MLB Draft Picks 2016: List of Day 1 Selections, Grades and Updated Order – Bleacher Report
The 2016 MLB draft kicked off Thursday with the Philadelphia Phillies having the first shot to add a potential franchise player.
The draft is a three-day process that started with the first and second rounds Thursday. Rounds 3 through 10 will take place Friday before the event concludes with Rounds 11 through 40 on Saturday. There are also lottery rounds after the first and second rounds. They are awarded to eligible teams that either have the smallest markets or smallest revenue pools, per MLB.com.
There is no bona fide top prospect in this year’s class, so the first day of the draft was unpredictable. Below are the Day 1 results, an updated order of the remaining selections and a breakdown of Thursday’s picks:
| Round 1 | Team | Player | Grade/Analysis |
| 1 | Philadelphia Phillies | Mickey Moniak, OF, La Costa Canyon HS, CA | B+: This is a safe pick, as Moniak is an all-around outfielder who is a solid hitter. He needs to develop some more power at the plate, but Moniak will be a consistent contributor whenever he joins the Phillies. |
| 2 | Cincinnati Reds | Nick Senzel, 3B, Tennessee | A: The Reds have an aging infield, and the team could use some pop in the middle of the lineup. Senzel is a perfect fit for Cincinnati to build around moving forward. |
| 3 | Atlanta Braves | Ian Anderson, P, Shenendehowa HS, NY | B: Atlanta needs an arm in the rotation, and Anderson has the stuff to anchor a pitching staff. He will take a while to reach the big league club, but he is a nice building piece for Atlanta. |
| 4 | Colorado Rockies | Riley Pint, P, St. Thomas Aquinas HS, FL | A: Great selection here, as Pint has the highest ceiling of any pitcher in this draft. He can hit triple digits with his fastball and has star potential. |
| 5 | Milwaukee Brewers | Corey Ray, OF, Louisville | B: Ray has the makings of a star leadoff hitter, and at 21 years old, he will likely find himself in Milwaukee soon thanks to his defensive prowess. |
| 6 | Oakland Athletics | A.J. Puk, P, Florida | A-: Puk is one of the nation’s top pitchers this season. He is 6’7″ with a solid fastball and wicked slider. He should be with Oakland within the next two years. |
| 7 | Florida Marlins | Braxton Garrett, P, Florence HS, AL | C+: Jason Groome would have been a nice pick here for a developing rotation that needs a complement to Jose Fernandez. Garrett is a nice pick, but Groome has more upside. |
| 8 | San Diego Padres | Cal Quantrill, P, Stanford | C: Risky pick, as Quantrill is coming off Tommy John surgery. He showed flashes of brilliance early at Stanford, but his health is a bit of concern. |
| 9 | Detroit Tigers | Matt Manning, P, Sheldon HS, Sacramento, CA | B: Detroit has a hole in its rotation moving forward, and Manning is a great developmental piece as a skilled righty. |
| 10 | Chicago White Sox | Zack Collins, C, Miami | B+: Collins hit over .358 this year, showing some rare offensive skill for a catcher. Nice pick by Chicago to secure its future behind the plate. |
| 11 | Seattle Mariners | Kyle Lewis, OF, Mercer | B-: Lewis is a fine player who will make an impact for Seattle in the near future, but the team could use some help on its pitching staff. |
| 12 | Boston Red Sox | Jason Groome, P, Barnegat HS, NJ | B+: Groome was expected to go much earlier, so there is a chance he decides not to sign and re-enterd the draft at another time. Yet he was the best player available at this spot. |
| 13 | Tampa Bay Rays | Joshua Lowe, 3B, Pope HS, GA | B: Nice selection to eventually replace Evan Longoria at third base. Lowe was taken a bit earlier than many expected, but he has the tools to become an everyday contributor. |
| 14 | Cleveland Indians | Will Benson, OF, Westminster HS, GA | B: Benson is an excellent athlete and a great fielder. He needs to develop a bit more at the plate, but he is still a solid pick. |
| 15 | Minnesota Twins | Alex Kirilloff, OF, Plum HS, PA | A-: Great value as Kirilloff is one of the best hitters in the draft. He has the potential to become a force in the middle of Minnesota’s lineup. |
| 16 | Los Angeles Angels | Matt Thaiss, C, Virginia | C+: Thaiss is a great hitter, but the Angels took a catcher in the first round a year ago, so they could have addressed some other needs here. |
| 17 | Houston Astros | Forrest Whitley, P, Alamo Heights HS, TX | B: Houston needs pitching help to complement its young lineup. Whitley has potential as a second or third starter in the rotation. |
| 18 | New York Yankees | Blake Rutherford, OF, Chaminade Prep HS, CA | B+: For a team with an anemic offense that needs to get younger, this is a great value pick for New York’s future. |
| 19 | New York Mets | Justin Dunn, P, Boston College | A: The rich get richer, as the Mets’ dynamic pitching pool adds a guy who could have gone in the top 10. Great selection. |
| 20 | Los Angeles Dodgers | Gavin Lux, SS, Indian Trail HS, WI | C: The Dodgers need some pitching depth behind Kershaw, so a college starter may have been a smarter pick here. |
| 21 | Toronto Blue Jays | T.J. Zeuch, P, Pittsburgh | B: Zeuch will help a team that needs a pitcher to build around moving forward. |
| 22 | Pittsburgh Pirates | Will Craig, 3B, Wake Forest | B-: The Pirates are another team that needs starting pitching, but Craig is a good player that was hard to pass on. |
| 23 | St. Louis Cardinals | Delvin Perez, SS, International Baseball Academy, PR | A-: Perez is an electrifying talent who dropped in this draft. The Cardinals are getting a high-reward player, which is worth the risk at this point in the first round. |
| 24 | San Diego Padres | Hudson Sanchez, SS, Carroll HS, TX | B+: Sanchez has a high ceiling, so nice pick here for a San Diego team that will be rebuilding for a few years. |
| 25 | San Diego Padres | Eric Lauer, P, Kent State | B+: Lauer was phenomenal at Kent State this season, and he could make an impact soon for the Padres. |
| 26 | Chicago White Sox | Zack Burdi, P, Louisville | B: Pitching is an area of need for Chicago, and Burdi was one of the best pitchers on a loaded Louisville roster this season. |
| 27 | Baltimore Orioles | Cody Sedlock, P, Illinois | B: Another solid pick, as Baltimore is still looking for a legitimate No. 1 starter. Sedlock may not be it, but he will help the pitching staff. |
| 28 | Washington Nationals | Carter Kieboom, SS, Walton HS, GA | A: Washington needs some infield help soon, and Kieboom is an excellent hitter who will produce for the Nationals. |
| 29 | Washington Nationals | Dave Dunning, P, Florida | B: Florida boasted a tremendous pitching staff, and Dunning was a big reason why. He will likely begin as a reliever, but he could become a consistent starter. |
| 30 | Texas Rangers | Cole Ragans, P, North Florida Christian HS, FL | B-: Ragans has a bright future, but there were some more MLB-ready pitchers available whom Texas could have used. |
| 31 | New York Mets | Anthony Kay, P, UConn | C: Loading up on pitching is always an option, but the Mets need to address the future of their lineup at some point. |
| 32 | Los Angeles Dodgers | Will Smith, C, Louisville | B: The Dodgers need a prospect at catcher, and Smith is a good fit with the team. |
| 33 | St. Louis Cardinals | Dylan Carlson, OF, Elk Grove HS, California | B+: Carlson is a high-upside outfielder who could be a steal at the end of the first round. |
| 34 | St. Louis Cardinals | Dakota Hudson, P, Mississippi State | A-: Hudson was great for the Bulldogs this season, and he is one of the most MLB-ready pitchers in the draft. |
| Lottery Round A | Team | Player | Grade |
| 35 | Cincinnati Reds | Taylor Trammell, OF, Mount Paran Christian HS, GA | B- |
| 36 | Los Angeles Dodgers | Jordan Sheffield, P, Vanderbilt | A- |
| 37 | Oakland Athletics | Daulton Jefferies, P, California | B |
| 38 | Colorado Rockies | Robert Tyler, P, Georgia | C |
| 39 | Arizona Diamondbacks | Anfernee Grier, OF, Auburn | B- |
| 40 | Atlanta Braves | Joey Wentz, P, Shawnee Mission HS, MO | A |
| 41 | Pittsburgh Pirates | Nick Lodolo, P, Damien HS, CA | B |
| Round 2 | Team | Player | Grade |
| 42 | Philadelphia Phillies | Kevin Gowdy, P, Santa Barbara Senior HS, CA | B- |
| 43 | Cincinnati Reds | Chris Okey, C, Clemson | B |
| 44 | Atlanta Braves | Kyle Muller, P, Jesuit College Prep, TX | A- |
| 45 | Colorado Rockies | Ben Bowden, P, Vanderbilt | B+ |
| 46 | Milwaukee Brewers | Lucas Erceg, 3B, Menlo College | B- |
| 47 | Oakland Athletics | Logan Shore, P, Florida | A |
| 48 | San Diego Padres | Buddy Reed, OF, Florida | A |
| 49 | Chicago White Sox | Alec Hansen, P, Oklahoma | C+ |
| 50 | Seattle Mariners | Joe Rizzo, 3B, Oakton HS, VA | B- |
| 51 | Boston Red Sox | C.J. Chatham, SS, Florida Atlantic | B- |
| 52 | Arizona Diamondbacks | Andrew Yerzy, C, York Mills Collegiate Institute, PA | C |
| 53 | Tampa Bay Rays | Ryan Boldt, OF, Nebraska | B |
| 54 | Baltimore Orioles | Keegan Akin, P, Western Michigan | B+ |
| 55 | Cleveland Indians | Nolan Jones, 3B, Holy Ghost Prep, PA | B |
| 56 | Minnesota Twins | Ben Rortvedt, C, Verona Area HS, WI | B- |
| 57 | Toronto Blue Jays | J.B. Woodman, OF, Mississippi | A- |
| 58 | Washington Nationals | Sheldon Neuse, 3B, Oklahoma | B |
| 59 | San Francisco Giants | Bryan Reynolds, OF, Vanderbilt | A |
| 60 | Los Angeles Angels | Brandon Marsh, OF, Buford HS, GA | C+ |
| 61 | Houston Astros | Ronnie Dawson, OF, Ohio State | B- |
| 62 | New York Yankees | Nick Solak, 2B, Louisville | B+ |
| 63 | Texas Rangers | Alex Speas, P, McEachern HS, GA | B |
| 64 | New York Mets | Peter Alonso, 1B, Florida | A- |
| 65 | Los Angeles Dodgers | Mitchell White, P, Santa Clara | C |
| 66 | Toronto Blue Jays | Bo Bichette, SS, Lakewood HS, FL | B+ |
| 67 | Kansas City Royals | A.J. Puckett, P, Pepperdine | B- |
| 68 | Pittsburgh Pirates | Travis MacGregor, P, East Lake HS, FL | B- |
| 69 | Baltimore Orioles | Matthias Dietz, P, John A. Logan College | C+ |
| 70 | St. Louis Cardinals | Connor Jones, P, Virginia | A- |
| Lottery B | Team | Player | Grade |
| 71 | San Diego Padres | Reggie Lawson, P, Victor Valley Senior HS, CA | B |
| 72 | Cleveland Indians | Logan Ice, C, Oregon State | B- |
| 73 | Minnesota Twins | Jose Miranda, SS, Puerto Rico Baseball Academy, PR | C+ |
| 74 | Minnesota Twins | Akil Baddoo, OF, Salem HS, GA | B |
| 75 | Milwaukee Brewers | Mario Feliciano, C, Carlos Beltran Baseball Academy, PR | C+ |
| 76 | Atlanta Braves | Brett Cumberland, C, California | B- |
| 77 | Tampa Bay Rays | Jake Fraley, OF, LSU | B+ |
Bleacher Report, MLB.com
| Pick | Team |
| 78 | Philadelphia Phillies |
| 79 | Cincinnati Reds |
| 80 | Atlanta Braves |
| 81 | Colorado Rockies |
| 82 | Milwaukee Brewers |
| 83 | Oakland Athletics |
| 84 | Miami Marlins |
| 85 | San Diego Padres |
| 86 | Chicago White Sox |
| 87 | Seattle Mariners |
| 88 | Boston Red Sox |
| 89 | Arizona Diamondbacks |
| 90 | Tampa Bay Rays |
| 91 | Baltimore Orioles |
| 92 | Cleveland Indians |
| 93 | Minnesota Twins |
| 94 | Washington Nationals |
| 95 | San Francisco Giants |
| 96 | Los Angeles Angels |
| 97 | Houston Astros |
| 98 | New York Yankees |
| 99 | Texas Rangers |
| 100 | New York Mets |
| 101 | Los Angeles Dodgers |
| 102 | Toronto Blue Jays |
| 103 | Kansas City Royals |
| 104 | Chicago Cubs |
| 105 | Pittsburgh Pirates |
| 106 | St. Louis Cardinals |
MLB.com
| Rounds: 4-40 | Team |
| Philadelphia Phillies | |
| Cincinnati Reds | |
| Atlanta Braves | |
| Colorado Rockies | |
| Milwaukee Brewers | |
| Oakland Athletics | |
| Miami Marlins | |
| San Diego Padres | |
| Detroit Tigers | |
| Chicago White Sox | |
| Seattle Mariners | |
| Boston Red Sox | |
| Arizona Diamondbacks | |
| Tampa Bay Rays | |
| Baltimore Orioles | |
| Cleveland Indians | |
| Minnesota Twins | |
| Washington Nationals | |
| San Francisco Giants | |
| Los Angeles Angels | |
| Houston Astros | |
| New York Yankees | |
| Texas Rangers | |
| New York Mets | |
| Los Angeles Dodgers | |
| Toronto Blue Jays | |
| Kansas City Royals | |
| Chicago Cubs | |
| Pittsburgh Pirates | |
| St. Louis Cardinals |
MLB.com
Notable Selections
Mickey Moniak to the Philadelphia Phillies
The Phillies could have gone in a number of directions, but they chose to secure their outfield’s future with Mickey Moniak.
His selection made history, as ESPN Stats & Info noted:
The @Phillies select HS OF Mickey Moniak with the 1st pick. He’s the 1st LH-hitting HS OF taken No. 1 overall since Josh Hamilton in 1999
— ESPN Stats & Info (@ESPNStatsInfo) June 9, 2016
ESPN Stats & Info also mentioned that Moniak was the first outfielder to go No. 1 overall since Bryce Harper in 2010.
His draft stock rose dramatically since the start of last year, and MLB.com provided a look at the top pick:
Moniak may be the most complete player in the draft, but he is not exceptional at one particular aspect of the game. The Phillies are second to last in the National League in scoring this year, so they needed another position player to bolster their lineup.
He will be a great fit alongside Odubel Herrera in Philadelphia’s outfield, and Moniak should develop into a consistent contributor at the top of Philadelphia’s batting order.
Riley Pint to the Colorado Rockies
Riley Pint is a rare high school prospect with exceptional velocity.
According to Nick Groke of the Denver Post, Pint has been clocked at 102 mph, and he hit 96 mph as a 15-year-old. Pint has an explosive, generational arm.
ESPN’s Keith Law shared his thoughts on the youngster:
Riley Pint was the first HS pitcher I ever saw throw 100 mph live. Below average command now. Good fit for Colorado with +++ fastball.
— keithlaw (@keithlaw) June 9, 2016
Control is an issue with any hard-throwing young pitcher, but Pint is only 18 years old. He will have ample time to work with the Colorado pitching staff to improve his pitch location while also developing some supporting pitches.
Another issue is the possibility of Tommy John surgery. Groke noted that high school pitchers who throw like Pint tend to end up needing the procedure. Yet the Rockies seem to be aware of this, per Groke.
“It’s a risk-reward type thing,” vice president of scouting Bill Schmidt said before the draft. “Tommy John surgery is a lot more common.”
Colorado also took Mike Nikorak in the first round of last year’s draft, who was a similar prospect to Pint. The team is gambling on the future of its pitching staff, but Pint has tremendous potential to become a bona fide ace by the time he reaches his mid-20s.
Jason Groome to the Boston Red Sox
Jason Groome entered the night as a contender to go No. 1 overall, but he fell all the way to the Red Sox at No. 12 in one of the first round’s biggest storylines.
Groome is a 6’6″ pitcher with a great fastball and nasty curveball, which Law commended:
Red Sox will roll the dice on Jason Groome, the #2 player on my own board. One of the best HS curveballs I’ve ever seen.
— keithlaw (@keithlaw) June 10, 2016
The Red Sox lead the American League in scoring, and their rotation is solid with Rick Porcello, David Price and Steven Wright. Now the team has a dynamic prospect in the system.
There are no issues with Groome’s game, but whether he and the team can work out a contract could be an issue.
Yahoo Sports’ Jeff Passan provided some context:
Jason Groome pick by Boston very interesting. There is no deal in place. Groome wants top 5 money. Sox’s pool is only $7M. Game of chicken.
— Jeff Passan (@JeffPassan) June 10, 2016
If the two sides can work out an agreement, Boston got a steal with Groome. He does not have an electric arm like Pint, but he is more polished and his secondary pitches are more advanced. Groome could become the future anchor of Boston’s rotation.
Statistics are courtesy of ESPN.com unless otherwise noted.
