MLB completes first day of 2012 First-Year Player Draft
Major League Baseball has completed the first day of the 2012 First-Year Player Draft, which aired live on MLB Network and MLB.com this evening from Studio 42 at MLB Network in Secaucus, New Jersey. In total, 60 players were selected through the first round and the first compensation round.
Five players who were in attendance at Studio 42 were all selected in the opening round, including shortstop Carlos Correa, who was drafted out of the Puerto Rico Baseball Academy by the Houston Astros with the top overall selection. The others included Oklahoma State left-handed pitcher Andrew Heaney (9th overall, MIA); Barbe H.S. (LA) shortstop Gavin Cecchini (12th overall, NYM); Carroll H.S. (TX) outfielder Courtney Hawkins (13th overall, CWS); and Union H.S. (WA) catcher Clint Coulter (27th overall, MIL).
Thirteen pitchers, including 10 right-handers and three left-handers, were selected in the first round of the Draft, the most among all positions. Other players taken in the opening round featured nine outfielders, five shortstops, three catchers and one third baseman. Clemson’s Richie Shaffer, who was taken 25th overall by the Tampa Bay Rays, was the lone third baseman selected in the first round. For the first time since 2007, no second basemen were selected in the first round, and there were no first basemen selected in the opening round for the third time in four years, with the lone exception coming last year.
Harvard-Westlake High School (CA) teammates Max Fried (7th overall, SD) and Lucas Giolito (16th overall, WSH) were each selected in the first round, becoming the seventh pair of high school teammates to be selected in the first round in the same year. The others include Mike Ondina (12th overall, CWS) and Jerry Manuel (20th overall, DET) out of Rancho Cordova H.S. (CA) in 1972; Michael Cuddyer (9th overall, MIN) and John Curtice (17th overall, BOS) out of Great Bridge H.S. (VA) in 1997; Matt Wheatland (8th overall, DET) and Scott Heard (25th overall, TEX) out of Rancho Bernardo H.S. (CA) in 2000; Clinton Everts (5th overall, MON) and Scott Kazmir (15th overall, NYM) out of Cypress Falls H.S. (TX) in 2002; Billy Butler (14th overall, KC) and Eric Hurley (30th overall, TEX) out of Wolfson Senior H.S. (FL) in 2004; and Michael Moustakas (2nd overall, KC) and Matthew Dominguez (12th overall, FLA) out of Chatsworth H.S. (CA) in 2007.
The first round also featured two pairs of college teammates being selected. Catcher Mike Zunino (3rd overall, SEA) and left-handed pitcher Brian Johnson (31st overall, BOS) out of the University of Florida joined Texas A&M outfielder Tyler Naquin (15th overall, CLE) and right-handed pitcher Michael Wacha (19th overall, STL). The 2012 First-Year Player Draft marked the 11th consecutive year that at least one pair of teammates were taken in the first round.
A total of 17 players were chosen from the high school ranks while the other 14 players selected in the first round came from college. The state of Florida produced seven players selected in the first round, while California had four and Texas and Georgia had three players each.
The First-Year Player Draft is scheduled to continue on Tuesday via conference call beginning with the second round at 12:00 p.m. (EDT) and is scheduled to go through the 15th round. The Draft will resume on Wednesday beginning with the 16th round at 12:00 p.m. (EDT). The Draft will have 40 rounds and a Club may pass on its selection in any round and not forfeit its right to participate in other rounds.
Beginning on Tuesday, MLB.com will offer comprehensive live programming of the Draft’s final two days, including a live pick-by-pick stream, expert commentary and the exclusive Draft Tracker, a searchable database of every draft-eligible player, featuring statistics, scouting reports and video highlights.