MLB completes 2012 first-year player draft
Major League Baseball today completed its 2012 First-Year Player Draft, with a total of 1,238 players being chosen in the 40 rounds and two compensation rounds. The First-Year Player Draft resumed in the 16th round via conference call this afternoon after Tuesday’s completion of rounds two through 15.
Pitchers were the most frequently chosen players, with 630 being selected (461 RHP, 169 LHP). The rest of the 2012 pool was comprised of 270 infielders (including 121 shortstops), 211 outfielders and 127 catchers.
Arizona State University had 10 players selected, the most in the Draft, while Texas Tech University, the University of Florida and the University of Kentucky each produced nine players. Rice University, Texas A&M and the University of Arkansas each had eight.
Players were selected from 46 states, with Maine, New Hampshire, South Dakota and Vermont being the states to not produce a draft selection. The states that had the most players selected were California (222), Florida (146), Texas (141), Georgia (63), Illinois (40), New York (40), North Carolina (35), Arizona (34) and Washington (33). Fifty-one foreign-born players were selected in the 40 rounds, including 26 players from Canada; 23 players from Puerto Rico; and one player each from Curaçao and Mexico.
Five players who were in attendance at MLB Network’s Studio 42 on Monday night were all selected in the opening round, including the number one overall choice, shortstop Carlos Correa, who was drafted out of the Puerto Rico Baseball Academy by the Houston Astros. 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).
The first round featured the selection of seven African-American players, the most by total and percentage (7-of-31, 22.6%) since 1992, when 10 of the 28 first round selections were African-American (35.7%). Among those selected on Monday in the opening round were Byron Buxton (2nd overall, MIN); Addison Russell (11th overall, OAK); Courtney Hawkins (13th overall, CWS); D.J. Davis (17th overall, TOR); Marcus Stroman (22nd overall, TOR); Victor Roache (28th overall, MIL); and Lewis Brinson (29th overall, TEX).
Among the alumni of Major League Baseball’s Reviving Baseball in Inner Cities (RBI) Program who were drafted were Roache (Think Detroit PAL, 28th overall, MIL); Chase DeJong (Venice BGC/UYA, 2nd round, TOR); Justin Chigbogu (KCBGC RBI, 4th round, LAD); Bralin Jackson (KCBGC RBI, 5th round, TB); Zachary Bird (Mississippi RBI, 9th round, LAD); Ron Miller (Venice BGC/UYA, 10th round, MIA); Sean McAdams (Bradenton RBI, 14th round, BAL); Kevin Maxey (Venice BGC/UYA, 17th round, LAD); Blake Hickman (Chicago White Sox RBI, 20th round, CHI); Quintin Davis (Houston RBI, 20th round, LAA); Daniel Sweet (Mississippi RBI, 23rd round, CIN); and Jimmy Herget (Tampa RBI, 40th round, ATL).
"On behalf of the Los Angeles Dodgers and RBI alums everywhere, I want to congratulate those drafted and send them my best wishes as they keep their dream of becoming a Major Leaguer alive,” said Los Angeles Dodgers first baseman and Houston RBI alumnus James Loney. “With hard work, determination and a strong will, each of them can achieve their dreams."
Four Clubs selected the son of their current manager: the St. Louis Cardinals picked Mike Matheny’s son Tate in the 23rd round; the Milwaukee Brewers selected Ron Roenicke’s son Lance in the 25th round; the Arizona Diamondbacks selected Kirk Gibson’s son Cameron in the 38th round; and the Chicago Cubs picked Dale Sveum’s son Rustin in the 39th round. In addition, the San Diego Padres selected Chris O’Dowd, the son of Colorado Rockies General Manager Dan O’Dowd, in the 23rd round; and the Cincinnati Reds selected Kyle Wren, the son of Atlanta Braves General Manager Frank Wren, in the 30th round.
Other notable selections included Corey Seager (18th overall, LAD), brother of Seattle Mariners infielder Kyle Seager; Deven Marrero (24th overall, BOS), cousin of Washington Nationals first baseman Chris Marrero; Lance McCullers (Compensation A, HOU), son of former Major League pitcher Lance McCullers; Luke Bard (Compensation A, MIN), brother of Boston Red Sox pitcher Daniel Bard; Jesmuel Valentin (Compensation A, LAD), son of former Major League infielder Jose Valentin; Kyle Hansen (6th round, CWS), brother of former Major League pitcher Craig Hansen; Beau Amaral (7th round, CIN), son of former Major League outfielder Rich Amaral; Hoby Milner (7th round, PHI), son of former Major League catcher Brian Milner; L.J. Mazzilli (9th round, MIN), son of former Major League All-Star, coach and manager Lee Mazzilli; Levi Borders (11th round, ATL), son of former Major League catcher Pat Borders; Trey Williams (11th round, STL), son of former Major League infielder Eddie Williams; David Hill (17th round, PHI), brother of Philadelphia’s 2011 19th round selection John Hill; Jonathan Murphy (19th round, MIN), brother of New York Mets infielder Daniel Murphy; Ryan Ripken (20th round, BAL), son of Hall of Famer Cal Ripken, Jr.; Jose Mesa (24th round, NYY), son of former Major League All-Star pitcher Jose Mesa; Michael Yastrzemski (30th round, SEA), grandson of Hall of Famer Carl Yastrzemski; Eduardo Oquendo (32nd round, STL), son of former Major Leaguer and current Cardinals third base coach Jose Oquendo; Garrett Cannizaro (32nd round, NYY), brother of former Major League infielder Andy Cannizaro; Ryan Garvey (33rd round, COL), son of former Major League All-Star first baseman Steve Garvey; Jake Jefferies (34th round, WSH), son of former Major League All-Star infielder Gregg Jefferies; Jordan Hershiser (34th round, LAD), son of former Major League All-Star pitcher Orel Hershiser; Darrell Miller (34th round, PHI), son of former Major League catcher Darrell Miller; James Sinatro (35th round, HOU), son of Astros catching instructor Matt Sinatro; Nick Hamilton (35th round, CLE), son of Cleveland Indians play-by-play announcer Tom Hamilton; Kevin Bradley (36th round, COL), son of former Major League catcher Scott Bradley and nephew of Bob Bradley, the head coach of U.S. Men’s National Soccer Team; Jose Vizcaino (36th round, LAD), son of former Major League infielder Jose Vizcaino; Michael Aldrete (39th round, STL), son of Cardinals bench coach Mike Aldrete; and Zane Hemond (40th round, ARI), grandson of longtime Major League executive Roland Hemond.