Shortstops dominated the first round of the 2015 Major League Baseball amateur player draft.
The Arizona Diamondbacks started the shortstop frenzy by using the No. 1 overall pick on Dansby Swanson out of Vanderbilt. The Houston Astros and Colorado Rockies followed suit by taking LSU shortstop Alex Bregman and Florida high school school shortstop Brendan Rodgers, respectively.
Yahoo Sports reported that this year’s draft was the first time in the draft’s 50-year history that the first three picks were used on a shortstop. Eight shortstops were taken in the first round (36 picks), which matched the 1971 and 2002 drafts for most shortstops taken in the first round.
Swanson became the first college shortstop selected with the top overall pick since the 1974 draft. The 21-year-old was named the Most Outstanding Player of the College World Series last year as he led Commodores to the title. He will be playing in the World Series again this year after helping his team defeat Illinois (4-2) in Game 3 of the Super Regionals on Monday. Swanson had two hits on the day , including a double and home run, along with a stolen base.
Swanson, a finalist for the Golden Spikes Award and Howser Trophy, is currently hitting.348 with 14 home runs in 253 at-bats this year. He switched over to shortstop from second base this year. According to CBS Sports , MLB scouts project Swanson to be a high doubles hitter with the ability to 10-15 homers a year to go along with plus baserunning.
This was the first time the Diamondbacks owned the top pick of the draft since 2005, when they selected OF Justin Upton out of high school. Vanderbilt became the fifth program to have three players selected in the opening round when right-hander Carson Fulmer was chosen No. 8 by the Chicago White Sox and right-hander Walker Buehler was selected with the No. 24 pick by the Los Angeles Dodgers.
Of other note, three players with major league lineage were drafted on Day 1. Houston made Daz Cameron, the son of former All-Star Mike Cameron, with the first pick in the second round. Colorado took Tyler Nevin, who is the son of 1992 No.1 overall pick Phil Nevin, with the second pick of the second round while the Pittsburgh Pirates used the No. 32 pick of the first round on Ke’Bryan Hayes, the son of former big leaguer Charlie Hayes.
The draft will conclude Wednesday night.
1. Arizona Diamondbacks (SS Dansby Swanson, Vanderbilt; LHP Alex Young, TCU)
After taking Swanson with the top overall pick, the Diamondbacks selected TCU’s Alex Young in the second round. The 21-year-old junior went 9-2 with a 2.31 ERA with 91 strikeouts and only 21 walks.
2. Houston Astros (SS Alex Bregman, LSU; OF Kyle Tucker, H.B. Plant HS (Fla.); OF Daz Cameron, Eagle’s Landing Christian Academy (Ga).
The Astros selected Bregman with the compensation pick they received when they were unable to come to terms with Brady Aiken, the No. 1 overall selection in 2014. The junior batted.312 with nine home runs and 49 RBIs. Bregman also had 37 stolen bases and a.406 on-base percentage.
Tucker was selected with the Astros own first round selection at No. 5. He has a scholarship offer to Florida but is expected to sign with Houston.
Cameron is a first round talent but had high contract demands. He committed to Florida State but the ‘Stros may have the cash to entice him to turn pro. Houston received this the first pick of the second via a trade with the Miami Marlins.
3. Colorado Rockies (SS Brendan Rodgers, Lake Mary HS (Fla.); RHP Mike Nikorak; 3B Tyler Nevin; RHP Peter Lambert) The Rockies selected four high school players in the first two rounds. Rodgers and Nikorak were first round selections. Nevin, a compensation pick, and Lambert have committed to UCLA.
4. Texas Rangers (RHP Dillion Tate, UC Santa Barbara; OF Eric Jenkins, HS)
Tate was the No. 4 overall selection. He went 8-5 with a 2.26 ERA and 111 strikeouts in 103 1/3 innings this past season. 5. Minnesota Twins (LHP Tyler Jay, Illinois; RHP Kyle Cody, Kentucky)
Jay, who was the No. 6 overall selection, served as the closer for the Illini. He had 70 strikeouts and posted a 0.60 ERA in 60 1/3 innings.
6. Boston Red Sox (OF Andrew Benintendi, Arkansas) Benintendi, the Red Sox’s only draft pick on Day 1. The sophomore hit.390 with 13 doubles, 18 home runs, 54 RBI and 22 stolen bases in 60 games.
7. Chicago White Sox (RHP Carson Fulmer, Vanderbilt)
Fulmer was the only selection on Day 1 for the White Sox. He throws three pitches for strikes: a fastball that sits mid-90s, an unbeleivable curve and a developing change-up.
8. Chicago Cubs (2B Ian Happ, Cincinnati; OF Donnie Dewees, North Florida)
Happ was selected with the No. 9 overall pick while Dewees was a second round selection.
9. Philadelphia Phillies (SS Cornelius Randolph, HS; 2B Scott Kingery, Arizona; SS Kevin Kramer, UCLA)
The Phillies used the No. 10 overall pick on Randolph, who has committed to Clemson. Kingery and Kramer are second round selections.
10. Cincinnati Reds (C Tyler Stephenson, HS; RHP Antonio Santillan, HS; RHP Tanney Rainey, West Alabama)
The Reds may have gotten a steal with Stephenson at No. 11, though he is committed to Georgia Tech. Santillan was selected in the second round but is committed to Texas Tech. The Reds used a compensatory pick on Rainey.
11. Miami Marlins (1B Josh Naylor, HS; LHP Brett Lilek, Arizona State)
12. Tampa Bay Ray s (OF Garrett Whitley, HS; C Chris Betts, HS)
ESPN is reporting that the Diamondbacks kicked around Whitely’s name when discussing the No. 1 overall selection, so to get him at No. 13 is a coup.
13. Atalnta Braves (LHP Kolby Allard, HS; RHP Michael Soroka, HS; 3B Austin Riley, HS; C Lucas Herbert, HS; LHP A.J. Minter, Texas A&M)
The Braves had two first round picks and five picks total on Day 1. The team used the No. 14 overall selection on Allard, who had injury problems this spring and is committed to UCLA.
14. Milwaukee Brewers (OF Trenton Clark, HS; RHP Cody Ponce, Cal Poly Pomona)
15. New York Yankees (RHP James Kaprielian, UCLA; SS Kyle Holder, San Diego; LHP Jeff Degano, Indiana State; RHP Drew Finley, HS; CF Jeff Hendrix, Oregon State; RHP Chance Adams, Dallas Baptist)
The Yankees had three picks on Day 1, including two first rounders — Kaprielian and Holder. Finley, Hendrix and Adams were selected on Day 2.
16. Cleveland Indians (LHP Brady Aiken, HS; RHP Triston McKenzie, HS; LHP Juan Hillman, HS)
Cleveland is taking on the fact that Aiken, who was the No. 1 overall pick last year, will sign with the team. He had Tommy John surgery in April and will be out until mid-season next year.
17. San Francisco Giants (RHP Phil Bickford, College of Southern Nevada; 1B Chris Shaw, Boston Colllege; LHP Andrew Suarez, Miami)
Bickford was selected by the Blue Jays with the No. 13 overall pick in 2013.
18. Pittsburgh Pirates (SS Kevin Newman, Arizona; 3B Ke’Bryan Hayes, HS) 19. Oakland Athletics (SS Richie Martin, Florida; SS Mikey White, Alabama)
20. Kansas City Royals (RHP Ashe Russell, HS; RHP Nolan Watson, HS; RHP josh Staumont, Azusa Pacific)
21. Detroit Tigers (RHP Beau Burrows,HS; OF Christian Stewart, Tennessee; LHP Tyler Alexander, TCU)
22. St. Louis Cardinals (OF Nick Plummer, HS; RHP Jacob Woodford, HS; 3B Bryce Denton, HS)
23. Los Angeles Dodgers (RHP Walker Buehler, Vanderbilt; RHP Kyle Funkhouser, Louisville; OF Mitchell Hansen, HS; RHP Josh Sborz, Virginia; LHP Philip Pfeifer, Vanderbilt; 2B Willie Calhoun, Yavapai College; SS Brenon Davis, HS)
Buehler and Funkhouser were first round selections. Hansen was taken in the second round while Sborz was a compensatory pick at the end of Day 1. Pfeifer, Calhoun, and Davis were selected on Tuesday. 24. Baltimore Orioles (OF DJ Stewart, Florida State; SS Ryan Mountcastle, HS; RHP Jonathan Hughes, HS)
25. Los Angeles Angeles (C Taylor Ward, Fresno State; OF Jahmai Jones, HS; RHP Grayson Long, Texas A&M; RF Brendon Sanger, Florida Atlantic; RF Jared Foster, LSU)
Long, Sanger and Foter are Day 2 picks. 26. Toronto Blue Jays (RHP Jon Harris, Missouri State; RHP Brady Singer, HS) 27. New York Mets (IF Desmond Lindsay, HS; LHP Max Wotell, HS; 3B David Thompson, Miami; LHP Thomas Szpucki, HS)
The Mets had no first round picks, Lindsay was a second round selection.
28. Washington Nationals (OF Andrew Stevenson, LSU; OF Blake Perkins, HS)
Washington had no first round picks. The Nationals selected Mariano Rivera III in the fourth round on Tuesday.
29. Seattle Mariners (RHP Nick Neidert, HS; RHP Andrew Moore, Oregon State)
Seattle did not have a first round pick.
30. San Diego Padres (RHP Austin Smith, HS)
Smith was a second round pick as the Padres did not own a first round selection.
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