​That was quite a day one, wasn’t it? Who could have predicted how things would unfold? I certainly didn’t. Okay, I’ll come clean: I’m actually writing this thread on Thursday afternoon, so I have no idea what Day 1 will bring. With the Diamondbacks holding the 15th pick, it seems unlikely that their selection will move many needles or alter the course of the draft in a dramatic way. Arizona has had the 15th slot before, in 2004, when they did reasonably well and Stephen Drew slipped to them, and again in 2013, when results were less favorable. In that 2013 draft they passed on J.P. Crawford, Tim Anderson, and a certain Aaron Judge to take Braden Shipley. He logged exactly 100 innings for Arizona with a 5.49 ERA before being let go after the 2019 season.
Still, there have been some notable players drafted at No. 15. Chase Utley stands heads and shoulders above the rest. But Jim Rice and Chris Carpenter were respectable selections as well. It has been quite some time, though. The last pick at No. 15 to make a meaningful impact, at least in recent memory, was Trent Grisham in 2015. And while 2021’s pick, Sal Frelick, captured a Gold Glove for Milwaukee in his sophomore season, he regressed this year. As is often the case with the baseball draft, the safest prediction is probably no prediction at all—“We’ll see.”
As we mentioned yesterday, today’s focus shifts to rounds five through twenty, and you should expect a noticeably quicker pace. The process amounts to roughly one minute per selection, with activity continuing from now until about 4:30 p.m. Arizona time. The picks will be broadcast on MLB.com, MLB.TV, and MLB+. While you shouldn’t anticipate exhaustive, in-depth coverage of every pick, we’re aiming to keep you informed with any particularly interesting selections, noteworthy local talent, and other relevant developments. And as always, feel free to contribute links or any other useful information in the comments to help improve the discussion and SEO relevance.