Jason Groome, Riley Pint and Kyle Lewis were ranked as the number one, two and three draft prospects going into Thursday’s 2016 first-year player draft, but they went in a completely different order than predicted. In fact, they didn’t go as any of the first three selections at all, instead getting picked in the 12th, 4th and 11th spots, respectively. Even so, they will still undoubtedly have impacts on the clubs that took a chance on them, as will the three that actually went top three overall.
Mickey Moniak went first overall, getting drafted by the Philadelphia Phillies.
Moniak doesn’t do just one thing well; he does a lot of things well, which is the reason he was selected as the first overall pick in this year’s draft. This past season in high school, Moniak hit .476 with 7 home runs in 105 at-bats, and was subsequently named the 2016 California Gatorade player of the year. Moniak was taken by the Phillies in their first number one overall pick since back in 1998, and becomes the first high school outfielder since Delmon Young in 2003 to be drafted first overall, joining the likes of Josh Hamilton and Ken Griffey Jr. As a solid defender, Moniak is expected to remain in center field moving forward as he now makes his way into a loaded Phillies’ farm system that looks to have the Phillies in good shape moving forward over the next few years.
Nick Senzel went second overall, getting drafted by the Cincinnati Reds.
Making the position change to third base just this past season, Senzel performed extremely well at the hot corner for the University of Tennessee. Senzel doesn’t strike out a ton for a guy with a good deal of pop, and recorded a .352 line with 8 homers, 59 RBI’s and 25 stolen bases to boot this past season. As far as University of Tennessee draftees history goes, the third overall pick of Senzel makes him the earliest selection out of that college in its history, beating out Rockies’ great Todd Helton, who was selected eighth overall back in 1995. Much like the Phillies, the Reds haven’t been having too much success in the standings as of late, but they added a nice piece to what they’re looking to do moving forward, with Senzel looking to be the eventual replacement down the road for the loss of Todd Frazier.
Ian Anderson went third overall, getting drafted by the Atlanta Braves.
Compared to Jacob deGrom by Hall of Fame pitcher John Smoltz on MLB Network, Anderson has all the things you’re looking for out of a pitcher coming from high school. Anderson was selected as the first pitcher of the 2016 draft, with a fastball consistently in the 94-96 mile-per-hour range as well as a curveball with a big break to it. Despite missing the first half of his senior season due to pneumonia, Anderson showed enough talent to earn the third overall selection in the draft. Possessing a solid ability to throw strikes and get guys out, Anderson is certainly a step in the right direction for a Braves team that’s in the process of rebuilding for 2017 and beyond, when they’ll be playing in their new ballpark. If all goes as planned, the Braves will be in much better shape if guys such as Anderson pan out.
The remainder of the draft saw many surprises. A lot of players went higher than anyone expected, while others stuck around longer than many thought they would. But that usually happens every year with the draft.
The rest of the 1st round of the 2016 draft, following the first three picks, went as follows:
4. Rockies: Riley Pint
5. Brewers: Corey Ray
6. Athletics: A.J. Puk
7. Marlins: Braxton Garrett
8. Padres: Cal Quantrill
9. Tigers: Matt Manning
10. White Sox: Zack Collins
11. Mariners: Kyle Lewis
12. Red Sox: Jason Groome
13. Rays: Joshua Lowe
14. Indians: Will Benson
15. Twins: Alex Kirilloff
16. Angels: Matt Thaiss
17. Astros: Forrest Whitley
18. Yankees: Blake Rutherford
19. Mets: Justin Dunn
20. Dodgers: Gavin Lux
21. Blue Jays: T.J. Zeuch
22. Pirates: Will Craig
23. Cardinals: Delvin Perez
24. Padres: Hudson Sanchez
25. Padres: Eric Lauer
26. White Sox: Zack Burdi
27. Orioles: Cody Sedlock
28. Nationals: Carter Kieboom
29. Nationals: Dane Dunning
30. Rangers: Cole Ragans
31. Mets: Anthony Kay
32. Dodgers: Will Smith
33. Cardinals: Dylan Carlson
34. Cardinals: Dakota Hudson
Lottery Round A
35. Reds: Taylor Trammell
36. Dodgers: Jordan Sheffield
37. Athletics: Daulton Jefferies
38. Rockies: Robert Tyler
39. Diamondbacks: Anfernee Grier
40. Braves: Joey Wentz
41. Pirates: Nick Lodolo
Make sure to follow the list of players above as the majority of them begin their professional careers. Odds are at least a few of those names will become MLB All-Stars, with the possibility that some may become a future Hall of Famer. You never know what can happen when you have so much young talent entering their given MLB organizations, and that’s reason enough to pay close attention to them all.
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