Thursday June, 9 was the evening the Phillies had the opportunity to change its franchise.
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Puk was the first college pitcher taken in Thursday’s draft, and it was the first time the A’s used their top pick on a college pitcher since taking Sonny Gray in 2011.
Moniak hit.476 with seven home runs and 12 triples this season at La Costa Canyon High School, which had scouts salivating at his potential.
Moniak is 6-2, 180 pounds.
Moniak had a busy summer of showcase events, which included participating in the Perfect Game All-American Classic at Petco Park, previous year and he said that’s when he started getting the idea he could be a first-round draft pick.
“The main thing he taught me that Ted taught him was mostly about approach, what you’re looking to do at the plate”.
Tennessee third baseman Nick Senzel went second to the Cincinnati Reds. The lefty outfielder won the 2015-16 Gatorade California Baseball Player of the Year.
A NY high schooler, righthanded pitcher Ian Anderson, was the first pitcher taken at No. 3 by the Atlanta Braves, just before the Colorado Rockies took flashy Riley Pint, a Kansas high schooler who has hit 102 miles per hour on the radar gun this spring.
In addition to Lowe, two other FSU commits went in the first round.
He will still probably go in the top five, but he didn’t cement himself as the No. 1 pick in this year’s draft.
Miami took Alabama high school left-hander Braxton Garrett with the seventh overall pick.
“It’s insane”, the high-schooler from suburban San Diego said on the MLB Network.
Most of the Florida players eligible to be drafted will be selected at some point over the next two days.
The left-handed hitting Moniak is the eighth prep outfielder the Phillies have drafted in the first round.
He is a very mature student of the game who created his own training regimen and earned a gold medal with Team USA at the Under 18 Baseball World Cup. He combined to go 14-6 with a 3.59 ERA and 150 strikeouts in 120⅓ innings the first two seasons. And it added speedy, switch-hitting outfielder Buddy Reed at No. 48 and work-in-progress high school right-hander Reggie Lawson at No. 71. They selected Cornelius Randolph with the 10th overall pick past year. His spirit can also be noted when he was later quoted saying, “I just want to help my team win”.
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Louisville outfielder Corey Ray was fifth pick to Milwaukee. Rounds 3-10 are Friday, followed by 11-40 on Saturday.
