Padres Take Five Players on Day One of the MLB Draft

The Padres began day one of the Major League Baseball 2016 First-Year Player Draft with five picks. And most of them were surprises.

Cal Quantrill: With the eighth overall pick in the first round, the Padres added an arm. San Diego surprised some by selecting Stanford right-handed pitcher Cal Quantrill with their first pick. Quantrill didn’t pitch this season after under-going Tommy John surgery last March. The 21-year old could’ve gone number one overall if it weren’t for worries about his arm after the surgery. More than 14 months after it the Padres felt confident in his health after a bullpen session.

During his only full season with the Cardinals, the 6-foot-3 Quantrill went 7-5 with an earned run average of 2.68 in his freshman year. He was the Pac-12 Freshman of the Year and a Louisville Slugger Freshman All-American.

Hudson Sanchez: The surprises continued with the Padres second pick, Hudson Sanchez out of Carroll High School in Southlake, Texas at 24 overall. The 17-year-old infielder is one of the youngest players in this year’s draft. Scouts say the Texas A&M commit has considerable power potential and Padres General Manager A.J. Preller said he’s a “bat-speed combo guy that’s really hard to find.”

Eric Lauer: The Padres final first round pick was 21-year old left-handed pitcher Eric Lauer from Kent State University at number 25 overall. The 6-foot-3 Lauer lead all of Division I with an earned run average of just 0.69. He’s got a fastball in the low 90s but his arsenal also contains a curveball, change-up and slider.

Buddy Reed: With their only pick in the second round, the Padres went with outfielder Buddy Reed from the University of Florida 48^th overall. Reed is the pick I’m most excited about. The 21-year old switch-hitter has the speed to make plays in centerfield and steal bases. This season the 6-foot-4 Reed stole 24 bags with the Gators. The reason he slipped to the second round is most likely due to concerns over his bat. The power is there but he’ll need to learn how to use it and develop an eye for pitches.

Reggie Lawson: In the Lottery Round B the Friars added another arm with 18-year old right-handed pitcher Reggie Lawson from Victor Valley Senior High School. Lawson pitched for USA Baseball’s 18U team as a reliever last summer and got scouts attention. The 6-foot-4 Arizona State commit lost draft value when he had a difficult spring that ended with an oblique strain that finished his season early.