The Major League Baseball First Year Player Draft began Monday night with the televised first round (with sandwich picks) and second round on the MLB Network. The event goes over three days with rounds 3-10 yesterday and the final 30 rounds today on conference call. Of all the drafts in the four major professional sports, it is probably the least focused on by its fan base. While NBA, NFL, and most NHL draftees are granted the opportunities to be immediate contributors to their respective squads, most players taken in the MLB Draft are years away. With that being said though, the top of this year’s MLB Draft looks very promising. We could be in for the next Golden Era of Shortstops in the sport.
We are a spoiled generation of baseball fans. Throughout the annals of time, the position of shortstop was a defensive bookend. They were there to be an infield vacuum, sucking up any ground ball that dared cross their path. You needed to look no further than an Ozzie Smith or Omar Vizquel for your prototype of what a shortstop should look and play like. Players like Ernie Banks, Barry Larkin, and Cal Ripken Jr. were statistical and traditional anomalies. Then the 90’s happened.
With that time came a different breed of shortstop, one who was more suited for the middle of the lineup than the bottom of it. The pack was led by the dynamic triumvirate of Alex Rodriguez, Nomar Garciaparra, and Derek Jeter. They weren’t alone either. Eventual MVPs Miguel Tejada and Jimmy Rollins also were part of the revolution in making the position offensively relevant in the Majors. Granted the dark cloud of the “Steroid Era” put a damper on the majority of what these men accomplished, but their imprint on the game had been irrevocably made.
That brings us back to Monday night. The 2015 Draft made history when it saw shortstops go in the first three selections of the first round for the first time ever. At the end of the round, a record tying eight shortstops had their names called by the commissioner. It will be fun to see if this unprecedented run at the position produces another boom period for shortstops.
It all started off with Vanderbilt shortstop Dansby Swanson going to Arizona. What isn’t there to rave about in regards to the Commodores’ top player? He is a defensive dynamo, clutch with the bat, and the reigning College World Series Most Outstanding Player. All of those traits were on display as he celebrated being the first college shortstop taken number one overall since 1974 against the University of Illinois. He stole third base, hit a double and a game tying home run, and flashed the leather in the field. He did all of this going against Illini starter Tyler Jay who just so happened to go sixth overall in the Draft to Minnesota. Swanson is the crown jewel, but there were plenty more gems to go around.
The Astros followed up that pick with LSU’s Alex Bregman. Yes, Houston did just draft a shortstop number one three years ago. That man, Carlos Correa, just made his MLB debut this week and hit his first career home run last night. Nevertheless, one simply does not leave a player of Bregman’s caliber on the board. The Astros have been too bad for too long to make a mistake like that. While one of the two players’ future won’t be at shortstop, they are both versatile enough assets to make the transition to second base or third. Either way, the ‘Stros will either have a burgeoning slugging machine (Correa) as their super shortstop or the man some say is the next Dustin Pedroia (Bregman) manning the spot. Not a bad conundrum to have eh?
Colorado rounded out the top three with the lone high schooler of the trio in Lake Mary High School (FL) shortstop Brendan Rodgers. Not to be confused with the embattled manager of Liverpool FC in the Premier League, Rodgers was viewed by some scouts as the best prospect of these three splendid shortstops. He wowed scouts at his summer showcase games and workouts and hit .368 with 8 HR and 23 RBI during his senior year of high school. Troy Tulowitzki is currently one of the crop of shortstops in the Majors continuing the legacy of Nomar, Jeter, and A-Rod. He was drafted by Colorado seventh overall in the star-making Draft of 2005. The selection of Rodgers finally provides Rockies’ management with a plan for life after Tulo, a mighty fine plan at that.
It would be neglectful to not mention the other five players taken in Monday’s opening round. There wasn’t just three names in the Golden Era.
- Cornelius Randolph, Phillies (#10 Overall)- Sweet swing and frame has him projected to move to third or left. Viewed as potentially best pure hitter in the class.
- Kevin Newman, Pirates (#19 Overall)- College extra base machine who could supplant Jordy Mercer or Jung Ho Kang at short as early as next season. Once won a game with a steal of home.
- Richie Martin, Athletics (#20 Overall)- Slick fielder who also shredded the Cape Cod League to the tune of .364/.432/.469
- Kyle Holder, Yankees (#30 Overall)- Probably the top defender of the lot, bat leaves a lot to be desired
- Ryan Mountcastle, Orioles (#36 Overall)- Raw high school talent. Huge upside but the furthest of the bunch from the Show.
The MLB Draft, like any draft, is just as much luck as it is skill. There is a chance that one or more of these players could get injured or just flame out on their own. Speaking of skill though, these shortstops have that in abundance. If they can all fulfill their potential, we’re destined to again be unduly coddled by the shortstop position.