The MLB’s Draft from day 1 was something I didn’t expect. I expected a mix of position players and pitchers taken but instead, the draft was dominated mostly by pitching, specifically right handed pitching. Here are a few of my opinions on the draft in general:
Biggest Surprise: I was taken aback by a lot of things in this draft, but what surprised me the most was the 4th pick in the first round. The Cubs selected Kyle Schwarber, a catcher. He may have been one of the biggest bats in the draft class but I honestly thought they would’ve gone with Alex Jackson, seeing as how he fell. There were a lot of people who thought Jackson would’ve gone to the Cubs if he fell or if Tyler Kolek, who was selected 2nd overall by the Marlins, was taken before the White Sox were up that the White Sox would’ve gone with Jackson. This whole draft was a surprise, but Kyle going 4th was the biggest one to me.
Best pick by an AL Team: I have two best picks. The AL didn’t really dominate the draft, in terms of picks, but the picks that stood out to me were Alex Jackson to Seattle and Nick Gordon to Minnestoa. Nick has the game in his blood, his father being former closer Tom Gordon and his brother being Dodgers 2nd Baseman Dee Gordon. Jackson is an all-around guy in my opinion. These guys were two of the best bats in the Draft class. Nick, a shortstop, strengthens a Twins infield that is strong, but improvement always helps. Jackson, an outfielder, brings back the athletic style of play that Ichrio once brought. These guys have very bright futures in the MLB.
Best pick by a NL Team: Again, I have two best picks. The Astros and Marlins went 1-2 and they picked the two best pitchers in the draft: Brady Aiken (Astros) and Tyler Kolek (Marlins). Kolek is the fastest pitcher to come out of college in MLB Draft history. Aiken is one of the best power and control pitchers in the nation. These two may be competing for the Cy Young Award in a few years. Both teams needed pitching and they got great pitchers.
Winner of Day 1: Winner of Day 1 would have to be the St. Louis Cardinals in my opinion. The Cardinals picked all pitching and picked some great pitchers. I hope these kids are excited, because out of the last 5 draft picks the Cards have made, 3 are in the MLB, one is currently with the Marlins and the other two are part of the Cards pitching arsenal. Although the Cards have one of the best rotations and bullpens in the league, they always look to add more and these kids are their future.
Well, that’s a wrap. Stay tuned to alloutsportsnetwork.com for more MLB Draft coverage.
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