Oakland Athletics take Oklahoma quarterback Kyler Murray and other top storylines from first round of MLB draft

Jay Asser 01:07 06/06/2018
  • Facebook
  • Twitter
  • Mail
  • Pinterest
  • LinkedIn
  • Facebook
  • Twitter
  • WhatsApp
  • Pinterest
  • LinkedIn
  • Kyler Murray was taken ninth overall by the Oakland Athletics.

    The MLB draft may not get the same attention as the ones in the NFL and NBA, but it has its own interesting quirks that makes it unique as a pipeline for talent.

    For one, the MLB draft occurs in the middle of the season, while the other three major American sports leagues hold their drafts in the offseason. The MLB draft also lasts far longer than the other leagues as it consists of 40 rounds, compared to two for the NBA and seven each for the NFL and NHL.

    The top players selected in the MLB draft aren’t exactly household names, but the first round, which was completed on Monday, featured several interesting storylines.

    Here’s a look at what stood out on day one.

    Tigers go the college route

    For the first time since Stephen Strasburg was selected number one overall by the Washington Nationals in 2009, a team at the top of the draft took a player who was undrafted out of high school.

    The Detroit Tigers unsurprisingly snagged Auburn right-hander Casey Mize with the first pick on Monday, ending the trend.

    Back in March, Mize tossed Auburn’s first no-hitter in 16 years by spinning a gem in a 6-0 win over Northeastern.

    After Mize, the next four picks in the draft were all out of college, marking the first time that has happened since 1992.

    Two-sport talents

    Not one, but two athletes who have potential as college football players were selected in the first round as the Oakland Athletics took Kyler Murray at nine before the Los Angeles Angels tabbed Jordyn Adams at 17.

    While Adams has an offer to play football as a wide receiver at the University of North Carolina, Murray is already in line to be the star quarterback at the University of Oklahoma as the favourite to follow in the footsteps of Heisman Trophy winner and top NFL draft pick Baker Mayfield.

    Oakland can allow Murray to play football with Oklahoma in the fall before beginning his baseball career full-time in 2019. While there is some risk the 20-year-old could choose to pursue a football career instead, the $4.76 signing bonus he’s slated to make as the ninth overall pick may make it an easy decision.

    For the Athletics, they’re taking a risk because if Murray doesn’t sign, they would forfeit the bonus pool money associated with the pick, so they must feel good about their chances to bring him into the fold.

    It would be fun to see Murray stick with both sports, but the days of Bo Jackson are long gone.

    Another Brady falls in the draft

    No one is ever going to confuse Brady Singer for Tom Brady, but the former also fell in the draft after many considered him in the running for the top pick earlier this year.

    Singer didn’t go in the top five or top 10 or even top 15. He had to wait until 18 to hear his name called as the Kansas City Royals finally nabbed the Florida right-hander.

    Him slipping down the draft has less to do with his talent or any red flags with his character, and more to do with how much bonus money he was seeking.

    Considering the Royals entered the draft with the largest bonus pool, it made sense for them to grab him at 18 as they can pay him a bonus commensurate with a top selection.

    Recommended