2016 MLB Draft Results: Full Listings of Grades for 1st-Round Picks | News, Scores, Highlights, Stat
Julio Cortez/Associated PressThere might not be as much pomp in the MLB draft compared to the other major professional sports in the United States, but on Thursday night, dreams came true for a number of young baseball players who heard their names called for the next step of their careers.
After 34 selections in the first round, here is a look at the results and my grades for each team:
| 2016 MLB Draft 1st-Round Results | ||||
| 1 | Philadelphia Phillies | Mickey Moniak | OF | La Costa Canyon HS |
| 2 | Cincinnati Reds | Nick Senzel | 3B | Tennessee |
| 3 | Atlanta Braves | Ian Anderson | RHP | Shenendehowa HS |
| 4 | Colorado Rockies | Riley Pint | RHP | Saint Thomas Aquinas HS |
| 5 | Milwaukee Brewers | Corey Ray | OF | Louisville |
| 6 | Oakland Athletics | A.J. Puk | LHP | Florida |
| 7 | Miami Marlins | Braxton Garrett | LHP | Florence HS |
| 8 | San Diego Padres | Cal Quantrill | RHP | Stanford |
| 9 | Detroit Tigers | Matt Manning | RHP | Sheldon HS |
| 10 | Chicago White Sox | Zack Collins | C | Miami (Florida) |
| 11 | Seattle Mariners | Kyle Lewis | OF | Mercer |
| 12 | Boston Red Sox | Jason Groome | LHP | Barnegat HS |
| 13 | Tampa Bay Rays | Joshua Lowe | 3B | Pope HS |
| 14 | Cleveland Indians | Will Benson | OF | Westminster Schools |
| 15 | Minnesota Twins | Alex Kirilloff | OF | Plum Senior HS |
| 16 | Los Angeles Angels | Matt Thaiss | C | Virginia |
| 17 | Houston Astros | Forrest Whitley | RHP | Alamo Heights HS |
| 18 | New York Yankees | Blake Rutherford | OF | Chaminade Prep HS |
| 19 | New York Mets | Justin Dunn | RHP | Boston College |
| 20 | Los Angeles Dodgers | Gavin Lux | SS | Indian Trail HS |
| 21 | Toronto Blue Jays | TJ Zeuch | RHP | Pittsburgh |
| 22 | Pittsburgh Pirates | Will Craig | 3B | Wake Forest |
| 23 | St. Louis Cardinals | Delvin Perez | SS | Colegio Individualizado PJ Education School |
| 24 | San Diego Padres | Hudson Sanchez | SS | Carroll HS |
| 25 | San Diego Padres | Eric Lauer | LHP | Kent State |
| 26 | Chicago White Sox | Zack Burdi | RHP | Louisville |
| 27 | Baltimore Orioles | Cody Sedlock | RHP | Illinois |
| 28 | Washington Nationals | Carter Kieboom | SS | Walton HS |
| 29 | Washington Nationals | Dane Dunning | RHP | Florida |
| 30 | Texas Rangers | Cole Ragans | LHP | North Florida Christian HS |
| 31 | New York Mets | Anthony Kay | LHP | UConn |
| 32 | Los Angeles Dodgers | Will Smith | C | Louisville |
| 33 | St. Louis Cardinals | Dylan Carlson | OF | Elk Grove HS |
| 34 | St. Louis Cardinals | Dakota Hudson | RHP | Mississippi State |
| 2016 MLB Draft: 1st-Round Grades | |
| Arizona Diamondbacks | N/A |
| Atlanta Braves | B+ |
| Baltimore Orioles | B |
| Boston Red Sox | C |
| Chicago Cubs | N/A |
| Chicago White Sox | B |
| Cincinnati Reds | A- |
| Cleveland Indians | B+ |
| Colorado Rockies | B+ |
| Detroit Tigers | B |
| Houston Astros | B+ |
| Kansas City Royals | N/A |
| Los Angeles Angels | B+ |
| Los Angeles Dodgers | B |
| Miami Marlins | B |
| Milwaukee Brewers | A |
| Minnesota Twins | B+ |
| New York Mets | B- |
| New York Yankees | B+ |
| Philadelphia Phillies | A |
| Pittsburgh Pirates | A- |
| Oakland Athletics | B+ |
| San Diego Padres | B- |
| San Francisco Giants | N/A |
| St. Louis Cardinals | C- |
| Seattle Mariners | A- |
| Tampa Bay Rays | B |
| Texas Rangers | B |
| Toronto Blue Jays | B+ |
| Washington Nationals | B |
Philadelphia Phillies: A
There were plenty of options for the Philadelphia Phillies at No. 1. They could have gone with pitcher A.J. Puk, who many believed would have been the top pick had it not been for his underwhelming season at Florida.
Instead, they went with Mickey Moniak, a high schooler who can flat-out hit. He makes consistent, hard contact and can hit to all fields, which is a mature trait for such a young prospect.
He also impressed MLB personalities such as ESPN's Buster Olney when speaking with the media:
Buster Olney @Buster_ESPNIf Mickey Moniak is as impressive as a pro ballplayer as he was in his post-draft interview, the Phillies will have a star.
For a Phillies team that is rebuilding with the likes of Odubel Herrera and Maikel Franco, Moniak is a bat who can one day be inserted toward the top of the lineup.
Given that they are in a division with strong pitching teams such as the New York Mets and Washington Nationals, the Phillies will take all the help they can get.
Milwaukee Brewers: A
It may be unfair to say a player fell into a team's lap at No. 5, but that's what happened with the Milwaukee Brewers and Corey Ray.
The outfielder can hit and do so with power. His blazing speed also makes him a threat on the basepaths and a solid defender.
ESPN's Keith Law broke down his season at Louisville this year:
keithlaw @keithlawCorey Ray hit .319/.396/.562 with 15 HR and 44 SB in 52 attempts for Louisville. https://t.co/0qekBQ9ol9
Ray is the kind of player who can turn a game on its head with his tools, and if his development goes according to plan, he could be a No. 3 hitter in Milwaukee's lineup for years to come.
Cincinnati Reds: A-
It has nothing to do with his playing ability, but when I see Cincinnati Reds first-round pick Nick Senzel, I see Mike Trout. I'm not saying he will develop into a Trout-like player, but he should be a force to be reckoned with in the middle of the Reds lineup some day.
Senzel has a great eye at the plate and finds ways to make contact, which often can't be taught. After batting .364 in the Cape Cod League, in which he won MVP honors, he batted .352 in his junior year at Tennessee.
If he's able to develop more power while maintaining his ability to put the ball in play, the Reds are going to have their best third baseman since, dare I say it, Pete Rose.
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