Gems bound to be unearthed on Draft Day 3
Fifteen prospects from Top 100 list remain available after first two days
The first 10 rounds of the 2015 MLB Draft are in the books, but there are still plenty of reasons to keep an eye on the final 30 rounds today, when MLB.com's coverage begins at noon ET.
Though the players taken today won't be immediately deemed future All-Stars -- or even everyday players, in most cases -- there are some gems waiting to be unearthed. It's a truth that dates all the way back to the inaugural 1965 Draft, when future Hall of Famer Nolan Ryan wasn't taken until the 12th round by the Mets.
That has continued in recent years with players like Albert Pujols (taken in the 13th round in 1999), Ian Kinsler (17th round, 2003) and Sergio Romo (28th round, '05).
Could the next player on that list be waiting to hear his name called on Day 3?
Day 3 of the Draft will be streamed live on MLB.com, with Draft and prospect experts Jim Callis and Jonathan Mayo providing analysis throughout. MLB.com's coverage includes Draft Central, the Top 200 Draft Prospects list and Draft Tracker, a live interactive application that includes a searchable database of over 1,800 Draft-eligible players. Every selection will be tweeted live from @MLBDraftTracker, and you can also keep up to date by following @MLBDraft. And get into the Draft conversation by tagging your tweets with #mlbdraft. A breakdown of club signing bonus pools -- and Draft rules -- can be found here.
Video: Draft Report: Donny Everett, HS Pitcher
There is plenty of talent remaining on the board, with 55 of MLBPipeline's Top 200 players still available, including 15 of the Top 100. While some of these players remain undrafted due to strong college commitments, others are very much in play. Here's a quick look at the players still available from the Top 100:
Video: Draft Report: Justin Hooper, HS Pitcher
• No. 23: Donny Everett (RHP, Clarksville HS)
• No. 31: Justin Hooper (LHP, De La Salle HS)
• No. 54: Luken Baker (RHP, Oak Ridge HS)
• No. 55: Cole Sands (RHP, North Florida Christian HS)
• No. 57: Kyle Molnar (RHP, Aliso Niguel HS)
• No. 58: Al Jones (SS, Columbus HS)
• No. 70: Tristan Beck (RHP, Corona Senior HS)
• No. 86: Chandler Day (RHP, Watkins Memorial HS)
• No. 89: Cole McKay (RHP, Smithson Valley HS)
• No. 90: Joe DeMers (RHP, College Park HS)
• No. 91: Luke Wakamatsu (SS, Keller HS)
• No. 92: John India (SS, American Heritage School)
• No. 93: Tristin English (RHP, Pike County HS)
• No. 96: Jackson Kowar (RHP, Charlotte Christian School)
• No. 100: Wesley Rodriguez (RHP, George Washington HS)
Video: Draft Report: Luken Baker, HS RHP/1B
While each of those players are high schoolers with college commitments, there are 13 others within the Top 200 that are collegiate ballplayers.
Either way, some of those players -- even the ones with perceived signability issues -- could be targeted early on Day 3, given the Draft rules. Each pick within the first 10 rounds is assigned a specific value and the total amount of those picks makes up a team's budget for the Draft. Keep in mind, however, that if a player signs for less than his respective slot value then the team can apply those savings to other picks.
Video: Draft Report: Kyle Molnar, HS Pitcher
That said, things change a bit on Day 3. Draft picks that ultimately sign for more than $100,000 in Rounds 11-40 still count against a team's allotted total, but the values of specific selections is not lost if a player does not sign. These rules, which went into effect in 2012, have led many teams to target those signability risks early on the third day.
Whether that again proves to be the case this year remains to be seen, but the fact remains that there are plenty of names still on the board worth tuning in for.