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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