The Padres finished their 2017 MLB Draft class with 30 more selections on Wednesday. Once again the theme was strength up the middle of the diamond.
Between the 9th and 16th rounds the Friars took eight straight pitchers, three of them left-handers and one of them a local product. In the 13th round San Diego took Fresno State left-hander Fred Schlichtholz, a native of Coronado.
The Padres grabbed another local hurler in the 35th round when they took Madison High School right-hander Kevin Abel, who was ranked as one of the top-200 prospects in the class but is going to be tough to sign due to his commitment to play at Oregon State.
Overall the Padres had a clear emphasis on players who patrol the middle of the diamond. Of their 41 selections, nearly 75% are pitchers, catchers, shortstops or centerfielders and several others have the potential to convert into catchers.
The full 2017 Padres draft class looks like this:
RD. PLAYER POS. HT WT B/T SCHOOL
1. MacKenzie Gore LHP 6-2 185 L/L Whiteville High School (NC)
2. Luis Campusano-Bracero C 6-0 215 R/R Cross Creek High School (GA)
CBB. Blake Hunt C 6-3 205 R/R Mater Dei High School (CA)
3. Mason House OF 6-3 200 L/L Whitehouse High School (TX)
4. Sam Keating RHP 6-3 195 R/R Caterbury High School (FL)
5. Jonny Homza 3B 6-1 190 R/R South Anchorage High School (AK)
6. Aaron Leasher LHP 6-3 195 L/L Morehead State University (KY)
7. Nick Margevicius LHP 6-5 220 L/L Rider University (NJ)
8. Olivier Basabe SS 5-11 190 R/R Faulkner University (AL)
9. Alex Cunningham RHP 6-0 210 R/R Coastal Carolina University (SC)
10. Dominic Taccolini RHP 6-3 230 R/R University of Arkansas (AR)
11. Chandler Newman RHP 6-2 175 R/R Chattahoochee Valley Community College (AL)
12. Thomas Cosgrove LHP 6-2 190 L/L Manhattan College (NY)
13. Fred Schlichtholz LHP 6-3 220 L/L Fresno State University (CA)
14. Vijay Miller RHP 6-2 180 R/R East Mississippi Community College (MS)
15. Cole Bellinger RHP 6-1 175 R/R Hamilton High School (AZ)
16. Joey Cantillo LHP 6-4 235 L/L Kailua High School (HI)
17. Jason Pineda 1B 6-1 220 R/R James Monroe High School (NY)
18. Cam Sanders RHP 6-2 170 R/R Northwest Florida State College (FL)
19. Nicholas Feight 1B 5-11 200 R/R University of North Carolina Wilmington (NC)
20. Duke Ellis OF 6-3 160 L/L Panola College (TX)
21. Greg Lambert OF 6-1 195 R/R Southern Illinois University (IL)
22. Jake Lyons RHP 6-5 271 R/R Weatherford College (TX)
23. Luis Roman 3B 6-0 220 L/R Texas Wesleyan University (TX)
24. Harrison Simon RHP 6-4 210 R/R Loyola Marymount University (CA)
25. Robbie Podorsky OF 5-8 170 R/R McNeese State University (LA)
26. Daniel Cabrera OF 6-1 185 L/L Parkview Baptist School (LA)
27. Christian Robinson OF 6-2 205 L/L Viera High School (FL)
28. Noel Vela LHP 6-0 150 L/L Veterans Memorial High School (TX)
29. Jalen Washington C 6-1 195 R/R Ohio State University (OH)
30. Chandler Seagle C 6-0 185 R/R Appalachian State University (NC)
31. Tyler Benson OF 6-0 175 L/R Bloomsburg University (PA)
32. Matthew Batten SS 6-0 170 R/R Quinnipiac University (CT)
33. Caleb Boushley RHP 6-3 180 R/R University of Wisconsin-La Crosse (WI)
34. Henry Marchese OF 6-3 185 L/R Adlai E. Stevenson High School (IL)
35. Kevin Abel RHP 6-2 180 R/R Madison High School (CA)
36. Shane Muntz C 6-4 240 R/R Malvern Preparatory School (PA)
37. Logan Browning LHP 5-7 165 L/L Florida Southern College (FL)
38. Jeremy Smith RHP 6-1 195 R/R Southwestern Oklahoma State University (OK)
39. Justin Paulsen 1B 6-0 215 L/R Missouri State University (MO)
40. Chad Stevens 3B 6-3 190 R/R Gig Harbor High School (WA)