With the first overall pick, the Houston Astros selected Carlos Correa, right-handed shortstop from the from Puerto Rico Baseball Academy. Honestly, this choice shocked nearly everyone. The University of Miami commit was definitely in the discussion, but was more of a consideration to go top three, maybe top five. He very well may be the best player available and a few writers have suggested it, but most of us thought that Houston would take Mark Appel of Stanford. Correa is 6'4" and may not stick at shortstop, but he is expected to be able to slide over to third without a hitch and be a potential Gold Glove fielder there. He's incredibly athletic and should be a project well worth undertaking for Houston.
Grade: B+
Next up, the Twins selected right-handed outfielder Byron Buxton. That's no shock. He can do it all, is incredibly athletic and scouts think his power will develop. He's an upside kid who was projected to the Twins all along and many people thought he could potentially go number 1. I feel like he's a bit risky, but his ceiling is extremely high. Young guys with his type of height and length make me a bit nervous because their swings can get a little long (Jason Heyward). Defensively, he' is a dead-ringer in centerfield and his progress will be fun to watch as he moves through the Minnesota system.
Grade: A
With the third pick, the Mariners chose right-handed catcher Mike Zunino from the University of Florida. He's a good fit for the club as Jesus Montero won't be an everyday catcher, plus he's pretty far along in terms of development. Zunino is a great defensive catcher in the making, but his bat isn't as up to speed as his glove. That said, he should hit for power at a premium position on the diamond. The Mariners didn't really have any other direction to go when Buxton went to the Twins, so I think this was the right choice for them.
Grade: B+
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