Ladies and gentlemen, it has been a pleasure. The future of Major League Baseball has been observed tonight, and we can say the future is bright. From VAVEL USA, we wish you a great night. Some of the names that have been mentioned tonight will be mentioned in MLB for a few decades. It shall be a blast to see which ones. All of them have a chance. Goodnight everyone.
With the 36th pick in the first round of the 2015 MLB Draft, the Baltimore Orioles select Ryan Mountcastle (SS) from Hagerty High School.
With the 35th pick in the first round of the 2015 MLB Draft, the Los Angeles Dodgers select Kyle Funkhouser (RHP) from Louisville.
With the 34th pick in the first round of the 2015 MLB Draft, the Detroit Tigers select Christian Stweart (OF) from Tennessee.
With the 33rd pick in the first round of the 2015 MLB Draft, the Kansas City Royals select Nolan Watson (RHP) from Lawrence North High School.
With the 32nd pick in the first round of the 2015 MLB Draft, the Pittsburgh Pirates select Ke'Bryan Hayes (3B) from Concordia Lutheran High School.
With the 31st pick in the first round of the 2015 MLB Draft, the San Francisco Giants select Chris Shaw (1B) from Boston College.
With the 30th pick in the first round of the 2015 MLB Draft, the New York Yankees select Kyle Holder (SS) from San Diego.
With the 29th pick in the first round of the 2015 MLB Draft, the Toronto Blue Jays select Jon Harris (RHP) from Missouri State.
With the 28th pick in the first round of the 2015 MLB Draft, the Atlanta Braves select Mike Soroka (RHP) from Bishop Carroll High School.
With the 27th pick in the first round of the 2015 MLB Draft, the Colorado Rockies select Mike Nikorak (RHP) from Stroudsburg High School.
The compensation picks are next. The Rockies are on the clock with the 27th pick, coming from the New York Mets, who signed Michael Cuddyer.
With the 26th pick in the first round of the 2015 MLB Draft, the Los Angeles Angels select Taylor Ward (C) from Fresno State.
With the 25th pick in the first round of the 2015 MLB Draft, the Baltimore Orioles select D.J. Stewart (OF) from Florida State.
With the 24th pick in the first round of the 2015 MLB Draft, the Los Angeles Dodgers select Walker Buehler (RHP) from Vanderbilt.
With the 23rd pick in the first round of the 2015 MLB Draft, the St. Louis Cardinals select Nick Plummer (OF) from Brother Rice High School.
With the 22nd pick in the first round of the 2015 MLB Draft, the Detroit Tigers select Beau Burrows (RHP) from Weatherford High School.
With the 21st pick in the first round of the 2015 MLB Draft, the Kansas City Royals select Ashe Russell (RHP) from Cathedral High School.
With the 20th pick in the first round of the 2015 MLB Draft, the Oakland Athletics select Richie Martin (SS) from Florida.
With the 19th pick in the first round of the 2015 MLB Draft, the Pittsburgh Pirates select Kevin Newman (SS) from Arizona.
With the 18th pick in the first round of the 2015 MLB Draft, the San Francisco Giants select Phil Bickford (RHP) from College of Southern Navada.
Brady Aiken was the number one pick in 2014, but did not sign due to Tommy John surgery. Risky pick by the Tribe, but it could really pay off.
With the 17th pick in the first round of the 2015 MLB Draft, the Cleveland Indians select Brady Aiken (LHP) from IMG Academy.
With the 16th pick in the first round of the 2015 MLB Draft, the New York Yankees select James Kaprielian (RHP) from UCLA.
With the 15th pick in the first round of the 2015 MLB Draft, the Milwaukee Brewers select Trent Clark (OF) from Richland High School.
With the 14th pick in the first round of the 2015 MLB Draft, the Atlanta Braves select Kolby Allard (LHP) from San Clemente High School.
With the 13th pick in the first round of the 2015 MLB Draft, the Tampa Bay Rays select Garrett Whitley (OF) from Niskayuna High School.
Evan Petzold of VAVEL USA has reported that the New York Yankees will take a player who they think has big tools, but it might not pan out. Judging by the fact that their draft picks have not been great at the MLB level for the last 10-to-15 years.
With the 12th pick in the first round of the 2015 MLB Draft, the Miami Marlins select Josh Naylor (1B/OF) from St. Joan of Arc Catholic.
With the 11th pick in the first round of the 2015 MLB Draft, the Cincinnati Reds select Tyler Stephenson (C) from Kennesaw Mountain High School.
With the 10th pick in the first round of the 2015 MLB Draft, the Philadelphia Phillies select Cornelius Randolph (SS) from Griffin High School.
Happ is a switch-hitter who can preform. He is an academic All-American, who can play everywhere in the outfield. He fits with the Cubs and will be a steady and outstanding player.
With the ninth pick in the first round of the 2015 MLB Draft, the Chicago Cubs select Ian Happ (OF) from Cincinnati.
Fulmer was considered an elite closer when he owned the NCAA. But, he made the move to starter in 2014. He has the dynamics to continue as a starter, but he will have to prove himself. Carlos Rodon and Fulmer, in back-to-back drafts. The Sox rotation could be very talented in three-to-four seasons.
With the eighth pick in the first round of the 2015 MLB Draft, the Chicago White Sox select Carson Fulmer (RHP) from Vanderbilt.
Benintendi should be an everyday outfielder because of the hard work he will put in. He also has a ton of power and has some impressive athleticism.
With the seventh pick in the first round of the 2015 MLB Draft, the Boston Red Sox select Andrew Benintendi (OF) from Arkansas.
Jay is being drafted as a reliever. He touches 95 MPH, but the question is regarding if he could become a starter in the future. He could be a lefty specialist this season and then the Twins could place him back in the minors to try and work on the starting pitching.
With the sixth pick in the first round of the 2015 MLB Draft, the Minnesota Twins select Tyler Jay (LHP) from Illinois.
Evan Petzold of VAVEL USA has reported that the Boston Red Sox, who draft seventh, will go big or go home. Meaning, the team will take a long shot and hope it will pay off.
With the fifth pick in the first round of the 2015 MLB Draft, the Houston Astros select Kyle Tucker (OF) from H.B. Plant High School.
Tate could be compared to Tigers SP David Price, he is a young man who has a 98 MPH fastball. He went 8-5 with a 2.26 ERA and will probably be a MLB starter. But, could become a bullpen pitcher later in his career if he is not reliable enough for 7+ innings.
With the fourth pick in the first round of the 2015 MLB Draft, the Texas Rangers select Dillon Tate (RHP) from UC Santa Barbara.
"It's going to mean the world to me, getting tips from an All-Star in Tulo. I am excited to meet him," said Rogers.
Rogers was the best available player and the Rockies were smart in picking the best possible. The kid is 18-years-old and will eventually replace Troy Tulowitzki in about three years, which would allow Colorado to trade Tulo for a pitcher or a needed position player.
With the third pick in the first round of the 2015 MLB Draft, the Colorado Rockies select Brendan Rogers (SS) from Lake Mary HS.
Bregman will probably end up at second base in his big league career. Many compare him to Jose Altuve because of the size. He has worked really hard on the defense and will be a solid middle infielder.
With the second pick in the first round of the 2015 MLB Draft, the Houston Astros select Alex Bregman (SS) from LSU.
Swanson is one of the top athletes in the draft. He plays great when it counts, which reminds many of Derek Jeter. He has insane range and can make some serious plays. In high school, he dominated on the baseball court. Swanson hit home run after home run with the pressure on the table.
With the first pick in the first round of the 2015 MLB Draft, the Arizona Diamondbacks select Dansby Swanson (SS) from Vanderbilt University.
The D-backs are most likely going to select Dansby Swanson, SS, Vanderbilt with the first pick in the MLB Draft. However, Brendan Rodgers, SS, Lake Mary (Fla.) HS.
Ladies and gentleman, we are live! The 2015 MLB Draft is officially underway and the Arizona Diamondbacks are on the clock.
The 2015 MLB Draft will begin at 7:00 PM EST. Stay tuned with VAVEL USA for live updates of picks, results and commentary of the draft.
Walker Buehler, also from Vandy, missed his first two starts with elbow injury. He could be a number three at best, but he is more of a polished type of pitcher. He should go around the 10th pick in the draft.
Carson Fulmer is the leader of Vanderbilt. He has been very special with a premium fastball, great swing and miss curveball and a dominant change-up, but he might not be a starter for most Major League teams. He is not a big guy and has a very fast delivery, which means that he is not as on-target as many clubs would hope.
As Evan Petzold of VAVEL USA reports, the Seattle Mariners will probably take a pitcher when they take the podium with the 60th pick. Remeber back when they took a pitcher out of the first round? Yeah, that was Taijuan Walker in 2010. He turned out alright!
The Los Angeles Angels are planning to take a college player with the 26th pick, but might have to settle for a high school player, according to Evan Petzold of VAVEL USA. As Petzold reported, the draft has a very weak college class and teams may be forced to draft high school players earlier than they would have normally liked.
As Evan Petzold of VAVEL USA reports, the Los Angeles Dodgers will look to target a college player with established performace. However, Petzold notes that Los Angeles could swich things up late because of new personnel.
Meanwhile, the Detroit Tigers will look to take a college player with their first pick in the draft, according to Evan Petzold of VAVEL USA. As Petzold noted, the Tigers will not be afraid to take a high school player if they slip in the draft. But, the first priority will be a college player.
As Petzold from VAVEL USA later reported, the Blue Jays will lean toward pitchers in the first two rounds with a huge upside. So, that would mean high school pitchers with a possible big time upside. It looks like they are not afriad to take a risk. Ashe Russell (Cathedral Catholic HS) is a huge target.
As Evan Petzold of VAVEL USA reported, the Blue Jays will look to draft a high school player with their first round pick of the draft. Then, they will continue to look towards young high school studs.
"One rival front-office member wondered whether the Astros would believe it’s worth it to spend every bit of their pool money this year. Another suggested that there isn’t enough depth for a repeat of 2012, and that an attempt to spread the money around significantly would leave the Astros with a lot of leftover dollars or agents bleeding them for every available penny," noted by Phillipe Craig of the Houston Chronicle.
Going back to the Astros, their problem is that they seek to add talent in a year that has a lack of depth in 2015.
Walker Buehler, right-handed pitcher from Vanderbilt, will probably go 10th to the Philadelphia Phillies. Normally, the Phillies lean towards athletic high school type players, but they could go a different route and take a Vanderbilt product.
As a total side note, Mike Matheny's kid, named Tate, should be drafted on Day 2 of the MLB Draft. He is ranked 107th overall by Baseball America. This is a really interesting story to keep your eyes on during the draft.
The Cubs have the ninth pick in this year's MLB Draft. It seems they have their most intrest in Carson Fulmer, Andrew Benintendi and maybe Kyle Tucker. They will probably wind up with Fulmer, a right-hander from Vanderbilt.
If Bregman does not go to the Astros or Rangers, he should fall to the Boston Red Sox. It would be weird seeing Bregman drop to No. 7, but if it happens, it would be an outstanding fit for the shortstop from LSU.
Speaking of the Rangers, they might as well take son of former big leaguer Mike Cameron. His son, Daz Cameron, is an outfielder from Eagle's Landing Christian Academy in McDonough, Georgia. If they do not take a high school player, Texas will take either Tate or Bregman.
"One, which is obviously a best-case scenario, is Justin Verlander, who came out of Old Dominion with a huge fastball but major questions about his command and control, only to develop significantly in just about all areas of his game within two years of signing. The other is Edwin Jackson, who always has had some of the best pure stuff in the game, including a fastball that has touched 99 mph and an easier delivery than Tate's, with better athleticism," ESPN's Keith Law noted.
The Astros also have the fifth pick in the draft. After snagging Rogers, the surging Astros could turn around and take Dillion Tate. He is a right-handed pitcher from Santa Barbara. However, the Astros might just take Tate with the second pick if they worry the Texas Rangers would take him with the fourth pick.
Rogers will probably be drafted No. 2, which would be the Houston Astros. Unless, the Astros take college (LSU) shortstop Alex Bregman, Rogers will fall at No. 2.
Another No. 1 pick option would be Brendan Rogers, shortstop from Lake Mary High School in Florida. Rogers
"The thing that is noticeable about Dansby and guys like him who play at that level, is that they rise to another level when things matter," Swanson's coach Tim Corbin said. "When something is on the line or there is a moment, he thrives in it. He's got an extra gear."
Swanson hit .333/.411/.475 with 27 doubles and three homers in 282 at-bats as a sophomore; he was at .350/.438/.654 with 21 doubles and 13 homers entering NCAA Regional play. Last year, he took home College World Series MVP honors as Vanderbilt won its first men's title of any kind in school history.
"The buzz surrounding Swanson in this top spot does have some legs, and it would be foolish to dismiss it. It would also be wrong to consider it a slam dunk at this point, with the D-backs still exploring several options, including bringing Georgia high school catcher Tyler Stephenson in for a workout," said MLB.com's Jonathan Mayo.
According to multiple MLB Mock Draft's, the top player to be selected will probably be Dansby Swanson. Swanson is a shortstop from Vanderbilt University.
First Round Draft Pick's Due To Compensation: Astros at No. 2: Compensation pick for failure to sign 2014 first rounder. Rockies at No. 27: Compensation pick for losing Michael Cuddyer to free agency. Braves at No. 28: Compensation pick for losing Ervin Santana to free agency. Blue Jays at No. 29: Compensation pick for losing Melky Cabrera to free agency. Yankees at No. 30: Compensation pick for losing David Robertson to free agency. Giants at No. 31: Compensation pick for losing Pablo Sandoval to free agency. Pirates at No. 32: Compensation pick for losing Russell Martin to free agency. Royals at No. 33: Compensation pick for losing James Shields to free agency. Tigers at No. 34: Compensation pick for losing Max Scherzer to free agency Dodgers at No. 35: Compensation pick for losing Hanley Ramirez to free agency. Orioles at No. 36: Compensation pick for losing Nelson Cruz to free agency.
First Round Draft Order: 1. Arizona Diamondbacks 2. Houston Astros 3. Colorado Rockies 4. Texas Rangers 5. Houston Astros 6. Minnesota Twins 7. Boston Red Sox 8. Chicago White Sox 9. Chicago Cubs 10. Philadelphia Phillies 11. Cincinnati Reds 12. Miami Marlins 13. Tampa Bay Rays 14. Atlanta Braves 15. Milwaukee Brewers 16. New York Yankees 17. Cleveland Indians 18. San Francisco Giants 19. Pittsburgh Pirates 20. Oakland Athletics 21. Kansas City Royals 22. Detroit Tigers 23. St. Louis Cardinals 24. Los Angeles Dodgers 25. Baltimore Orioles 26. Los Angeles Angels 27. Colorado Rockies 28. Atlanta Braves 29. Toronto Blue Jays 30. New York Yankees 31. San Francisco Giants 32. Pittsburgh Pirates 33. Kansas City Royals 34. Detroit Tigers 35. Los Angeles Dodgers 36. Baltimore Orioles
The MLB Draft is different than most drafts, as it is much more risky. Only a select few will become household names, and the vast majority of them may not surpass Double-A ball. However, the gems are there. It is mostly a guessing game for most teams. And that, ladies and gentlemen, is what makes it fun.
Good evening everyone, and welcome to VAVEL USA's LIVE coverage of the 2015 MLB Draft. We will bring you commentary, pick-by-pick, and break down the magnitude of each selection by each team.