Here's what the D-backs did on Day 2 of the Draft
Steve Gilbert
@SteveGilbertMLBPHOENIX -- After using all four of their picks Sunday night on position players, the Arizona Diamondbacks took five pitchers with the eight selections they had during Monday’s second day of the 2024 MLB Draft.
Thanks to a pair of compensation picks, the D-backs had a plethora of selections on Sunday and used them to select outfielder Slade Caldwell (No. 29 overall), outfielder Ryan Waldschmidt (No. 31), shortstop J.D. Dix (No. 35) and catcher Ivan Luciano (No. 64).
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The Draft wraps up Tuesday with Rounds 11-20.
Here’s a look at who the D-backs selected Monday along with comments from Arizona scouting director Ian Rebhan:
Round 3: RHP Daniel Eagen, Presbyterian College (SC)
Eagen wasn’t necessarily on the D-backs’ radar before this past season, when his velocity and stuff jumped up after he missed most of the previous year with elbow and shoulder issues.
Rebhan: “We see him as a starter. Really, really good breaking ball. He's got two of them. The curveball has got a chance to be plus. Just someone that we thought had a chance to be a Major League starting pitcher with a fastball up to 95 mph and at least two above-average breaking balls, one being plus.”
Round 4: SS Tytus Cissell, Francis Howell (MO) High School
Cissell’s athleticism stood out at the Draft Combine, where the tests done to measure that -- like the 30-yard dash and broad jump -- showcased his elite explosiveness.
Rebhan: “Super, super athletic. We see him as a shortstop, a switch-hitting shortstop. He's at least a plus runner, if not more. He came to the combine and scored off the charts on the athletic testing portion. This is a really interesting upside high school shortstop switch-hitter that can provide value on both sides of the ball.”
Round 5: RHP Connor Foley, Indiana University
The D-backs were happy to get Foley at this point in the Draft, expecting that he might have gotten scooped up earlier.
Rebhan: “Big right-handed pitcher. We've seen him up to 99 mph. He was a starter at Indiana, and we see him as a starter in the future. He's got two different breaking balls, he's got a changeup, but you're buying pretty elite arm talent here and he’s super athletic. He's a high school football player and he actually didn't start pitching until his senior year of high school, so we think there's some untapped potential still.”
Round 6: RHP Mason Marriott, Baylor University
Rebhan: “He’s been up to 94-95 mph. We're really intrigued by his ability to spin the ball -- spin a slider, spin a curveball. He started at Baylor and we think he's a starter in the future. Just a good, well-rounded package of arm strength and ability to spin the ball.”
Round 7: LHP Luke Craig, UNC Wilmington
Rebhan: “He's probably more of a three-quarter to low-three-quarter arm slot guy, but a left-hander reliever with a power fastball and a slider who ends up being an uncomfortable look for a left-handed hitter.”
Round 8: LHP Travis Garnett, William & Mary
Rebhan: “Kind of somewhat in the same mold [as Craig]. I mean 45 strikeouts in 27 innings, and it's a big, big arm, a left-hander with two pitches that's got a chance to be a pretty good bullpen arm.”
Round 9: 3B Ben McLaughlin, University of Arkansas
Rebhan: “He's been a two-year starter at Arkansas. He's always performed. When you perform in the best conference in college baseball, there's something to be said about that. A really proven hitter in a good conference. If you look at his stats, he walks more or just as much as he strikes out. We think he's got a really solid approach.”
Round 10: OF Trent Youngblood, Transylvania University
Rebhan: “Out of Division III Transylvania, an elite athlete, a 70 runner [on the 20-80 scale], contact-type bat. He's played some shortstop, he's played some center field and kind of has that super-utility-type profile, but when in the 10th round you're getting an athlete like Trent, I think you're pretty excited about that.”