A's 3rd-round pick Murphy leads Day 2 focus on battery

June 10th, 2016

OAKLAND -- After going with three collegiate pitchers on the first day of the 2016 Draft, the A's continued to stockpile arms on the second day, selecting five more on Friday.
Oakland also drafted three position players, snagging a catcher, a third baseman and an outfielder. To this point, 10 of the 11 players taken by the A's come from the collegiate level.
The Draft concludes on Saturday, with exclusive coverage of Rounds 11-40 beginning on MLB.com at 9 a.m. PT.
Track every A's pick from Day 2 of the 2016 MLB Draft, which consisted of Rounds 3-10.
Round 3 (83rd overall), Sean Murphy, C, Wright State University
Murphy's biggest strength is easily his defense. In fact, he was considered as one of the best defensive players in the entire Draft class this year among all positions, boasting a cannon of an arm and a knack for pitch framing.

The questions for Murphy rest in his offensive abilities, though there could be power lurking in his bat. A big kid at 6-foot-3 and 215 pounds, Murphy has a .309 career average for Wright State, with 14 home runs and 105 RBIs in 155 games. He was the 10th catcher selected in this year's Draft.
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Round 4 (112th overall), Skylar Szynski, RHP, Penn High School (Mishawaka, Ind.)
Szynski, considered the best prep prospect in the state of Indiana this year, has an athletic build -- he stands 6-foot-2, weighing 195 pounds -- and a smooth delivery. Along with a fastball that sits in the low 90s, Szynski also has a curveball in his pocket, as well as a changeup that remains a work in progress.
He's committed to Indiana University.
Round 5 (142nd overall), JaVon Shelby, 3B, University of Kentucky
Shelby, who moved from second base to third for Kentucky this season, tied for third in the Southeastern Conference in home runs (12) but hit just .212 overall with 67 strikeouts in 198 at-bats.
On defense, Shelby flashes above-average arm strength. He is the son of former Major Leaguer John Shelby and also the cousin of Pirates infielder Josh Harrison.

Round 6 (172nd overall), Brandon Bailey, RHP, Gonzaga University
Bailey struck out five in last week's NCAA Forth Worth Regional opener, tying him for fourth on Gonzaga's career strikeout list with 278 -- 125 of them recorded in 100 1/3 innings this season, the third most in a single season in the program's history.
Bailey finished the season with a 10-3 record and 2.42 ERA. His fastball routinely sits in the 90-92-mph range and is complemented by an above-average changeup and an effective slider.

Round 7 (202nd overall), Tyler Ramirez, CF, University of North Carolina
Ramirez has a simple, compact left-handed swing to match his small frame: he's listed as 5-foot-9 and 185 pounds. But he's been North Carolina's best hitter in each of the last two years, most recently batting .333 with eight home runs and 47 RBIs in 54 games for the Tar Heels this season.
Ramirez played right field in his first two seasons before making the move to center this spring. He's thought to have good instincts at the position, but a below-average arm means he could ultimately land in left field.

Round 8 (232nd overall), Will Gilbert, LHP, North Carolina State
Gilbert struck out 62 batters in 52 2/3 innings of relief for the Wolfpack, holding opponents to 13 earned runs for a 2.22 ERA.
The 5-foot-11 Gilbert issued only 11 walks in that span, an improvement from a 2015 season in which he walked 20 and fanned 52 in 47 1/3 innings. He was the second collegiate left-hander to be drafted by the A's this year, joining first-rounder A.J. Puk.
Round 9 (262nd overall), Dalton Sawyer, LHP, University of Minnesota
Sawyer's strikeout totals are impressive; the southpaw fanned 112 in 94 2/3 innings this season. He went 7-7 with a 3.33 ERA in 16 starts for the Gophers, with opponents hitting just .227 against him.
Dalton was originally selected by the hometown Twins in the 27th round of the 2015 Draft, but he bypassed going pro in favor of returning to school for his senior season.
Round 10 (292nd overall), Mitchell Jordan, RHP, Stetson University
Jordan made 12 starts this season, going 6-5 with a 3.94 ERA, totaling 75 strikeouts in 80 innings.
The righty has a compact delivery and has showcased advanced control of all three of his pitches: a fastball that sits in the 88-93 mph range, as well as a developing curveball and a changeup.