MLB Draft, Day 3: Round-by-round highlights

June 6th, 2018

The second day of the Major League Baseball Draft saw 236 players selected across seven rounds (3-10), including 77 players ranked in MLB Pipeline's Top 200 Draft Prospects list who went unselected on Day 1.
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As a result, many teams were pleased to find potential high-end talents, both from the high school and college ranks, still on the board for them early on Day 2. While all 30 teams added quality talent to their systems, and time will tell which organizations fared the best, MLB Pipeline's Jim Callis ranked the Braves and Blue Jays atop his list of teams that had the best hauls on Day 2.
The Draft concluded Wednesday with Rounds 11-40. Keep in mind that the assigned pick value for every Day 3 selection is set at $125,000, and any team that exceeds that total will have it count against their bonus pool.
Rounds 11-15
Here's a look at some players taken in this portion of the Draft:
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• The Tigers opened Day 3 of the Draft by selecting University of Arkansas Fayetteville's Kacey Murphy, a junior left-hander who threw eight scoreless innings in NCAA Regionals action over the weekend.
• The A's used their 11th-round pick on right-hander Joe DeMers, a former standout at USA Baseball's National High School Invitational who pitched to a 2.56 ERA and a 0.97 WHIP this past spring while appearing in 16 games (14 starts) for the University of Washington.
• Perhaps the most interesting pick of the round was made by the Red Sox, who selected Ohio prep third baseman Nicholas Northcut with pick No. 340. Ranked No. 81 on the Draft Top 200 list, Northcut possesses prototypical third-base tools in a powerful right-handed bat -- he finished second in the home run derby at the Perfect Game All-American Classic last August -- and plus arm strength. He could be difficult to sign away from his Vanderbilt commitment.
• The D-backs selected IMG Academy (Fla.) shortstop Blaze Alexander (ranked No. 118 on Pipeline's Top 200) one pick before that. A high school teammate of D-backs' eighth-rounder Levi Kelly, Alexander possesses the best arm strength in the 2018 class and is committed to South Carolina.

• The 12th round saw the Padres tap into the Pennsylvania prep ranks to find Sean Guilbe (351st overall), whom they announced as a second baseman. Considered by some to be a potential top-five-round selection and ranked at No. 155, Guilbe stands out for his present physicality and right-handed power. He's committed to Tennessee.
• The Giants selected Connors St. College's George Bell in the 13th round. The 6-foot-4, 210-pound outfielder is the son of the former big league outfielder and 1987 American League MVP by the same name. More >
• After taking Coastal Carolina righty Jason Bilous (378th overall) in Round 13, the White Sox went with another Top 200-ranked hurler with their subsequent pick, selecting Texas Tech right-hander Davis Martin (No. 153) in the 14th with the 408th overall pick in the Draft.
• Reds 14th-rounder Michael Byrne shattered Florida's single-season save record last year, and he's the program's all-time leader with 34 (and counting).
Rounds 16-20
Here's a look at some players taken in this portion of the Draft:
• The Royals, continuing their trend of targeting college hurlers, nabbed University of Delaware right-hander Kyle Hinton in the 16th round. The top Draft prospect in Delaware, Hinton pitched to a 2.78 ERA while compiling 94 strikeouts and 41 walks this spring while working 90 2/3 innings, more than double his combined workload from his first two college seasons. The 6-foot right-hander projects as a reliever with an 89-93 mph fastball, fringy slider and average changeup. The Royals took 16 college pitchers among their first 20 picks.
• The Dodgers selected right-hander Trey Dillard (ranked No. 140) with the final pick in the 16th round. A Draft-eligible freshman this spring with at San Jacinto (Texas) JC, the 6-foot-2 right-hander dealt with an elbow issue but will operate with a 93-98 mph fastball and power slurve out of the bullpen. He lacks polish and has a ways to go as a strike-thrower, but the ingredients are there for Dillard to develop into a late-inning weapon.

• The Mets' 18th-round pick, Tennessee Tech first baseman Chase Chambers, has big-time left-handed power that's helped him hit 15 home runs this spring after going deep 18 times as a junior. The 6-foot-1, 250-pounder carries a .400/.498/.652 batting line through 57 games into NCAA Super Regional play.
• Two rounds after taking Dillard, the Dodgers selected Morehead State outfielder Niko Hulsizer, who led all of NCAA Division I in 2017 with 27 home runs and possesses 70-grade raw power from the right side of the plate. He missed time this spring due to a fractured hamate bone in his left hand but still managed to produce 12 homers with a .320/.428/.621 batting line in 41 games.
• Texas used its 19th-round pick on left-handed-hitting catcher Xavier Valentin from Leadership Christian Academy in Puerto Rico. He's the son of former big leaguer Jose Valentin, who appeared in nearly 1,700 games over parts of 16 seasons.
• The Cardinals took Parker Kelly, the younger brother of current Cardinals catcher , in the 20th round. A 6-foot-1 right-hander out of Oregon, Kelly pitched to a 3.26 ERA while striking out 53 in 47 innings (29 appearances) as a junior this spring.
Rounds 21-25
Here's a look at some players taken in this portion of the Draft:
• The Rays used their 21st-round pick on a Top 200 prospect, selecting right-hander Kerry Wright (No. 121) from the Florida prep ranks. Wright shot up Draft boards this spring behind a fastball that reached 96 mph. He hails from the same Montverde Academy program that produced Indians superstar (No. 8 overall pick in 2011).
• The Nationals' 21st-round pick, Ryan Tapani, is the son of former big league pitcher Kevin Tapani. The fifth-year senior is a right-handed starter from Creighton.
• Milwaukee drafted Massachusetts prep lefty Steven Hajjar (No. 195) in the 21st round. At 6-foot-4, Hajjar, a Michigan commit, has physical projection remaining and already works with a solid three-pitch mix.
• The Angels took a 24th-round flyer on Arkansas right-hander Isaiah Campbell (ranked No. 109). A Puerto Rico native, the 6-foot-4, 225-pounder has a mid-90s fastball and a pair of promising breaking balls.
Rounds 26-30
• Gunnar Halter from Seminole State (Okla.) is the son of former eight-year big leaguer Shane. The 19-year-old batted .440 with 19 home runs this spring while manning shortstop and also appeared in 17 games on the mound, striking out 27 in 20 2/3 innings. The Indians drafted the 6-foot-2 Halter, a Mississippi State commit, in the 26th round for his potential on the mound, where he's been up to 94 mph.
• The Cubs used their 28th-round pick on Mitchell Parker, a New Mexico prep who put himself on the map last fall in Jupiter with a 15-strikeout performance. The 6-foot-3 left-hander has a good frame and arm action that produces average velocity along with a promising curveball.

• Russ Olive, a Massachusetts Lowell junior first baseman and Tampa Bay's 29th-round pick, is the great-great grandson of JF Sneden, who played on the Elmira Pioneers with Hall of Famers Wee Willie Keeler and Dan Brouthers.
• Monteverde Academy (Fla.) shortstop Nander De Sedas (No. 55 on Top 200) was viewed as a possible first-rounder until his stock faded with an inconsistent spring. The switch-hitter has four tools that grade as average or better, and should he not sign with Milwaukee after being taken in the 29th round, the Florida State commit could be one of the top picks in 2021.
• Arizona will make an attempt to sign Luke Bartnicki (ranked No. 149) after taking him in the 29th round, though it's more likely that the prep lefty, who pitches in the low 90s with a downer curveball, will honor his commitment to Georgia Tech.

• Marlins 30th-rounder Garrett McDaniels (ranked No. 96) could be a first-round pick three years from now if he attends Coastal Carolina. A 6-foot-2 southpaw, McDaniels shows present stuff that will only get better as he grows into his projectable frame.

• Dipping into their own backyard, the Twins took a shot at Minnesota prep Seth Halvorsen (ranked No. 162) in the 30th round. A 6-foot-1 right-hander who can hit 96 mph and posted the second-best fastball velocity (95.4 mph) at the World Wood Bat Association World Championship last October, Halvorsen is committed to Missouri.
Rounds 31-35
• Jake Mangum (ranked No. 180) has stood out more for his success as a switch-hitting outfielder at Mississippi State, though it was his strong left arm -- he was up to 93 mph on the mound as a sophomore -- that earned him a selection by the Mets in the 32nd round on Day 3.

• The Rangers took a 32nd-round flyer on right-hander Owen Sharts (No. 119) in case he doesn't honor his commitment to the University of Nevada, where he has the potential to be a two-way player. A potential top-five-round pick heading into the Draft, Sharts has feel for a three-pitch mix including a fastball that can reach 94 mph.
• Cubs 33rd-rounder Tyler Ras (No. 197) is a two-way standout from the New Jersey prep ranks who is committed to Alabama. A projectable 6-foot-4 right-hander, Ras has been up to 93 mph with his fastball, with more velocity to come as he fills out that frame. He also has a pair of promising secondary offerings.
's younger brother, J.C., an infielder from Alvin CC, was taken by the Astros in the 33rd round.
• LSU right-hander Zack Hess (No. 91) was taken by the Braves in the 34th round, though the Draft-eligible sophomore is unlikely to sign. He's enjoyed success as both a starter and a reliever, and some believe he's destined for the latter role based on the strength of his plus fastball-slider pairing.

• The Cardinals went with Tennessee catcher Benito Santiago, the son of the former big league catcher of the same name, in the 34th round.
• Logan Brown, the son of former big league pitcher Kevin Brown, was selected by the Braves in the 35th round out of the University of Southern Indiana.
• Astros third baseman 's younger brother, A.J., a prep left-hander from New Mexico, was snagged by the Astros in the 35th round.
Rounds 36-40
• The Cardinals drafted UC Irvine third baseman Cole Kreuter, the son of former big league catcher and current Mets Minor League manager Chad Kreuter, in the 36th round.
• The White Sox selected Cannon King out of Beverly Hills (Calif.) High in the 37th round. He is the son of legendary TV personality Larry King.

• The Rangers picked Austin Becker (No. 95) in the 37th round on the off chance that the Ohio prep doesn't honor his strong commitment to Vanderbilt. A 6-foot-6 right-hander, Becker has the combination of size and stuff that could earn him a first-round selection three years from now.
• Washington took a 37th-round flyer on Georgia prep right-hander Cole Wilcox (No. 19), the highest-ranked unselected player headed into Day 3. He'll be Draft-eligible as a sophomore in 2020 should he follow through on his commitment to Georgia.
• Antonio Cruz, The Astros' 37th-rounder, is the grandson of former Major Leaguer Jose Cruz and the son of Jose Cruz Jr., who finished second in the 1997 AL Rookie of the Year voting.
• Oakland selected St. Marys senior outfielder Austin Piscotty, the younger brother of current A's outfielder , in the 38th round.

• Right-hander Slade Cecconi (No. 63) finally heard his name called when the Orioles selected him in the 38th round. The Miami recruit is one of the more projectable pitchers in the class but saw his stock slide this spring due to a triceps injury.
• Hard-throwing righty Kumar Rocker (No. 23) was popped by Colorado in the 38th round. The son of former NFL defensive lineman Tracy Rocker, the 6-foot-5, 250-pounder is a physical specimen with a 98 mph fastball that will serve him well at Vanderbilt, where he will presumably go after not being taken early on.
• Illinois prep righty Jacob Maton, the younger brother of Phil (Padres reliever) and Nick (Phillies' No. 30 prospect), was taken by Seattle in the 39th round.
• Other players in the Draft Top 200 selected in Rounds 39-40 were: No. 65 OF Zach Watson (40th round, Red Sox); No. 78 RHP Jaden Hill (38th, Cardinals); No. 94 LHP Brett Hansen (38th, Giants); No. 100 LHP Garrett Wade (38th, White Sox); No. 120 RHP Chandler Champlain (38th, Angels); No. 137 RHP Cole Henry (38th, Tigers); No. 183 2B Cory Acton (39th, Tigers).