MLB 2018 Draft Day Two Open Thread

We had a bit of a surprise with the Blue Jays first pick.

Most figured Jordan Groshans to go much later in the first round, or perhaps in the second. Keith Law wasn’t a fan of the pick:

Groshans was the only player outside my top 50 to go in the first 20 picks, which doesn’t make him a bad pick or a bad player, but did give him the biggest delta between pick and rank of anyone taken in the first round. I have questions about Groshans’ swing, based on how he doesn’t use his lower half much or seem to loft the ball. I think as a future third baseman he’ll have to rework it to hit for more power.

Jim Callis at MLB.com said

Groshans has some of the best raw power in this Draft, and what I really like about it is he knows he doesn’t have to sell out for home runs. He makes a lot of hard contact, and there’s room to add a lot of strength to his 6-foot-4 frame, so he’s gonna do a lot of damage. Groshans may get the opportunity to play shortstop as he breaks into pro ball, but he projects as a third baseman in the long run.

It doesn’t sound like he’ll stick at short. But it does seem like he has potential to be a power hitter. It will be interesting to see how he does.

Our second pick, Griffin Conine joins the Jays list of sons of former MLB players. I’m sure we’d win all the father sons games. Ted Lekas of 2080 baseball said he was:

Athletic right fielder with plus bat and power potential; good, sound approach at the plate from a slight open stance; good balance; plus bat speed with quick hands and quick wrists; plus barrel control, barrels up balls and projects as a plus hitter; present strength; loft and leverage to all fields, projects to plus power; below-average run; did not produce home-to-first run time; above-average arm strength (55) with good carry; average defensive actions; tools to be above-average major league regular contributor.

He’s not fast. And he didn’t have the greatest start to his season at Duke this year.

Today we get rounds 3 to 10 of the draft. Things get started at 1:00 Eastern.

MLB Pipeline lists these as the top 10 players still available.

19. Cole Wilcox, RHP, Heritage HS (Ga.)

23. Kumar Rocker, RHP, North Oconee HS (Ga.)

35. Tristan Beck, RHP, Stanford

40. Mike Siani, OF, William Penn Charter School (Pa.)

43. Adam Kloffenstein, RHP, Magnolia HS (Texas)

48. Blaine Knight, RHP, Arkansas

51. Tristan Pompey, OF, Kentucky

55. Nander De Sedas, SS, Montverde Academy (Fla.)

60. Konnor Pilkington, LHP, Mississippi State

63. Slade Cecconi, RHP, Trinity Prep School (Fla.)

I’m curious to see where Tristan Pompey ends up.

The good news is that today’s picks move quicker than yesterday’s. There is 1 minute between picks today. If you want to listen in it will be streaming at MLB.com