First Round Draft Results and Commentary

1.1 Houston Astros select Mark Appel:

Appel is originally from Houston, but, seeing as Scott Boras is his agent, he probably didn't cut them much of a deal. One scout said that Appel is 2013's version of Luke Hochevar, though he didn't back up why. Harold Reynolds believes that Appel could be starting in Houston as soon as July. 

1.2 Chicago Cubs select Kris Bryant:

The Cubs had to take an extra minute after the clock expired, though eventually took the third baseman with mammoth power. Bryant has the enthusiasm of a little kid, already telling the media that he will "one day tell his grandchildren about sitting down with Theo Epstein". 

1.3 Colorado Rockies select Jonathan Gray:

Rumor had it that the Rockies were holding out hope that Bryant would fall to them, but they can't be too disappointed in Gray. The analysts believe his ceiling to be higher than Appel's, and according to Reynolds, "when you're as good as Gray, the altitude doesn't have an effect on you". More words of wisdom from Reynolds...

1.4 Minnesota Twins select Kohl Stewart:

Reynolds and the staff seemed surprised by Stewart going fourth, but they shouldn't be; Minnesota assigned scouts to watch his games for the last two years. Interestingly enough, the Saint Pius product did not buy a Twins hat, but actually sewed the Twins logo onto his hat. 

1.5 Cleveland Indians select Clint Frazier:

 Mayo described Frazier as having Popeye like forearms, and he should be an interesting fit if he can get a deal done with the Tribe. He went to high school a short distance away from Austin Meadows in Georgia. Frazier is considered raw, but according to the MLB Network crew, "has big power, and can hit a baseball 400 feet!"Lets hope that he can do a little more than that, as most stadiums will require that. 

1.6 Miami Marlins select Colin Moran:

Moran has the best patience of any hitter in the draft, and is considered by many to be the best pure hitter. Whether he stays at first base is in question, as his range is limited at third. If he can stay under the radar a little bit, maybe he'll survive a Jeff Loria fire sale or two. Don't count on him staying off the radar, though. 

1.7 Boston Red Sox select Trey Ball:

Ball is a two way player out of New Castle High School, having a bright future as either a pitcher or a talented hitter. Scouts say that, as of now, he has the power to hit around 10 home runs, and his fastball can top out at 93 miles per hour. On a side note, isn't this a perfect name for a basketball player?

1.8 Kansas City Royals select Hunter Dozier:

The earliest that anyone had the Stephen F. Austin shortstop going was at the end of the first, and even that seemed to be a reach. Mayo said that he sees a lot of Troy Tulowitzki in him, and the move makes sense from a slot standpoint. Unfortunately, the staff had to explain to Reynolds what the under slot/over slot concept was. Oh Harold..

1.9 Pittsburgh Pirates select Austin Meadows:

The compensation pick for Appel bailing on them last year, the Pirates may have chosen the highest ceilinged player in the draft. Meadows was a consensus top three pick going into this season, though his stock dropped during his senior season. Within the next several years, the Pirates outfield could consist of three M's. McCutchen, Marte, and Meadows. There has to be a nickname somewhere for that. 

1.10 Toronto Blue Jays select Phil Bickford:

The scouting report on Bickford is an outstanding read; to summarize, his fastball can hit 97 with relative ease, but he really can't throw much else. He doesn't have a feeling for a breaking ball, and his curveball is average at best. Seems worthy of a first round pick, eh?

1.11 New York Mets select Dominic Smith:

Smith is the first true first baseman to go in the draft. He is a fantastic hitter for only being in high school. He told the MLB Network that if baseball doesn't work out, he wants to open his own restaurant. It is good to have a plan B, but it seems to me that he should be more focused on baseball.

1.12 Seattle Mariners select D.J Peterson:

The New Mexico third baseman is very unlikely to stay at the position, and will likely move to first base relatively soon. Comparisons see Peterson topping out as Freddie Freeman-esque, as he has a very solid hit tool. Third base seems to turning into more of a premiere position than ever. 

1.13 San Diego Padres select Hunter Renfroe:

Smart front office's tend to stay away from players that have had just one great year, as it can be terrible deceiving. That being said, Josh Byrnes selected Mississippi State's one year wonder, Hunter Renfroe. Not to say that he won't be a solid player, it just seems risky. Renfroe will likely play center field in pro-ball, and hopefully he steer clear of Evereth Cabrera and Yasmani Grandal. 

1.14 Pittsburgh Pirates select Reese McGuire:

Taking the best catcher in the draft, the Pirates fill the positional need, as well as drafting the best player available. His hitting is not where he makes his name; defensively, he is a stud. Mayo gives his arm a 7, with room to improve. This is the second pick of the first round for the Steel City, and it seems like another smart selection. 

1.15 Arizona Diamondbacks select Braden Shipley:

The rich get richer when it comes to pitching. Throw high school pitcher Shipley in with Tyler Skaggs, Patrick Corbin, and Archie Bradley, and the Diamondbacks are going to be very tough to hit for years to come. Unlike Toronto, the Dbacks drafted a young pitcher that can throw a breaking ball. Scouts expect Shipley's curveball to turn into a plus pitch. 

1.16 Philadelphia Phillies select JP Crawford:

Crawford seems like the Darwin Barney of shortstops; he's nothing fantastic offensively. He has little power, and projects to be an average contact hitter. His glove is where he will make his money. The Crew agreed that he is the truest shortstop in the draft class, and could one day make an adequate replacement for 96 year old Jimmy Rollins. 

1.17 Chicago White Sox select Tim Anderson:

The White Sox take a positional player in the first round for the sixth time in seven years. Hopefully for the South Siders, he can buck the trend and actually pan out. Anderson broke out this year, and is another case of a one year wonder. Scouts agree that his speed is plus-plus, though his inability to do a backflip was a bit of a turnoff for Kenny Williams. 

1.18 Los Angeles Dodgers select Chris Anderson:

Anderson is the fourteenth pitcher that the Dodgers have taken in the first round since 2002. There are concerns that Jacksonville's coaching staff used Anderson too much, but obviously this was not a red flag for the Dodgers. 

1.19 Saint Louis Cardinals select Marco Gonzales:

Lets all be honest; it makes no difference who the Cardinals draft, he's going to be a star. Mayo believes that he could be the most ready pitcher in the draft behind Mark Appel. Scouts believe the Gonzaga product to be a very safe pick. Let the slide for Ryne Stanek commence..

1.20 Detroit Tigers select Jonathan Crawford:

Crawford already faced semi-pro pitching in the SEC, posting great numbers in Gainesville. Some scouts, including Mayo, believe that he could have mechanical issues down the road, considering that everything he throws is hard. 

1.21 Tampa Bay Rays select Nick Cuiffo:

Cuiffo said in an interview that he wants to be the next Brian Mccann. While that might be a lofty expectation, he can be a plus player from both sides of the plate. He strikes out at a higher rate than he should, but projects to hit for above average power and contact. If all else fails, he is great at wiggling his ears, according to his interview. 

1.22 Baltimore Orioles select Hunter Harvey:

Harvey has a plus fastball, though his other pitches are average. That being said, the O's have seen what the other guy with the last name of Harvey is capable of, and just couldn't pass up on the opportunity. Interestingly enough, scouts consider him to be very similar to Dylan Bundy and Kevin Gausman. 

1.23 Texas Rangers select Alex Gonzalez:

Gonzalez flew up the boards recently, but that should not take away from the solid four pitch repertoire that he has. Mayo said that his fastball has such good movement, it is basically a hard slider. He also throws a slider. He should be in the big leagues relatively soon, though is likely to be a bullpen arm, according the the Crew. Ryne Stanek is calling his service provider to make sure his phone is working.  

1.24 Oakland Athletics select Billy Mckinney:

Another high school player is coming off the board. Mayo says among his best tools is his attitude, though he is an above average hitter as, as well. Pulling him away from the Milwaukee Bucks front office could be tough, but they should be able to make a compelling enough offer to the Plano West product. 

1.25 San Francisco Giants select Christian Arroyo:

No one saw this coming. Not even ranked in Mayo's top 100 list, there was a resounding "Wow!" when his name was called. He doesn't have any plus tools, though he could develop them. Reynolds just had to ask, "Is this another one of those money things?" At least he's starting to figure it out. 

1.26 New York Yankees select Eric Jagielo:

The Evil Empire has three picks between now and the end of the first round. Jagielo projects to be an average third baseman with slightly above average power. Rumor has it that Cashman is already debating whether to start Jagielo over Alex Rodriguez. He should be carried by his bat throughout his career. 

1.27 Cincinnati Reds select Phillip Ervin:

George Amsinger's supposed favorite player, Ervin projects to be a center fielder at the major league level. He might be short of six feet tall, but he can hit for power. He seems like a solid fit for a team already full of talent. If he has an attitude problem, he'll fit in just fine.

1.28 Saint Louis Cardinals select Rob Kaminsky:

If Ray Charles were to be drafted right now by the Cardinals, he would finish towards the top of the Cy Young voting in several years. A New Jersey lefty, Kaminsky has a plus slider, which compliments a plus fastball. One has to wonder if the Cardinal's pitching prospects will ever get an opportunity at Busch Stadium. It will take a lot to overthrow any of the Red Birds' starters in the near future. 

1.29 Tampa Bay Rays select Ryne Stanek:

Such is the end of draft day slide for the Razorbacks' ace. Stanek posted ridiculous numbers in the SEC this year, with an ERA of just 1.39. His low strikeout numbers were a concern, as he struck out 79 batters in 97 innings. The Rays has to have been thrilled that he lasted this long, though, as he is a very polished pitcher. He came up short on qualifying for the draft last year, but was projected to go in the top five if he was able. 

1.30 Texas Rangers select Travis Demeritte:

Sticking with their tradition of drafting raw, high upside players, the Rangers drafted the raw, high upside shortstop out of Georgia. Known for his bat speed and his defense, Demeritte looks like a future utility man at the major league level. He has experience playing nearly everywhere in the infield, though third base looks like the most natural place for him. 

1.31 Atlanta Braves select Jason Hursch:

Usually teams see Tommy John surgery as a bad thing, but don't tell the Braves front office that. They drafted Alex Meyer last year, and Jason Hursch this year. Scouts do not see Hursch as being much more than a relief pitcher, though he could be a solid one at that.

1.32 New York Yankees select Aaron Judge:

Judge is huge, and has equally large power. Standing at approximately 6"7', Judge can hit a baseball a long distance. Where he struggles is hitting anything low, and that should end up being a significant problem. If he can solve that problem with the Yankees hitting coaches (or whatever substance Robinson Cano uses), he could turn into a solid major leaguer.

1.33 New York Yankees select Ian Clarkin:

The Bronx Bomers end the first round by choosing Clarkin, who many see as a steal. He was expected to go in the mid first round, though the lefty dropped to the very end of the first. He has a very solid fastball, along with a plus curveball, and Mayo expects him to be a future middle of the rotation starter.