2011 Major League Baseball Draft; First Round Updates

Pitchers were the hot picks for Major League Baseball’s First Round Draft Monday night. 19 pitchers were selected out of 33 first round picks, 13 right handed pitchers and 6 left handed pitchers. The Tampa Bay Rays and Arizona Diamond Backs were able to stockpile first round talent as they had 3 and 2 picks respectively in the first round. The D-Backs took advantage of their 3^rd and 7^th pick drafting two right handed pitchers.

The state of California produced 6 first round draft picks including #1 pick UCLA right handed pitcher Gerrit Cole made by the Pittsburgh Pirates. Cole is considered a workhorse pitcher with great size, 6’4” 220 lbs, and a great fastball that stays in the mid-90s and tops out at 100 mph. Despite control issues and a disappointing season statistically, 6-8 with a 3.31 ERA in 16 starts, the Pirates feel they can correct some of his mechanics and make him into a top-line MLB pitcher. Cole was the 28^th pick of the first round by the New York Yankees in the 2008 draft before enrolling at UCLA. Cole’s teammate RHP Trevor Bauer was the third pick of the draft by the Seattle Mariners.

Danny Hultzen was the second pick of the draft. The junior LHP from the University of Virginia is considered a strikeout artist, ranking second nationally during the 2011 season. Many mock draft boards predicted Seattle would take 3B Anthony Rendon.

College football fans may recognize the name Bubba Starling. He signed a national letter of intent to play at Nebraska this season. Nebraska had the 15^th ranked recruiting class, according to rivals.com. Sterling was a four star recruit, ranked 6^th nationally at quarterback, rated as the 119^th best player in the nation, and second best prospect in Kansas.  

Arkansas Razorback signee, Brandon Nimmo, was the 13^th draft pick in the first round by the New York Mets. Nimmo is a high school OF from Cheyenne, Wyoming.  Arkansas signee Michael Fulmer was the 44^th player drafted in the compensatory round by the New York Mets.

The University of Connecticut had two players drafted in the first round; George Springer and Matt Barnes. Connecticut only had one previous player selected in the first round of the MLB Draft.

First Round Picks:

1. RHP Gerrit Cole, PIT
2. LHP Danny Hultzen, SEA
3. RHP Trevor Bauer, ARI
4. RHP Dylan Bundy, BAL
5. OF   Bubba Starling, KC
6. 3B    Anthony Rendon, WAS
7. RHP Archie Bradley, ARI
8. SS    Francisco Lindor, CLE
9. SS    Javier Baez, CHC
10. 2B   Cory Spangenberg, SD
11. OF   George Springer, HOU
12. RHP Taylor Jungmann, MIL
13. OF    Brandon Nimmo, NYM
14. RHP Jose Fernandez, FLA
15. LHP Jed Bradley, MIL
16. LHP Chris Reed, LAD
17. 1B    C.J. Cron, LAA
18. RHP Sonny Gray, OAK
19. RHP Matt Barnes, BOS
20. LHP Tyler Anderson, COL
21. RHP Tyler Beede, TOR
22. 2B     Kolten Wong, STL
23. RHP Alex Meyer, WAS
24. RHP Taylor Guerrieri, TB
25. RHP Joe Ross, SD
26. C      Blake Swihart, BOS
27. RHP Robert Stephenson, CIN
28. LHP Sean Gilmartin, ATL
29. SS     Joe Panik, SF
30. SS     Levi Michael, MIN
31. OF    Mikie Mahtook, TB
32. SS    Jake Hager, TB
33. LHP Kevin Matthews, TEX

The Chicago White Sox, New York Yankees, and Philadelphia Phillies did not have picks in the first round.

Round Two of the draft begins Tuesday morning at noon EST. Major League teams will select through round 30 on Tuesday and then pick through round 50 on Wednesday.

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