After posting the summaries and opinions of the first 10 rounds of the MLB draft for all 15 National League teams yesterday, today I have the AL team-by-team breakdown.
As I've stated in previous years, I don't do "winners and losers," a fool's exercise in the baseball draft. Instead, I tell you what I liked and didn't like for each team, and highlight players of note. To see the full Draft Tracker for Rounds 1-10, click here. I've also added a few players taken after the 10th round if they're notable and I think there's a reasonable chance they'll sign.
A few relevant notes:
• The number in parentheses indicates the round in which that player was selected.
• When I refer to "my rankings," I'm referring to my Big Board, my top 100 draft prospects, which can be found here.
• I also wrote about the highlights of Round 1 and Round 2, and Eric Longenhagen had pick-by-pick analysis of Round 1 through the competitive balance Round A, then round-by-round analysis of Rounds 2-10.
• If we have scouting profiles of the player mentioned, his name will link to his profile, written by Eric Longenhagen.
• We use the 20-80 grading scale for all MLB prospects.
Baltimore Orioles
The Orioles coughed up their first-rounder for Yovani Shoulder … I mean Gallardo, but they did well to land Illinois right-hander Cody Sedlock (1A) at pick 29, well after I expected him to be off the board. He's a three-pitch starter with a delivery that caused some scouts to think he'd have to return to relief work, and he was badly overused by the Illini in his first season as a full-time starter, pitching into the 10th inning twice. … Keegan Akin (2) is a squat 6-foot lefty from Western Michigan with a plus fastball at 92-95 mph, an average changeup and a fringy breaking ball. I think he does end up in relief, and Sedlock remains a starter. … Right-hander Matthias Dietz (2), from John A. Logan College in Illinois, is 90-95 from a strong 6-foot-5 frame and more arm strength than command right now, with an average or better slider and very quick arm. … Austin Hays (3) is a 6-foot outfielder from the Jacksonville University Dolphins who speaks in clicks and whistles; he put up huge numbers for them this year but is light on tools, and his swing doesn't look as if it will produce hard contact or power with the wood bat.
Prep right-hander Brenan Hanifee (4) is a huge projection gamble, a very athletic kid with feel to pitch and a good delivery but fringy present stuff; he's a "double-projection" guy with big upside if the velocity comes. … Alexis Torres (5) might be a good value pick here, as he was a potential top-100 guy coming into the spring but performed poorly at the plate, losing his approach and visibly pressing at times. He's listed as a shortstop but probably ends up at second base. … Tobias Myers (6) is a 6-foot high school right-hander with a very quick arm, 90-92, touching 94, with a solid-average changeup and some depth on a slow curveball. … Preston Palmeiro (7) has the famous finger-pointing father but didn't inherit the hit gene and will probably be a good organizational bat.