The Milwaukee Brewers, who had three total picks in Thursday’s first two rounds, selected Louisville center fielder Corey Ray with the fifth pick. Video of impressive over-the-shoulder catch in Area Code Games in California last summer has almost 4,000 views. Solid, strong-armed defensive player who could stick at third base or move to shortstop, where he played some this season.
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Baseball America has Moniak going first to the Phillies in their latest mock draft, rating him as the best high school hitter and outfield defender in the draft.
The 6-3, 170-pounder from Shenendehowa High in upstate NY immediately slipped on a Braves home jersey and cap, and his mother, sitting with his father in a makeshift dugout in the studio, wiped away tears as her son shook hands with Manfred and placed his own name on the draft board. The fastball is already there, up to 96 mph and sitting 92-93 mph over the summer, and in the 90-94 mph range in the early stages of the spring. As we were reminded in Joe Santoloquito’s excellent feature on Groome, JUCO players can be drafted next year as opposed to the three-year wait Groome would have if he landed at Vandy. Riley Pint, a right-hander from Kansas, went fourth to the Rockies. The St. Thomas Aquinas High School star throws a fastball that sits in the mid-90s, but can crank it up to 100 miles per hour. Also played basketball in high school, but future is clearly baseball. Has commitment to LSU. The 53rd selection will be in the second round and then the Rays will have the final pick of the day at 77th overall for the Lottery Round B pick. He is a plus runner with excellent bat speed and can hit blistering line drives, but his pitch recognition and plate discipline will need to improve to allow him to make consistent contact. He’s a surefire up-the-middle-player in a draft that doesn’t have many of them.
Was in conversation to go first overall.
LHP, Florence H.S. (Alabama), 6-3, 190.
“From a consistency, from a smoothness, from a projectability, I think Jay can be in the majors and will be in the majors by 20”, Kevin Schneider, one of Groome’s personal coaches, told USA TODAY Sports.
CAL QUANTRILL, RHP, Stanford, 6-3, 185. (Swanson, a former Vanderbilt University shortstop, was dealt to the Atlanta Braves during the offseason.) Louisiana State University shortstop Alex Bregman, the Houston Astros’ selection at No. 2 overall past year, also received a smaller bonus ($5.9 million) compared to slot value ($7.4 million). Worked out for teams to show he’s healthy. And if he can prove himself at the next level, the Red Sox will have gotten a bargain.
MATT MANNING, RHP, Sheldon H.S. (California), 6-6, 185.
Son of former National Basketball Association power forward Rich Manning is two-sport star, but expected to pursue pro career on mound instead of hardwood.
Whether Puk would be the top pick had been debated in the weeks leading up to the draft. Has mid-90s fastball, power curve and developing change-up.
“It’s an unusual abundance for a team that led the majors with 100 wins last season”, wrote Post-Dispatch baseball writer Derrick Goold recently. Committed to Loyola Marymount.
Miami catcher Zack Collins rounded out the top 10, going to the Chicago White Sox. And No. 3 starter Alex Faedo, a sophomore, is 13-1 with a 3.19 ERA.
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That is not to say the 2011 draft hasn’t been rewarding – Mikie Mahtook, Blake Snell, Taylor Guerreri, and Jake Hager remain promising prospects – just not what was expected.
