2011 MLB Draft Results

Written by Anthony Moretti - Google +

The 2011 MLB Draft was held June 6th-June 8th this year and below we’ve listed a results for the first round. We already went over our 2011 MLB Mock draft, plus gave you a list of several other MLB draft predictions from other sources. You can check those out and see how well those predictions went!

Now for the picks in the first round, and a little bit about how each of the top 10 players could/should have an impact on their team if and when they get the call to the Majors.

2011 MLB Draft Results – Top 10 Picks

Pick 1 – Pittsburgh Pirates – Gerrit Cole – UCLA – RHP – Cole was actually a first-round pick by the Yankees straight out of high school back in 2008. He instead opted to attend UCLA and is now the #1 overall pick in the 2011 draft. Gerrit is a hard-throwing right hander whose fastball ranges from 92-99 mph and he consistently pitched deep into games while still hitting in the mid-90s. He has a great slider, but will need to work on changing speeds before he’s ready to make the jump to the Majors.

Pick 2 – Seattle Mariners – Danny Hultzen – Virginia – LHP – Hultzen was probably the most MLB-ready pitcher coming into the draft. He throws a sinking fastball consistently at 95 mph, while mixing in a change up that comes in around 82 mph, making it his most effective strikeout pitch. Pitchers with good command of their changeup typically have more success early in the Majors than, say, a pure power pitcher. His slider isn’t great, but it’s something he’ll likely improve on. Great pick for the Mariners.

Pick 3 – Arizona Diamondbacks – Trevor Bauer – UCLA – RHP – Pitching behind Gerrit Cole in the No. 2 spot in the UCLA rotation, Bauer would likely be the ace of any other staff in the nation. Bauer is in the Tim Lincecum mold, meaning he’s a smaller guy who throw hard. There are some concerns about his control at the next level, but a mid-90s fastball and a plus top-to-bottom curveball make him an attractive commodity.

Pick 4 – Baltimore Orioles – Dylan Bundy – Owasso HS (OK) – RHP – Bundy came in as the top high school pitching prospect in the draft. He already throws 98 mph fastball with good movement and consistently hits 95 on the gun deep into games. He compliments that fastball with a very good curve and above-average slider. He also throws a changeup, his weakest pitch, but I think that’s something that a player this young can easily develop at the next level.

Pick 5 – Kansas City Royals – Bubba Starling – Gardner Edgerton HS (KS) - The Royals have done well in developing their young talent in recent years and they stayed local in the 2011 draft with Bubba Starling straight out of high school in Kansas. Starling is a five-tool player. He’s an above-average center fielder with a good arm, runs well, hits for average, and hits for power.

Pick 6 – Washington Nationals – Anthony Rendon – Rice – 3B – Rendon has overall #1 ability, but has struggled with injuries (two serious ankle injuries and a shoulder injury over the last 2 years). Looking beyond the “injury-prone” tag, the Nationals get a 3B who has the skills to be a Gold Glove winner and hit over .300 with some pop. He’s listed as a 4-tool player because of a lack of speed, but is quick enough that a lack of speed is not a big negative for him. If he stays healthy he’s likely the best infielder out of this draft.

Pick 7 – Arizona Diamondbacks – Archie Bradley – Broken Arrow Sr. HS (OK) – RHP – It’s clear the Diamondbacks want to stock-pile young starting pitchers as they take their second starter of the first round in Archie Bradley. Bradley is 6’04″ 225lbs straight out of high school and certainly looks like a Major League pitcher. He throws a mid-90s fastball and has a good power curve and a developing changeup. He’s shown good control and is an all-around athlete.

Pick 8 – Cleveland Indians – Francisco Lindor – Montverde Academy HS (FL) – SS – Lindor is a very good defensive player and a well-rounded hitter at a premium position. He’s got more pop than most shortstops, but what should set him apart is his plate discipline. I think he can consistently go for 15 HR, a .300 AVG, and a .375 OBP if he lives up to his potential. Hasn’t shown a lot of speed in high school, but would still make a good 1-2 hitter because of his ability to get on base.

Pick 9 – Chicago Cubs – Javier Baez – Arlington County Day School HS (FL) – SS - Baez doesn’t have the overall tools that Lindor does, but he potentially has a lot more power. Scouts don’t think he can stay at short at the next level due to his limited range, but reports are that he will make a good 3B because of his hands and arm.

Pick 10 – San Diego Padres – Cory Spangenberg – Indian River State JC – 2B - Spangenberg came into the draft as the top Junior College prospect on the board. The good news is that he hit well for average with wood last season. The question marks for Cory are mostly on defense. He doesn’t have the Major League arm to play 3B, has struggled with his footwork at 2B, and has been average in the outfield. Scouts hope he can develop at 2B as his bat would be a valuable asset in the infield, but he may ultimately end up in the OF, where his profile is suspect because he hasn’t shown a lot of power in college.

Picks 11-33

Pick 11 – Houston Astros – George Springer – Connecticut – OF

Pick 12 – Milwaukee Brewers – Taylor Jungmann – Texas – RHP

Pick 13 – New York Mets – Brandon Nimmo – Cheyenne East HS (WY) – OF

Pick 14 – Florida Marlins – Jose Fernandez – Braulio Alonso HS (FL) – RHP

Pick 15 – Milwaukee Brewers – Jed Bradley – Georgia Tech – LHP

Pick 16 – Los Angeles Dodgers – Chris Reed – Stanford – LHP

Pick 17 – Los Angeles Angels – C.J. Cron – Utah – 1B

Pick 18 – Oakland Athletics – Sonny Gray – Vanderbilt – RHP

Pick 19 – Boston Red Sox – Matt Barnes – Connecticut – RHP

Pick 20 – Colorado Rockies – Tyler Anderson – Oregon – LHP

Pick 21 – Toronto Blue Jays – Tyler Beede – Lawrence Academy HS (MA) – RHP

Pick 22 – St. Louis Cardinals – Kolten Wong – Hawaii – 2B

Pick 23 – Washington Nationals – Alex Meyer – Kentucky – RHP

Pick 24 – Tampa Bay Rays – Taylor Guerrieri – Spring Valley HS (SC) – RHP

Pick 25 – San Diego Padres – Joe Ross – Bishop O’Dowd HS (CA) – RHP

Pick 26 – Boston Red Sox – Blake Swihart – V Sue Cleveland HS (NM) – C

Pick 27 – Cincinnati Reds – Robert Stephenson – Alhambra HS (CA) – RHP

Pick 28 – Atlanta Braves – Sean Gilmartin – Florida State – LHP

Pick 29 – San Francisco Giants – Joe Panik – St. Johns – SS

Pick 30 – Minnesota Twins – Levi Michael – North Carolina – SS

Pick 31 – Tampa Bay Rays – Mikie Mahtook – LSU – OF

Pick 32 – Tampa Bay Rays – Jake Hager – Sierra Vista HS (NV) – SS

Pick 33 – Texas Rangers – Kevin Matthews – Richmond Hill HS – LHP

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