2016 MLB Draft Day Two Open Thread

The draft starts back up at 12:30 ET/11:30 CT today; you can watch the stream with analysis over at MLB.com.

I hope everyone has read my thoughts on the Cards' first day selections, if you haven't, the short version is this: I'm very, very excited at the haul the Cards have already pulled. Connor Jones, the second round pick out of Virginia, doesn't do it for me, but I love all three of the other picks, and the players themselves. Carlson at 33 was a surprise, and still feels a bit like a reach, but even so, I think he could end up a very, very good hitter, and if that's the outcome, who cares when he was drafted? Also, as I usually try to do in cases like this, I assume the Cardinals had better info in terms of who was potentially sniffing around a kid they really wanted than any of us would, and so perhaps saw waiting to take him at 70 as an untenable -- or at least unlikely to work out in their favour -- situation.

Heading into day two, there are still tons of very talented players available on the board. Drew Mendoza, the high school third base prospect, would probably be my top choice as a guy who shouldn't still be there, but he might not be signable at this point. Particularly for the Cardinals, who have a very nice bonus pool but look likely to have to go overslot on Hudson, and don't have any obvious huge money-savers yet. Mendoza was already a pretty firm commit to Florida State, and at this point I would think a team would have to knock his socks off to get him to turn pro. We'll probably just see him again in 2019.

Players still on the board I'm a big fan of the Cards potentially selecting once their turn comes around:

Thomas Jones, OF, SC HS -- Extremely raw high school bat, but huge tools across the board.

Corbin Burnes, RHP, St. Mary's -- Polished four-pitch guy with above-average stuff overall.

Heath Quinn, OF, Samford -- Big power production, with a little swing and miss and limited defensive chops.

Chad Hockin, RHP, Cal State Fullerton -- College closer, but one with outstanding stuff and approach. Could be the perfect consolation prize for anyone who missed out on Zack Burdi.

John Kilichowski, LHP, Vanderbilt -- Barely pitched this spring after missing time with an injury early on, but looked very good in 2015 and could make for an intriguing selection at some point.

Jameson Fisher, 1B, SE Louisiana -- Extremely polished college bat; circuitous route to the draft. He's old for the class, but very productive, and could save a little on the bonus pool.

Braeden Ogle, LHP, FL HS -- Big time arm strength lefty, popped up as a real prospect this spring. Committed to Florida, so would probably be expensive, but a team with some pool room could bet on the upside.

Nick Banks, OF, Texas A&M -- Had some physical issues this spring after having surgery on a cyst last year, and fell badly. Still, he showed tremendous feel to hit and 50-55 tools across the board as recently as summer of 2015, so perhaps worth a pick and some pro-level rehab and conditioning work.

Erik Miller, LHP, De Smet HS -- Still one of my favourite high school pitchers in the draft. Hoping the Cards seal the borders on this one.

Jeremy Martinez, C, USC -- Ultra-disciplined hitter with decent tools behind the plate, finally started to show some power this spring.

Kyle Weatherly, RHP, Grayson CC (TX) -- Low arm slot righty, starts for now but I see a relief arm in the making. Low-90s fastball and a potentially dominant slider.

Carlos Cortes, 2B, FL HS -- Outstanding hit tool, but undersized and in search of a true position. He'll hit, though, no matter where you put him.

Avery Tuck, OF, CA HS -- Looked like a tools monster on the showcase circuit last fall, but hasn't been consistent this spring. Still, I think the talent is in there, and some team may want to try and sign him away from San Diego State to unlock that talent.

Anthony Herron, RHP, Jefferson CC (MO) -- Fastball/splitter guy, mostly, with some feel for spin. He's not big, but he's a good athlete, and would be a good addition to the system if the Cardinals wanted to draft him again.

Dustin May, RHP, TX HS -- Big (6'6"), slinger with a big fastball (up to 95), and a slurvy breaking ball that at times will flash a plus grade.

Zac Gallen, RHP, UNC -- Command/movement type pitcher, with an intriguing cutter to go with a low-90s fastball.

Max Guzman, INF, FL HS -- Huge raw power from the right side, but body concerns will probably always follow him.

Daniel Brown, LHP, Mississippi State -- Undersized lefty (5'9"), but with plus velocity and a nasty slider. Probably a relief-only prospect, but the stuff is legit.

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There are others, of course, including players I've covered here and there, and others I just couldn't get to. The Cards don't pick today until 106, so there will be a bit of a wait if you're tuning in to watch. I'll try to get any thoughts I have on specific picks down on paper as soon as I can, but this middle of the day shit isn't all that conducive to coverage.

Enjoy day two of the draft, though, if you choose to pay attention. And remember, just because a player didn't go in the first couple rounds doesn't mean he can't end up a star. The Cardinals might be the best reminder of that in all baseball, in fact.