Major League Baseball completes 2015 Draft
Major League Baseball today completed its 2015 Draft, with a total of 1,215 players being chosen in the 40 rounds, two Competitive Balance rounds and one Supplemental round. The Draft resumed in the 11th round via conference call this afternoon after Tuesday's completion of rounds three through 10.
Pitchers were the most frequently chosen players, with 633 being selected (462 RHP, 171 LHP). The rest of the 2015 pool was comprised of 261 infielders (including 102 shortstops, 53 third basemen, 53 first basemen, 51 second basemen and two utility infielders), 211 outfielders, 109 catchers and one utility player.
The University of Oklahoma had 11 players selected, the most in the Draft, while the University of California at Santa Barbara had 10 players selected. Four schools produced nine players apiece, including Arizona State University, the University of Florida, the University of Illinois at Champaign and Vanderbilt University. Nine schools produced eight players each, including Louisiana State University, Michigan State University, Oklahoma State University, Texas Christian University, the University of Houston, the University of Maryland at College Park, the University of California at Los Angeles, the University of Southern California and the University of North Carolina.
Players were selected from 48 states, with Alaska and Wyoming being the states to not produce a draft selection. The states that had the most players selected were California (215), Florida (142), Texas (112), Georgia (70), North Carolina (47), Illinois (45), Arizona (33), New York (31) and Tennessee (30). Sixty foreign-born players were selected in the 40 rounds, including 30 players from Canada; 28 players from Puerto Rico; and one player each from the Bahamas and Mexico.
The Arizona Diamondbacks selected Vanderbilt University shortstop Dansby Swanson with the first overall pick in the Draft. Swanson became the 10th shortstop chosen with the top selection, and the first since the Houston Astros selected Carlos Correa in 2012.
Four players who were in attendance at Studio 42 were selected in the opening round on Monday night, including Lake Mary H.S. (FL) shortstop Brendan Rodgers (3rd overall, COL); Niskayuna H.S. (NY) outfielder Garrett Whitley (13th overall, TB); Cathedral H.S. (IN) right-handed pitcher Ashe Russell (21st overall, KC); and Stroudsburg H.S. (PA) right-handed pitcher Mike Nikorak (27th, COL).
The first round featured the selection of nine African-American players (25%, 9-of-36), including Dillon Tate (4th overall, TEX); Cornelius Randolph (10th overall, PHI); Whitley; Trent Clark (15th overall, MIL); Richie Martin (20th overall, OAK); Nick Plummer (23rd overall, STL); D.J. Stewart (25th overall, BAL); Ke'Bryan Hayes (32nd overall, PIT), the son of former Major Leaguer Charlie Hayes; and Christin Stewart (34th overall, DET). In addition, African-American players made up 17 of the 75 selections (22.7%) made on the first day of the Draft. Among the others were Daz Cameron (37th overall, HOU), the son of former Major League All-Star Mike Cameron; Triston McKenzie (42nd overall, CLE); Eric Jenkins (45th overall, TEX); Austin Smith (51st overall, SD); Desmond Lindsay (53rd overall, NYM); Juan Hillman (59th, CLE); Blake Perkins (69th overall, WSH); and Jahmai Jones (70th overall, LAA).
Among the alumni of Major League Baseball's Urban Youth Academy in Compton, California who were drafted were Tate (4th overall, TEX); Brendon Davis (5th round, LAD); Tyler Mark (6th round, ARI); Jerry Keel (9th round, SD); Dalton Blumenfeld (12th round, LAA); Rock Rucker (20th round, CIN); and Devin Davis (25th round, TB). In addition, Paul Salazar (11th round, STL) became the first player ever from the Urban Youth Academy in Houston, Texas to be drafted. Earl Burl, an alumnus of the New Orleans Urban Youth Academy, was selected in the 30th round by the Toronto Blue Jays.
Among the alumni of Major League Baseball's Reviving Baseball in Inner Cities (RBI) Program selected in the Draft were Tate (Venice Boys & Girls Club RBI, 4th overall, TEX); Alex Robinson (Greater New York RBI, 5th round, MIN); Mark (Dodgers RBI, 6th round, ARI); Blake Hickman (Chicago White Sox RBI, 7th round, CWS); Wesley Rodriguez (Paterson RBI, 12th round, ARI); Blumenfeld (Dodgers RBI, 12th round, LAA); Devin Davis (Dodgers RBI, 25th round, TB); Ashford Fulmer (Houston RBI, 28th round, SF); and Jalin McMillan (Chicago White Sox RBI, 39th round, CWS).
In addition, the following players drafted participated in MLB and USA Baseball's Breakthrough Series: Tate (4th overall, TEX); Hayes (32nd overall, PIT); Austin Smith (51st overall, SD); Hillman (59th overall, CLE); Perkins (69th overall, WSH); Jalen Miller (3rd round, SF); Chad Smith (5th round, TEX); Robinson (5th round, MIN); Brendon Davis (5th round, LAD); Mark (6th round, ARI); Justin Cohen (6th round, MIA); Nicholos Hamilton (11th round, BOS); Imani Abdullah (11th round, LAD); Adam Choplick (14th round, TEX); Tyrone Perry (14th round, MIL); Jio Orozco (14th round, SEA); Daniel Sprinkle (15th round, CLE); Marquise Doherty (15th round, KC); James Nelson (18th round, BOS); Rucker (20th round, CIN); Chris Chatfield (23rd round, SD); Jamar Smith (24th round, SD); Demarcus Evans (25th round, TEX); Tyler Williams (26th round, MIN); Von Watson (29th round, PHI); DJ Neal (32nd round, ATL); Andrew Cabezas (34th round, CLE); C.J. Newsome (38th round, MIA); and Kevin Santiago (39th round, CIN).
The Boston Red Sox selected Tate Matheny, the son of St. Louis Cardinals manager Mike Matheny, in the fourth round out of Missouri State University. The Washington Nationals selected Mariano Rivera Jr., the son of New York Yankees great and MLB all-time saves leader Mariano Rivera, in the fourth round out of Iona College.
Other notable selections included Kyle Tucker (5th overall, HOU), brother of Minor Leaguer Preston Tucker; Tyler Nevin (CB-B, COL), son of former Major League All-Star Phil Nevin; Drew Jackson (5th round, SEA), brother of Minor Leaguer Brett Jackson; Cam Gibson (5th round, DET), son of former Major League player and manager Kirk Gibson; Jose Vizcaino Jr. (7th round, SF), son of former Major Leaguer Jose Vizcaino; Hutton Moyer (7th round, LAA), son of former Major League All-Star Jamie Moyer; Brantley Bell (11th round, CIN), son of former Major League All-Star Jay Bell; Aaron Cox (19th round, LAA), brother-in-law of Los Angeles Angels All-Star outfielder Mike Trout; Yomar Valentin (20th round, BOS), son of former Major Leaguer Jose Valentin; David Lucroy (20th round, MIL), brother of Milwaukee Brewers All-Star catcher Jonathan Lucroy; Luke Wakamatsu (20th round, CLE), son of Kansas City Royals bench coach Don Wakamatsu; (Ryan Castellanos (25th round, DET), brother of Detroit Tigers third baseman Nick Castellanos; AJ Graffanino (26th round, CLE), son of former Major Leaguer Tony Graffanino; Tyler Servais (27th round, DET), son of former Major Leaguer Scott Servais; Elih Marrero (29th round, CIN), son of former Major Leaguer Eli Marrero; Collin Yelich (29th round, ATL), brother of Miami Marlins outfielder Christian Yelich; Tristan Pompey (31st round, MIN), brother of Toronto Blue Jays outfielder Dalton Pompey; Connor Biggio (34th round, HOU), son of former Major League All-Star and 2015 Hall of Fame inductee Craig Biggio; Nick Lovullo (34th round, BOS), son of Boston Red Sox bench coach Torey Lovullo; Kody Clemens (35th round, HOU), son of former Major League All-Star Roger Clemens; Andrew Amaro (35th round, PHI), grandson of former Major Leaguer Ruben Amaro Sr. and nephew of Philadelphia Phillies general manager Ruben Amaro Jr.; Andy Pagnozzi (36th round, COL), son of former Major Leaguer All-Star Tom Pagnozzi; Tanner Stanley (36th round, KC), son of former Major League All-Star Mike Stanley; Jonah DiPoto (38th round, LAA), son of Angels general manager Jerry DiPoto; Griffin Morandini (39th round, PHI), son of former Major League All-Star Mickey Morandini; Jake Jefferies (39th round, WSH), son of former Major League All-Star Gregg Jefferies; Tucker Ward (40th round, ARI), son of Arizona Diamondbacks hitting coach Turner Ward; Joseph Reinsdorf (40th round, CWS), grandson of Chicago White Sox chairman Jerry Reinsdorf; and Mike Rojas (40th round, SEA), son of Seattle Mariners bullpen coach Mike Rojas Sr.