In one of the most talent-rich locales in baseball, 12 players were taken from the Southern California area in Major League Baseball’s First-Year Player Draft. Two third basemen book-ended the first day of the draft while some high-profile pitching was taken in the middle. Here are the highlights of day No. 1.
Round One
Kris Bryant had a rough weekend during the Los Angeles Regional, but his performance didn’t do anything to deter scouts from selecting the record-setting third baseman higher than initially projected. Bryant was selected by the Chicago Cubs with the second overall pick and is expected to be the third baseman of the future. How far in the future is still unknown, although Bryant, who hit an NCAA-leading 31 homers this season, told the Chicago Tribune that he feels he is major-league ready now.
Two area high school players were taken back-to-back when the Blue Jays and the Mets selected right-handed pitcher Phil Bickford (Oaks Christian) and first baseman Dominic Smith (Gardena Serra) with the 10th and 11th picks.
Bickford, 6-foot-4 hard-throwing right-hander, recently jumped up the boards when he helped Oaks Christian win a CIF championship in a big way by striking out 18 batters, including 17 in a row against El Rancho. Committed to Cal State Fullerton, the big righty is as humble off the mound as he is dominant on the mound.
Smith was on hand in Secaucus, N.J., for the draft festivities and was even congratulated by Daryl Strawberry following his selection. Considered the best pure high school hitter, Smith has been active in the MLB Urban Youth Initiative’s RBI (Reviving Baseball in Inner Cities) organization, much like the 16th pick of the draft, J.P. Crawford.
Crawford, selected by the Pirates out of Lakewood High, has been close with Smith throughout his prep career. The shortstop is comparable to Troy Tulowitzki defensively and also boasts tools similar to the Rockies’ centerpiece player. Both Crawford and Smith are currently committed to USC, and while the two friends have talked about what it would be like to play together, both are expected to sign with their respective teams before the deadline.
Left-hander Ian Clarkin, a San Diego product, and Cal State Fullerton’s Michael Lorenzen rounded out the first round. Clarkin was taken by the Yankees with the 33rd pick and in a somewhat controversial move, the Reds took Lorenzen, a two-way player, as a pitcher in the supplemental round at No. 38 overall.
Scouts love to love Lorenzen, who is built like Ryan Braun and swings the bat like him too, but they also love to hate him. A center fielder for the sixth-ranked Titans, Lorenzen covers ground, is a nightmare on the basepaths and also has touched 98 on the gun as a closer with 19 saves. What hasn’t gotten high marks is his approach at the plate – the Anaheim native struck out a team-high 38 times this season – and his unwillingness to change it. Lorenzen insists he will play both ways at the next level.
Second Round
The second round started with UC Irvine’s Andrew Thurman (40th overall). The Astros were able to get two of the most polished college pitchers in this seasons’ draft class and as they took Stanford’s Mark Appel No. 1 overall. In the former Orange Lutheran right-hander, the Astros have a solid power pitcher who throws four pitches for strikes with exceptional command.
The Rockies, who were reportedly coveting Bryant, got their third baseman in Mater Dei third baseman Ryan McMahon (42nd overall). The lefty was the Monarchs’ quarterback until turning his attention to baseball full-time this past year and is considered a high-upside hitter.
Stanford’s Austin Wilson, a Harvard-Westlake grad, seems to have figured out the fitness issues – his four percent body fat was conducive to overuse injuries – and the Mariners liked the consistent hitting from the corner outfielder enough to take him with the 49th pick.
Three prep stars in left-hander Blake Taylor, catcher Chance Sisco and third baseman Kevin Franklin rounded out the second round.
Taylor, a big lefty with raw power out of Dana Hills High, was selected by Pittsburgh at No. 51 overall.
Sisco (61st overall by Baltimore) is an intriguing prospect. The Santiago High product recently made a switch from shortstop to catcher, much like San Francisco Giants’ catcher Buster Posey.
Kevin Franklin (67th overall by Colorado) is a power-hitting third baseman but unlike Bryant and McMahon, his plate discipline is somewhat lacking.
