes that this cost him a lot. But he also realizes that at 17, his future is still ahead of him. What we tried to decide basically is, ‘Are we willing to forgive?'”

St. Louis’ starting shortstop, Jhonny Peralta, tested positive for performance-enhancing drugs three years ago, shortly before signing with the Cardinals. Nelson Cruz has become one of baseball’s best sluggers since his 50-game ban. Those veterans were given a second chance, so why blacklist a teenager?

Few critics will dislike this pick for reasons outside of his PED use. The Puerto Rican prospect brandishes an elite glove and quick bat that are advanced for his age. Let’s slow down with the Carlos Correa comparisons, but his talent proved enough that St. Louis was willing to handle the resulting backlash.

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After an exciting first day, the MLB draft resumed on Friday with less firepower than Thursday.

The third round kicked off Friday’s fast-paced Day 2 of the draft, and there were some notable picks in Round 3 that boosted, lowered or kept teams’ draft grades the same.

Here’s a refresher of Thursday’s beginning to the draft, as well as some added names from Day 2.

Top Steals

Jason Groome, LHP, Boston Red Sox (No. 12 pick)

Six pitchers went ahead of Jason Groome before the Boston Red Sox took the Barnegat High School left-hander with the 12th pick.

Groome could have easily gone in the top 10. He’s a 17-year-old with a 96 mph fastball and a ridiculous curve to boot. He even threw a 19-strikeout no-hitter in his senior year. For a pitcher his age, to have the kind of stuff he has is impeccable. Keith Law of ESPN.com had Groome high on his board:

Behind A.J. Puk, who was taken with the sixth overall pick by the Oakland Athletics, Groome might be the second-best pitcher in this draft with his great overall command of his pitches. Based on what Groome brings to the table, the Red Sox showed they believe in him, per Pete Abraham of the Boston Globe:

The only downside for Groome, according to Jeff Passan of Yahoo Sports, is he wants top-five money. He thinks he’s deserving of it, but the Red Sox may think differently. Based on Abraham’s assumption, Boston may have enough faith to give him that type of money.

Alex Speas, RHP, Texas Rangers (No. 63 pick)

The Texas Rangers made it clear pitching was a priority early in the draft. More importantly, they wanted hard-throwing guys who could be valuable bullpen pieces down the road.

Enter Alex Speas, a hard-throwing right-hander with potential No. 4 starter-quality stuff.

Speas has a fastball that can go as high as 96 mph and a vicious sinker. The only downside is his lack of command in his off-speed pitching, but there’s potential for that to improve.

Nonetheless, the Rangers need bullpen help, and it looks like their plan is to use their youth to address their relief pitching in the short term.

Jheremy Brown of Perfect Game is high on the selection of Speas:

It is an upside pick with little downside. Speas could have a role on the Rangers in one way or another. He should be considered for Texas’ closer role in four or five years if he has a strong minor league showing.

Buddy Reed, OF, San Diego Padres (No. 48 pick)

Here’s a bit of news that’s not surprising: The San Diego Padres need help.

They need dynamic playmakers, pitching and baserunning. In short, the Padres need a bit of everything.

San Diego addressed pitching in the first round with Cal Quantrill and Eric Lauer, but they grabbed a dynamic outfielder in Florida center fielder Buddy Reed early in the second round.

Reed is a rare talent. He has good size at 6’4″, terrific length and speed to run the bases effectively. He’s also a good hitter from both sides of the plate and even has the occasional pop.

Reed was one of many Florida Gators drafted on Thursday, resulting in a good day in Gainesville, per the team’s official Twitter account:

Given the Padres’ track record of struggling baseball, Reed will need some time to develop his game. But he’ll get the chance to be an everyday player for the Padres after a few years. 

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The Baltimore Orioles selected Preston Palmeiro, the son of four-time MLB All-Star and 500-home run club member Rafael Palmeiro, in the seventh round of the MLB draft.   

Preston, 21, is a left-handed bat and right-handed glove who made a name for himself as a first baseman at North Carolina State. 

Baseball America‘s Michael Lananna provided a brief overview of Palmeiro’s skill set: 

As a junior at NC State, Palmeiro flashed one of the nation’s steadiest swings from the left side of the plate. According to D1Baseball.com, Palmeiro batted .337 with a .412 on-base percentage, 55 RBI and 20 doubles during the 2016 season. 

However, questions have lingered regarding the youngster’s power. This past season, Palmeiro jacked just nine home runs and slugged a rather average .539. 

But even though Palmeiro doesn’t possess power that conjures up memories of his father’s, he has superb vision at the plate. 

“He understands what the pitcher is going to throw,” NC State catcher Andrew Knizner said, per the News & Observer‘s Joe Giglio. “And he only swings at strikes. He just knows how to take the right pitches.”

Considering his father churned out 3,020 hits and boasted a .288 batting average over the course of a 20-year career, it’s not surprising Preston is so disciplined with the bat in his hands. 

Palmeiro will need to develop a bit more power if he hopes to one day make an impact on an every-day basis, but there’s no doubt his refined skill set lends itself to a prosperous career down the line. 

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Player: Preston Palmeiro

Position: 1B

DOB: Jan. 22, 1995 (21 years old)

Height/Weight: 6’1″, 190 lbs

Bats/Throws: L/R

School: NC State

Previously Drafted: Not Drafted

Background

Scouts saw plenty of Preston Palmeiro during his freshman season at NC State in 2014, as they turned out in droves to watch a pair of eventual first-round picks in left-hander Carlos Rodon and shortstop Trea Turner.

The son of MLB standout Rafael Palmeiro has steadily improved since going undrafted out of high school, and this year scouts are making the trip to Raleigh specifically to watch him.

A part-time player as a freshman, he took over as the Wolfpack’s starting first baseman as a sophomore and hit .305/.381/.456 with 13 doubles, seven home runs and 49 RBI.

He followed up that strong spring by playing alongside another MLB legacy, Cavan Biggio, on the right side of the Harwich Mariners infield in the Cape Cod League.

Now he’s trying to get out from under his famous father’s shadow, as he explained to Stan Grossfeld of the Boston Globe:

I’ve been blessed to be around baseball my whole life and my dad accomplished and taught me so much. The only curse is there’s always expectations. Everyone expects you to be the best. Every game I’ve played it’s always Rafael Palmeiro’s son, its never just Preston Palmeiro.

His junior season has been his best yet, as he’s hitting .337/.412/.539 with 20 doubles, nine home runs and a team-high 55 RBI and earned Second Team All-ACC honors for his work.

The question now is just how high his ceiling is offensively, as he’ll need to produce to have a shot at sticking at a premium offensive position.

Pick Analysis

Palmeiro has a smooth, left-handed stroke that’s drawn plenty of comparisons to the swing that netted his father 3,020 career hits.

Perfect Game offered up the the following scouting report:

Though he doesn’t sport the typical build often associated with the first base position, and he could make a move to the outfield due to his athleticism, he certainly swings the bat and it’s one that would play anywhere on the field.

On top of the professional approach at the plate Palmeiro has shown the ability to work all fields with comfort, hitting for both average and strength. The hands are both extremely quick and loose in his swing as he generates plenty of bat speed through the zone with an exceptional feel for the barrel head and natural leverage at the point of contact.

He’s shown the ability to adjust to off-speed mid-swing, which further reassures his approach and also speaks to his hand-eye coordination.

As a good contact hitter and solid overall athlete, the determining factor in whether Palmeiro can develop into an MLB regular at first base will be the development of his power game.

MLB Player Comparison: Mark Sweeney

This is admittedly not the most exciting comparison for Palmeiro, but it’s one that would be perfectly acceptable at this stage in the draft.

Mark Sweeney carved out a solid 14-year career as a part-time player and left-handed bench bat, displaying enough athleticism to play both corner outfield spots as well as first base.

Palmeiro is a plus defender at first but could be asked to add some versatility as a pro, since he doesn’t possess the requisite power most teams look for in an everyday first baseman.

Sweeney was similar in stature at 6’1″ and 195 pounds and posted a solid .347 on-base percentage for his career while being used primarily off the bench.

The two also share big league bloodlines, as Sweeney was the older brother of Kansas City Royals standout Mike Sweeney.

With a professional approach and good plate discipline, there should be a role for Palmeiro at the highest level. He just might have to settle for being a role player as opposed to a star like his father.

Projection: Potential starting first baseman, quality left-handed bench bat

Major League ETA: 2020

Chances of Signing: 95 percent

The market for college first basemen is never particularly high, but Palmeiro has been among the best in the nation this year and has seen his stock spike as a result. After going undrafted out of high school, he’ll jump at the chance to finally start his pro career.

College statistics courtesy of The Baseball Cube, unless otherwise noted, and accurate through Wednesday, June 8.

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Cavan Biggio realized his dream of playing Major League Baseball after the Toronto Blue Jays drafted the Notre Dame star in the fifth round of the 2016 draft. 

Per Baseball America, Biggio is the son of Hall of Famer Craig Biggio and was selected 162nd overall. 

Biggio has played three seasons at Notre Dame and set career highs this year in batting average (.311) and on-base percentage (.473). 

In a nice bit of kismet, per MLB.com’s Joe Trezza, Cavan’s brother Connor Biggio announced the pick. 

The 21-year-old does have the bloodlines that made him one of the draft’s marquee names, but J.J. Cooper of Baseball America noted he’s lacking in certain areas:

Biggio did show patience and ability at working the count, walking 22 more times than he struck out in 2016. He’s never posted a slugging percentage higher than .462 in three college seasons, though he did hit nine home runs in 2015 to suggest there is more pop in his bat. 

This marks the second time Biggio has been drafted. The Philadelphia Phillies previously took him in the 29th round three years ago, though he was regarded better than that selection would suggest. 

Baseball America ranked Biggio as the 66th-best prospect in 2013, but he had the luxury of waiting things out for money that appealed to him, because Notre Dame is a terrific school and his family isn’t hurting financially. 

The fifth round isn’t going to net Biggio a huge deal; the slot value for the 162nd pick is $328,100. Yet he was still able to prove himself in three years of college. He does have one more year of college eligibility left, so there’s the possibility he returns to school. 

However, being a fifth-round pick is an achievement. Biggio has the talent to improve his standing with professional coaching. The Blue Jays showed excellent faith in his ability to tap into that potential and will give him every opportunity to succeed. 

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Player: Cavan Biggio

Position: 2B

DOB: April 11, 1995 (21 years old)

Height/Weight: 6’2″, 185 lbs

Bats/Throws: L/R

School: Notre Dame

Previously Drafted: 2013 (29th Round, PHI)

Background

Cavan Biggio was a top MLB prospect coming out of high school, and his status went beyond his famous bloodlines.

The son of Hall of Famer Craig Biggio was among the top high school infielders in his class and likely would have gone in the first few rounds in 2013 if he were viewed as signable.

Baseball America (No. 66) and MLB.com (No. 57) both ranked him among the top 100 prospects in the 2013 draft, but a strong commitment to Notre Dame caused him to slip to the 29th round, and he took his talents to South Bend.

After hitting .246/.329/.353 with 14 extra-base hits in 226 plate appearances as a true freshman, he turned in a breakout sophomore season.

Along with raising his OPS from .682 to .868, he also led the Fighting Irish in home runs (9), walks (50), slugging percentage (.406) and stolen bases (14).

On top of those solid offensive numbers, he also earned Rawlings Gold Glove honors for his defensive work at second base.

He continued his strong play into the summer, where he earned Cape Cod League All-Star honors, and he’s been one of the top hitters in the ACC so far this season.

Slotted in the leadoff spot, he’s currently batting .311/.473/.454 with 18 extra-base hits and 14 stolen bases.

Plate discipline and contact ability continues to be Biggio’s calling card, as he’s recorded significantly more walks (54) than strikeouts (32), and his .473 on-base percentage ranks in the top 50 nationally.

Pick Analysis

He’ll never put up eye-popping power or speed numbers, but Biggio’s advanced approach at the plate and plus defense give him the potential to be an everyday second baseman.

Here’s a scouting report on Biggio from Perfect Game:

Biggio has an unorthodox setup at the plate with a deep crouch and exaggerated high hand set, but his ability to track pitches cannot be overstated.

At times, he may get himself into tough counts by being a bit too selective, but by all accounts he has been able to toe the line between patient and passive much better this season than in the past.

He’s noticeably bigger than his father, and as a result owns a bit more raw power and strength, but he doesn’t project to be a middle-of-the-order type as his swing and approach is geared more towards solid line drives and setting the table for others. He’s a solid defender at second, who also has the athleticism to potentially play third base at the next level.

Biggio’s all-around polish means that, if nothing else, he should move quickly through the minors once he begins his pro career.

MLB Player Comparison: Todd Walker

The comparisons to his dad will be unavoidable, but Cavan is a different player. He hits from the left side of the plate, and his frame is a bit lankier than that of his 5’11” father, who began his career as a catcher.

Looking at the current MLB landscape, there’s really no perfect comparison among active players.

He has a similar offensive profile to Jason Kipnis, but he’ll never be a 20-steal threat. Perhaps the best comparison is Matt Carpenter during his time as a second baseman and prior to his power surge last season.

Instead, we’ll go back a few years to Todd Walker.

Though he was never an All-Star, Walker put together a solid 12-year MLB career during which he hit .289/.348/.435 and piled up 1,316 hits while averaging 36 doubles, 13 home runs and 69 RBI per 162 games.

Plate discipline was also the driving force behind his offensive value, as he posted an on-base percentage over .350 seven different times and had a solid 8.3 percent walk rate for his career.

If Biggio can put together that kind of career, he’ll be well worth the selection at this point.

Projection: Starting second baseman, potential No. 2 hitter

Major League ETA: 2020

Chances of Signing: 90 percent

Biggio has boosted his stock considerably since last spring, and in a relatively thin crop of college middle infielders he won’t have much to gain from returning to campus for his senior season.

College statistics courtesy of The Baseball Cube, unless otherwise noted, and accurate through Wednesday, June 8.

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Welcome back to Bleacher Report’s live coverage of the 2016 Major League Baseball draft.

The first two rounds and 77 selections are in the books after a busy Thursday night, but there is plenty of big league-caliber talent still on the board.

The action picks up once again Friday at 1 p.m. ET with Rounds 3-10 as hundreds more amateur players will hear their names called and see their pro careers begin.

We are going to change things up a bit from Thursday when we analyzed every pick.

Since the draft moves quickly in the later rounds, we will instead do more group analysis and highlight notable names on a round-by-round basis.

Keep it locked right here to follow all of the Day 2 action of the 2016 MLB draft.

Note: Included alongside each selection is where they ranked in the Baseball America Top 500 Draft Prospects, to give an idea of where they stacked up to the rest of the class heading into the draft.

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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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The MLB draft may not receive the same amount of national recognition and overall coverage as its NFL and NBA counterparts, but it is still important for franchises looking to build sustained winners.

After all, Baseball Tonight noted every team except one that won a World Series since the Wild Card era started (first used in 1995) has had at least one player on the roster it drafted in the first round. That is a testament to how critical Thursday’s early picks were in the 2016 MLB draft for teams looking to create their own World Series rosters.

With that in mind, here is a look at the full results and order listing from Thursday, per MLB.com, as well as grades for each team. Rounds 3-10 will be held Friday, and the order of the selections can be found at MLB.com. 

Top Pick: Mickey Moniak, OF, Philadelphia Phillies

The top pick in any draft is always going to generate interest, and the Philadelphia Phillies—who landed the first pick after losing 99 games in 2015—selected California high school outfielder Mickey Moniak.

According to the Associated Press (h/t ESPN.com), Moniak is the first high school outfielder to go No. 1 overall since Delmon Young went to the Tampa Bay Rays in 2003.

Jim Callis of MLB.com said Moniak “has one of the highest floors” of any of Thursday’s prospects and called him a “surefire up-the-middle player in a draft that doesn’t have many of them.” Callis pointed to Moniak’s variety of tools, including his ability to hit for average and play a solid centerfield.

Moniak also seemed excited to join Philadelphia, via the Phillies:

Keith Law of ESPN.com ranked the outfielder as the fifth-best player available in the draft, while USA Today noted he hit .476 with seven home runs, 46 RBI and 12 triples in 29 contests as the Gatorade California Baseball Player of the Year.

A rival team’s talent evaluator praised the pick, per Jim Salisbury of CSNPhilly.com: “The bat is good. He’s going to hit and hit for average. He’s a good centerfielder. He can run. The question is how many home runs will he hit? If he ends up getting stronger, he could be a corner bat that’s unbelievable. There’s no negative here. It’s a good pick.” 

The Phillies could have done much worse than “no negative here” with the top pick in the draft.

Intriguing Gamble: Delvin Perez, SS, St. Louis Cardinals

The St. Louis Cardinals landed one of the most talented players in the entire draft when they selected shortstop Delvin Perez, and they did so with the No. 23 overall pick.

However, there was a reason he was still available in the latter portions of the first, which made it a high-risk, high-reward selection for the defending National League Central champions. According to Jon Heyman of Today’s Knuckleball, Perez reportedly failed a drug test leading up to the draft, and he “recently slid down draft boards” in the aftermath despite his status as a “potential top-five pick.”

While that is reason for concern, Heyman also said Perez “has been compared to Houston Astros shortstop Carlos Correa,” who is fresh off the American League Rookie of the Year effort in 2015 after hitting .279 with 22 home runs, 68 RBI and 14 stolen bases. Someone with Correa’s skill set would represent incredible value at the No. 23 pick.

Perez is a smooth fielder who uses his overall athleticism to get to balls in the hole and patrol the middle of the infield. Law ranked him as the 15th-best player available in the draft and said he was “the most tooled-up player in the class, with lightning-quick hands, a plus arm, plus range and 70 running speed.”

Perez’s ceiling is what makes him so intriguing, especially since he slid down draft boards before Thursday.

It should be noted the Cardinals are not a team looking for a franchise-altering superstar to change their losing ways. Rather, they have been in the playoffs the last five years and 12 of the past 16 and are seemingly always in win-now mode. They can afford to wait for Perez—who isn’t even 18 years old yet—to eventually live up to his incredibly high ceiling without rushing him to the major leagues.

There was risk involved with this pick, but the upside was apparently too much for St. Louis to pass up.

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