MLB draft expert Eric Longenhagen provided pick-by-pick analysis of the opening round of the 2016 MLB draft, as well as the compensation picks and the competitive balance round A, on Thursday night. Now it's time for him to break down Round 2, the competitive balance round B and Rounds 3-10.
The usual notes and helpful links related to the draft:
• Round 1, 2 and 3, the compensation picks and the competitive balance rounds are all recorded on our draft tracker, and for all ESPN draft analysis, go to our 2016 draft page.
• Any player's name that links out will go to a scouting report of that guy (written by Longenhagen).
• We use the 20-80 grading scale for all MLB prospects.
Let's get to the late-Day 1 and Day 2 highlights! We'll be updating this file as the draft rolls on, adding the relevant notes from each round.
Round 2
• The Philadelphia Phillies selected Santa Barbara (California) high school righty pitcher Kevin Gowdy with the No. 1 pick of the second round (No. 42 overall), and I expect Gowdy to sign an over-slot deal. The team's selection of Mickey Moniak at 1-1 (the first pick overall) was at least partially motivated by money, as the Phillies don't get Gowdy here without selecting Moniak first. Gowdy is reportedly looking for a bonus that's pretty comparable to what No. 3 pick Ian Anderson is going to get, something at or just north of $3 million. Even if that's about $1.5 to 2 million above slot for pick 42, Philly should still have some over-slot money to play with because of what they saved by drafting Moniak.
• The Chicago White Sox have had one of the more interesting drafts. There's a real chance that their first two picks, Zack Collins and Zack Burdi, are the first hitter and pitcher, respectively, from this class to reach the major leagues, and then in the second round they selected this draft's most notable enigma in Oklahoma's Alec Hansen. I saw what was arguably the best start of Hansen's career in March -- you can read my account of it here -- and if the White Sox can find a way to get him throwing even close to the way he did that day, this is a steal of a pick at No. 49.
• Picks 50-52 were a tad disconcerting, in my opinion. Third baseman Joe Rizzo, who was selected by the Seattle Mariners at 50, can hit, and I think the glove is actually more viable at third base than most in the industry, but the body is maxed out and I don't think there's any more game power coming than is already there.
At pick 51, the Red Sox selected Florida Atlantic's CJ Chatham, who plays a fine shortstop, but I have serious doubts about whether he'll have the physicality to hit.
And finally, at pick 52, the Arizona Diamondbacks took Canadian catcher Andrew Yerzy. While Yerzy has impressive raw power for a catcher, he isn't likely to stay there -- I've gotten pop times anywhere from 2.15 to 2.20 here -- and if/when he moves to first base, he's going to have to hit enough to tap into that raw power. I'm skeptical he has the bat control to do that.
• If the Cleveland Indians can sign the 55th overall pick, Virginia commit Nolan Jones, as well as first-rounder Will Benson, they'll have netted two of the most potent high school bats in the entire draft. (The Indians went on to take Logan Ice in the competitive balance round B at pick 72, and I think they might be looking at an under-slot deal from him to help them squeeze in both those high-schoolers.)
• Oklahoma shortstop Sheldon Neuse was the Washington Nationals' second-round pick. He's almost certainly moving to third base, but he does have the power to play there. He has above-average raw power, with a well-timed, explosive weight transfer and above-average bat speed. Neuse scores high in predictive metrics as well.
• I'm surprised that Vanderbilt outfielder Bryan Reynolds fell all the way back to the San Francisco Giants at 59; he's a terrific value pick there. Reynolds has a solid all-around skill set, and he has performed well in a tough conference since he was a freshman. He fits that Giants organization like a glove.
• Texas Rangers second-rounder Alex Speas (63rd pick overall) has some of the best pitching stuff in the draft. He had a tough time throwing strikes this spring but has among the best arm acceleration in the draft, with mid-90s velocity and a chance to add more as his body matures.
Competitive Balance Round B
• California prep pitcher Reggie Lawson was in our top 15 when Keith Law and I put together the offseason version of the Big Board. He went backward, then got hurt, and fell all the way to the San Diego Padres at 71 overall. The Padres probably will save some money at either pick 24 (Hudson Sanchez), 25 (Eric Lauer) or both; I think Lawson is signable here.
Round 3
• Round 3 is kicked off by the Phillies' selection of Cole Stobbe. I think, conservatively, that Philly has an extra $1.5 million to play with on Friday because of what it saved with the first pick. I like Stobbe, a solid all-around player who I think will reach the big leagues and add value through versatility, but I doubt he commands a pool-draining bonus here. I still expect one more big splash from Philly.
• I think the A's got good value in Sean Murphy at No. 83. He can catch and has a plus arm. He didn't show as much power this spring as teams anticipated, but some of that could be attributed to an early-season hand injury.
• The Padres selected Mason Thompson, a massive (6-foot-6) high school pitcher from Texas who, as an underclassman, was a candidate to go in the first round of this year's draft. He got hurt as a junior, needed Tommy John surgery, and has thrown really only bullpens for scouts this year. He'll get up to 94 mph and has curveball feel. I like buy-low picks on high-upside kids, but the Padres might want to diversify a bit. Of the four pitchers they've selected, three of them have significant injury question marks.
• The Nationals have shown a willingness to draft high-profile, injured pitchers in the past, and they get another one in Jesus Luzardo. The Florida prep player might have three above-average pitches and average control and command when all is said and done, and that kind of arm typically goes in the late first round.
• I think the Astros got one of the draft's best defenders in Tulane catcher Jake Rogers. While it's hard to envision him hitting above the seventh spot in a big league lineup, his receiving, ball-blocking and arm are all exceptional, and his ability to play a premium defensive position well makes him a likely big leaguer for me.
• The Cubs' first selection of the draft was Oklahoma State right-hander Thomas Hatch. His delivery compares to that of talented Reds pitcher Raisel Iglesias, and Hatch will sit 90-93 and flash an above-average slider that plays up against righties because of his arm slot. There's a pretty good chance he'll end up as a reliever, but he's a potential quick-mover given the way he has performed in college.
Round 4
• The Phillies selected Yavapai College pitcher JoJo Romero. Makes sense. I drove down the street one day this spring to see the lefty pitch at a local junior college, and lo and behold, there was Phillies executive Pat Gillick bearing down on him. Romero is very athletic, will sit 88-92 with sink and run, and has an average changeup and fringe breaking ball.
• Stop me if you've heard this one before, but the Brewers got great value again with their selection of St. Mary's College righty pitcher Corbin Burnes at pick 111. I saw Burnes early this year, and he was up to 96 with a viable four-pitch mix but lacked control. He's athletic and competitive, and has fourth-starter upside if he can throw more strikes.
• Red Sox fourth-rounder Bobby Dalbec entered the season as a potential first-rounder. He has 70 raw power projection, but his pitch recognition is horrendous, and he spent much of this year on the bench, especially late in the season, as Arizona vied to host a regional.
Round 5
• The Phillies drafted Oregon LHP Cole Irvin, whose stuff has never quite recovered from Tommy John surgery. He'll sit in the upper 80s with excellent command of his breaking ball, which he throws in any count.
• Rockies fifth-rounder Brian Serven, a catcher from Arizona State, has a plus arm and average raw pull power, but I don't think he can stay at catcher. He simply has too many issues with blocking balls.
• Maryland right-handed pitcher Mike Shawaryn (Red Sox, pick No. 148) was one of college baseball's most dominant pitchers during his freshman and sophomore years, but his stuff backed up this season, fueling the fire of concern over his workload and delivery.
• Good value for Baltimore in Round 5 with the selection of Puerto Rican infielder Alexis Torres, who flashed dynamic infield actions on the showcase circuit last summer. He needs to add strength.
• High school outfielder Conner Capel, ranked No. 93 on our big board, fell all the way to Cleveland at 152.
Round 6
• I continue to love Milwaukee's draft, with Utah prep catcher Payton Henry becoming its sixth-round selection. Henry has power and arm strength and enough movement and receiving skills to give him a chance to remain at catcher.
• After the White Sox drafted exclusively college players in the first five rounds, they took a high-upside prep bat in Luis Curbelo from Cocoa High School in Florida.
Curbelo has some first-round tools and athleticism, but he fell down draft boards this spring because he wasn't hitting. He could be a plus defender at third with above-average power, but might never make enough contact to play every day.
• Rangers selection Kyle Cody was a third-rounder last year but went back to school. He's a monstrous kid with big velocity and a power breaking ball but doesn't throw enough strikes to start.
• Mets selection Chris Viall from Stanford has been up to 97 mph but struggles to repeat his delivery.
Round 7
• The Orioles make a legacy pick here in North Carolina State first baseman Preston Palmeiro, the son of former O's star Rafael Palmeiro. He has a swing that is smoother than it is effective, but there's gap-to-gap power here and maybe more with a mechanical tweak or two. He's probably a first base-only prospect and will have to hit his way up the ladder to reach the bigs.
• Giants seventh-rounder Garrett Williams has good stuff -- he'll flash a grade-60 fastball and curveball -- but has had serious strike-throwing issues and has barely pitched because of wildness and injury.
Round 8
• The Brewers selected Puerto Rican Francisco Thomas, whose defensive home will be somewhere in the infield, with a moderate chance he remains at shortstop long-term. He's not a quick-twitch athlete, but his actions are solid and he might grow into some power. There's more upside here than is typical for a pick this late.
• The Diamondbacks selected San Jacinto College catcher Ryan January who DH'd a lot this year after suffering a thumb injury. I think he has a better chance to catch than Arizona's second pick, Andrew Yerzy. January has plus bat speed and some natural loft, and could hit for some power.
• Toronto selected LSU commit Kyle Weatherly, whose fastball will get up to 94 mph. He'll flash an above-average slider and has a chance to start in pro ball if he doesn't go from junior-college ball to Baton Rouge.
• The Cardinals took a flier on Wichita State pitcher Sam Tewes, who has been up to 96 with a plus slider but has missed a lot of time because of injuries and won't pitch again until 2017 after undergoing Tommy John surgery.
Round 9
• The Marlins' selection of Ball State catcher Jarrett Rindfleisch is solid. It's not pretty, but he has power and enough arm strength to catch.
• I've said it in this space multiple times, and I remain interested in Virginia shortstop Daniel Pinero, whom the Tigers have drafted two years in a row. He's huge for a shortstop and has solid actions, but it's hard for someone with this kind of body (6-foot-5, 210 pounds) to stay there.
• I scouted Rays selection Peter Bayer as a freshman at Richmond and thought he had a projectable body with some present velocity and slider feel. Since then he has transferred to Cal Poly Pomona and worked with the folks at Driveline Baseball, and his stuff has improved. Bayer has big velocity and spin rate.
• Speaking of velocity, the Rangers have more of it after selecting Arizona State right-hander Hever Bueno, who was up to 96 with an above-average changeup in his first start this year, a start that was abbreviated due to injury. Bueno has had issues staying healthy throughout his career.
Round 10
• The Phillies drafted Metro State College right-hander Julian Garcia with the first pick of the 10th round. He's well-built and athletic, with an average fastball and curveball and a four-pitch mix.
• The Rockies selected Vince Fernandez from UC Riverside. He profiles as a corner-outfield bat with above average-raw power.
• The Mariners drafted David Greer, a corner infielder from Arizona State who has a future above-average hit tool. He makes quality contact to all fields but lacks the power to profile at first base, where he fits best defensively.
• Cubs 10th-rounder Dakota Mekkes out of Michigan State has a 34 percent K rate and has one of the most favorable statistical profiles among the college arms in this year's class.