MLB Completes First Day of 2015 Draft

Major League Baseball has completed the first day of the 2015 Draft, which aired live on MLB Network and MLB.com this evening from Studio 42 at MLB Network in Secaucus, New Jersey. In total, 75 players were selected during Round 1, Competitive Balance Round A, Round 2 and Competitive Balance Round B.

The Arizona Diamondbacks selected Vanderbilt University shortstop Dansby Swanson with the first overall pick in the Draft. Swanson becomes the 10^th shortstop chosen with the top selection, and the first since the Houston Astros selected Carlos Correa in 2012.

Following Swanson, the Astros selected Louisiana State University shortstop Alex Bregman second overall, and the Colorado Rockies chose Lake Mary H.S. (FL) shortstop Brendan Rodgers with the third overall selection. It marked the first time in Draft history that shortstops were taken with each of the first three selections.

Four players who were in attendance at Studio 42 were selected in the opening round, including Rodgers; Niskayuna H.S. (NY) outfielder Garrett Whitley (13^th overall, TB); Cathedral H.S. (IN) right-handed pitcher Ashe Russell (21^st overall, KC); and Stroudsburg H.S. (PA) right-handed pitcher Mike Nikorak (27^th, COL).

The first round featured the selection of nine African-American players (25%, 9-of-36), including Dillon Tate (4^th overall, TEX); Cornelius Randolph (10^th overall, PHI); Whitley; Trent Clark (15^th overall, MIL); Richie Martin (20^th overall, OAK); Nick Plummer (23^rd overall, STL); D.J. Stewart (25^th overall, BAL); Ke'Bryan Hayes (32^nd overall, PIT); and Christin Stewart (34^th overall, DET). In addition, African-American players made up 17 of the 75 selections (22.7%) made on the first day of the Draft. Among the others were Daz Cameron (37^th overall, HOU); Triston McKenzie (42^nd overall, CLE); Eric Jenkins (45^th overall, TEX); Austin Smith (51^st overall, SD); Desmond Lindsay (53^rd overall, NYM); Juan Hillman (59^th, CLE); Blake Perkins (69^th overall, WSH); and Jahmai Jones (70^th overall, LAA).

Tate is an alumnus of MLB's Urban Youth Academy in Compton, California. In addition, Hayes, Hillman, Perkins, Smith and Tate each played in The Breakthrough Series, a joint effort by MLB and USA Baseball.

A record-tying eight shortstops were selected in the first round of the Draft, matching the total number of shortstops selected in the opening round in 2002 and 1971. Other players taken in the first round featured 15 pitchers, including 12 right-handers and three left-handers; eight outfielders; two catchers; two first basemen; and one third baseman.

A total of 19 players in the first round were chosen from college, while 16 were selected from the high school ranks. Left-handed pitcher Brady Aiken (17^th overall, CLE), who was the top overall selection in the 2014 Draft, was the lone player selected in the opening round without ties to a school. The states of California and Florida each produced seven players in the first round, followed by Georgia (4) and Texas (3). For the 13^th time in the last 14 years, at least one pair of teammates (college or high school) were selected in the first round when shortstop Dansby Swanson (1^st overall, ARI), right-handed pitcher Carson Fulmer (8^th overall, CWS) and right-handed pitcher Walker Buehler (24^th overall, LAD) were selected out of Vanderbilt University.

          Hayes, a third baseman selected 32^nd overall by Pittsburgh out of Concordia Lutheran H.S. (TX), is the son of former Major Leaguer Charlie Hayes, and he was the lone third baseman selected in the first round. Cameron, the son of former Major League All-Star Mike Cameron, was the 37^th overall pick by the Houston Astros. Tyler Nevin, the son of former Major League All-Star Phil Nevin, was selected 38^th overall by the Colorado Rockies.

The 2015 Draft is scheduled to continue on Tuesday via conference call beginning with the third round at 1:00 p.m. (ET) and is scheduled to go through the 10^th round. The Draft will resume on Wednesday beginning with the 11^th 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.

MLB.com will begin its exclusive live programming of the Draft's final two days with a live draft show from its New York studios at 12:30 p.m. (ET) tomorrow, followed by a live pick-by-pick stream and draft and scouting expert commentary from Jonathan Mayo and Jim Callis. It also will provide Draft Tracker, a live interactive application that includes a searchable database of more than 1,500 draft-eligible players with statistics, scouting reports and video highlights. On Twitter, the official Draft Twitter account, @MLBDraft, will provide up-to-the-moment updates and commentary while @MLBDraftTracker will tweet all picks as they are made.

The 2015 MLB Draft is supported by T-Mobile, the official wireless telecommunications sponsor of MLB, and The Topps Company, the exclusive trading card licensee of MLB.