Here are Jim Callis' favorite Day 2 picks

June 5th, 2019

It may not always be obvious at the time, but there's talent to be found in every round of the Draft. The Dodgers nabbed Cody Bellinger in the fourth round, the Red Sox stole Mookie Betts in the fifth and the Marlins found Chris Paddack in the eighth (but traded him to the Padres).

So while day two (rounds three through 10) of the Draft isn't celebrated with as much pomp and circumstance as day one (rounds one and two), it will produce future stars. Below are my favorite picks for each of the eight rounds completed on Tuesday:

Third: Mets -- Matthew Allan, RHP, Seminole (Fla.) HS, Sanford, Fla.
MLB Pipeline's top-rated high school pitcher (No. 13 on our Draft Top 200) slid to day two because he had a reported $4 million price tag. Allan also has a mid-90s fastball and a power curveball, so kudos to the Mets for figuring out a way to fit him into just the 16th-largest bonus pool ($8,224,600).

Fourth: Red Sox -- Noah Song, RHP, Navy
If he didn't have a two-year military commitment, the NCAA Division I strikeout leader (161 in 94 innings) through regional tournament play would have gone in the first two rounds. Song has a mid-90s fastball and a pair of potential plus breaking pitches in his curveball and slider, so he'll be worth the wait if his stuff holds up.

Fifth: Twins -- Will Holland, SS, Auburn
Holland entered 2019 as a likely mid-first-rounder before a poor first half torpedoed those chances. He did look more like his old self down the stretch, a potential 20-20 guy who definitely will stay at shortstop.

Sixth: Cubs -- Ethan Hearn, C, Mobile Christian (Ala.) HS
Assuming he's signable -- and if he's not, the Cubs wouldn't have taken him here -- it's a mystery how the best high school catcher in the Draft lasted 192 selections. Hearn's raw power and arm strength both grade as plus tools, and he continues to improve as a receiver.

Seventh: Tigers -- Zack Hess, RHP, Louisiana State
Hess was a bullpen force on a 2017 Tigers team that went to the College World Series finals, throwing fastballs in the upper 90s and wipeout sliders in the mid-80s. Miscast as a starter the last two seasons, he could rocket to the Majors and develop into a closer if the Tigers revert him to his freshman role.

Eighth: Cubs -- D.J. Herz, LHP, Sanford HS, Fayetteville, N.C.
Herz has added about 5 mph of fastball velocity in the last year, now operates in the 91-95 mph range and could reside in the mid-90s as he continues to add strength to his athletic 6-foot-2 frame. He gets swings and misses with his low-80s slider as well, though he comes with starter-versus-reliever questions.

Ninth: D-backs -- Bobby Ay, RHP, Cal Poly
A redshirt junior who missed most of 2018 with a shoulder injury, Ay bounced back this spring and was stronger than ever in the weeks before the Draft, working at 92-95 mph. His plus changeup may be his best pitch and he also owns a solid curveball.

Tenth: Tigers -- Jake Holton, 1B, Creighton
The Big East Conference player of year after transferring from Santa Barbara (Calif.) CC, Holton batted .386/.488/.681 with 14 homers. He's a bat-only guy, but he's strong and has a knack for punishing pitches when he gets one to hit.