The 2016 MLB Draft is upon us, with three days of teams restocking their minor league farm systems with amateur talent from high school and college, beginning Thursday night at MLB Network studios in New Jersey.
MLB Draft 2016 results tracker: Follow the selections, pick by pick
Mike Stobe/Getty Images
The draft lasts 40 rounds over three days, with the first two rounds on Thursday, Rounds 3-10 on Friday, and Rounds 11-40 on Saturday. We will track the first two days and 10 rounds here, with more information and later-round picks available from our various team websites.
The Philadelphia Phillies drafted high school outfielder Mickey Moniak with the first overall pick, the first time they had the first overall pick in the draft for the first time since taking slugging outfielder Pat Burrell out of Miami with the No. 1 selection in 1998.
The San Diego Padres had five of the first 71 picks of the draft, more than any team in baseball. In addition to their regular picks in the first and second rounds, the Padres received the 24th and 25th overall picks for losing free agents Justin Upton and Ian Kennedy, plus the No. 71 pick in Competitive Balance Round B, one of 12 picks awarded by lottery among the teams with the 10 lowest revenues and in the 10 smallest markets.
There were only two amateur players at the draft in person, so unlike the made-for-TV NFL or NBA drafts there are very few opportunities for pictures with drafted players and the commissioner holding up a new jersey. Both high schoolers in attendance are right-handed pitcher Ian Anderson from Shenendehowa High School in Clinton Park, NY, and outfielder Will Benson from The Westminster Schools in Atlanta, GA.
Anderson and Benson ranked 12th and 30th, respectively, on the Baseball America top 500 draft prospects, and both were named 2016 Rawlings-Perfect Game All-Americans and helped the Team USA 18-and-under squad capture the gold medal at the Baseball World Cup last summer in Japan.
Anderson was picked third overall by the Atlanta Braves, and Benson was taken 14th overall by the Cleveland Indians.
* * *
Everyone wants to fight Yordano Ventura
Be sure to subscribe to SB Nation’s YouTube channel for highlight videos, features, analysis and more
See More:
