UNC in MLB: 2016 Draft recap
Every year since college I take a weekend and I watch the NFL draft. Ok I don’t spend the whole weekend watching it (I seriously use to), but I do keep up with who my team drafted and to see if any Heels got drafted.
Most years I also stay up and watch at least the first round of the NBA draft and some years I will watch the whole thing. I like to see who my team took and again to see if any Heels got drafted.
I never watch the MLB draft. I think part of it is that for the longest time it was never televised. Also it is so long. Three days, 40 rounds, 1216 picks. That’s ridiculous. Anyways like most drafts I do at least check to see if any Heels were drafted. This year six Heels were drafted. Lets look at it day by day.
Day 1
No Tar Heels were drafted in the first or second round. These are obviously your blue chippers and good players who teams can have cheap. That’s another weird thing about the MLB draft, the rookie pool. Regardless with the Heels having a down season, the lack of day one picks shouldn’t be surprising.
Day 2
Three Heels were taken in the third through 10th rounds. The players taken here often contribute in the pros after a few years in the minors. Here are the Heels taken on the second day:
Third round: Zac Gallen P, St Louis Cardinals
"Zac Gallen has three average pitches, nothing plus, but throws strikes and gets on top of the ball to try to work the bottom of the zone. I think he’s a back-end starter. – Keith Law, ESPN Insider"
Seventh Round: Tyler Ramirez CF, Oakland A’s
Eighth Round: AJ Bogucki P, Washington Nationals
"A.J. Bogucki could surface as a lefty-specialist reliever with a decent fastball/slider combination, although he was sparsely used at UNC because he was so inconsistent. – Keith Law, ESPN Insider"
I think we could see both Ramirez and Gallen in the pros one day. Bogucki needs a lot of work and may be best suited to return to North Carolina for his senior season.
Day 3
Three more Heels were taken in the last 30 rounds. A lot of the guys taken here either never make it or end up going to college. Here are the Heels taken on the third day:
18th Round: Zachary Rice P, Atlanta Braves
25th Round: Spencer Trayner P, St Louis Cardinals
30th Round: Ryder Ryan P, Cleveland Indians
Of this group I think Trayner has the best chance of maybe one day making the pros though all three are probably head for A low ball. Also it is worth noting that Trayner and Rice both have a year of eligibility and can return to UNC.
Also five of UNC’s top six recruits were drafted. The top player drafted in that group is P Bryse Wilson who went in the fourth round to the Atlanta Braves. Here’s what Keith Law had to say about Wilson:
"North Carolina prep righty Bryse Wilson has good stuff, including a 93-95 fastball with an upper-70s slider, but a bad delivery with a high back elbow that’s late to pronate, and his fastball lacks life or plane. – Keith Law, ESPN Insider"
Depending on how much money the Braves offer there is a chance Wilson never pitches for the Heels. However, based on Law’s view he might be best served going to UNC. The other four drafted, Bo Weiss, Robbie Peto, Brandon Martorano and Austin Bergner, were all drafted in the 29th round or later, meaning there is little chance they don’t decide to play at UNC.