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Story by Liz Alper
Photo: MacKenzie Gore, Youtube screenshot.
June 12, 2017 (Secaucus, N.J.) - The first day of the 2017 MLB Draft was today and some of the hottest prospects were on the market as first rounders, second rounders and competitive balance rounders started their professional baseball careers. Here’s who the Padres took:
First Round - 3rd Overall
MacKenzie Gore - LHP, Whiteville HS (Whiteville, NC) - Considered by many to be the top left-handed high school recruit in the country, his fastball hits 96 with movement. He also throws a curveball, slider and a changeup if need be. He’s 18, 6’2” and 180 lbs., a perfect stature for a pitcher. He’s the number four prospect on mlb.com and is committed to East Carolina. And get this: his ERA? 0.19. His delivery packs an aggressive high leg kick and pitches down low. He also can play both ways, from at the plate and pitching. He’s creative, athletic and has impressive mechanics.
Second Round - 39th Overall
Luis Campusano-Bracero (photo, right, Youtube screenshot) - C, Cross Creek HS (Augusta, GA) - The number 64 prospect on mlb.com Campusano-Bracero (don’t let the name fool you; he’s a Georgia boy) is only 18, but is 6’1” and 200 lbs. He’s committed to South Carolina and is widely considered to be the best high school catcher--if not best catcher overall--in the draft class. MLB Network analyst Harold Reynolds compares his body type to Cardinals all-star catcher Yadier Molina, with his power bat and power arm combination.
Competitive Balance Round B - 69th Overall
Blake Hunt (photo, left, Youtube screenshot) - C, Mater Dei HS (Santa Ana, CA) - Another catcher and another high schooler. Hunt added 20 pounds of muscle in the offseason. He’s 18, 6’3” and 180 lbs. He’s committed to Pepperdine and is the number 90 prospect on mlb.com. Hunt is a decent catch-and-throw catcher who sported a .394 average last season, with an on-base percentage of .496, a slugging percentage of .666 and six home runs.
Day two will get underway tomorrow at 10:00 a.m. and will complete rounds 3-10.
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