Ryan Weathers and Griffin Conine, sons of Major Leaguers, taken on first day of MLB Draft

A pair of players picked on the first day of the 2018 MLB Draft on Monday have fathers with long Major League careers. Tennessee high school pitcher Ryan Weathers was drafted seventh overall by the Padres, and Duke outfielder Griffin Conine was selected in the second round, 52nd overall, by the Blue Jays.

David Weathers pitched for nine different teams in his 19-year major league career, and was drafted in the third round in 1988 by the Jays. Now, 30 years later, Weathers’ son Ryan was selected two rounds higher.

“I’ve been around baseball a long time and where he is right now mentally is probably where I was at 27 or 28,” David Weathers told the Times Daily in Tennessee. “That is how much understanding he has of the game. And once you have that much understanding and then you have a top level fastball, curveball and changeup — you’re going to have a lot of success.”

Ryan Weathers was ranked the ninth-best draft prospect by Baseball America, and John Sickels at SB Nation’s Minor League Ball was similarly high on the prep right-hander:

What he has is a lot. He features a quality fastball at 90-95 mph, with good heater command for his age. He has an above-average curveball and a better change-up than most high school pitchers. He knows how to sequence pitches for maximum effect. He keeps his mechanics in gear, throws strikes with everything, and looks strong under pressure. Makeup is another positive and he has a Vanderbilt commitment to fall back on.

Jeff Conine was one of the great low-round picks in draft history, taken by the Kansas City Royals in 1987 in the 58th round, a round that no longer exists. He carved out a 17-year career with seven different teams, but played on both Marlins championship teams and was so beloved in Miami that Conine’s nickname is Mr. Marlin.

The elder Weathers and Conine were even teammates in two different stints with the Marlins and also later with the Reds.

Griffin Conine hit .273/.396/.574 with 15 home runs for Duke as a junior. He was ranked the 50th-best prospect in the draft by Baseball America, who noted his plus raw power but also swing-and-miss concerns.

Also on Monday, two-sport star Kyler Murray of Oklahoma went No. 9 overall to the A’s. His uncle was former major league outfielder Calvin Murray.