Pick 17 – Kansas City Royals Selection: INF Miguel Tejada The Kansas City Royals enter this draft in a familiar position—up against the cap, juggling decisions on several veterans, and somehow still managing to keep almost everyone they actually want. It’s a delicate dance they’ve performed for years, and once again their offseason will hinge on a handful of contract decisions that could meaningfully reshape the roster. But this pick?...
Pick 16 – Chicago Cubs Selection: 2B José Vidro Cubs fans felt the heartbreak. After a miserable start to 1996, Chicago transformed into the hottest team in baseball down the stretch, surging back into contention and ultimately missing the playoffs by the slimmest of margins. Given how the season began, the fact that they were even in the conversation should be celebrated—but try telling that to a fanbase starving for October baseball. If...
Pick 15 – Cleveland Spiders Selection: CF Torii Hunter The Cleveland Spiders return to the clock for their second first-round selection, having already secured some much-needed pitching help earlier in the draft. Now, with the opportunity to diversify their rookie class, the focus shifts naturally to the offensive side of the board. And at Pick 15, the Spiders find themselves in a very clean, very logical spot. With Marquis Grissom hitting...
Pick 14 – Boston Red Sox Selection: SP John Thompson The Boston Red Sox enter this offseason in a state of transition—if not full reconstruction. With the front office openly shopping nearly the entire roster outside of Barry Bonds, Mike Cameron, and Édgar Rentería, this is a club still searching for an identity, a direction, and frankly, a foundation. When a team has this many needs, the draft board is wide open....
Pick 13 – New York Mets Selection: 1B Derrek Lee The New York Mets were painfully close to a postseason berth in 1996, and the reasons for falling short are obvious: an offense that ran hot and cold, and a bullpen that too often turned close games into losses. The bullpen can—and likely will—be addressed later in the offseason or via trade, but the offense is something they can start fixing right now. And with the board falling the way it...
Pick 12 – New York Yankees Selection: INF Mark Bellhorn The New York Yankees opened their draft with a statement, grabbing Matt Morris and securing a blue-chip arm to headline the future of their rotation. With that crucial box checked, the organization shifts its attention to the lineup—a lineup that, frankly, lagged throughout 1996 and needs all the help it can get. Enter Mark Bellhorn, one of the most versatile and projectable infielders...
Pick 11 – Los Angeles Dodgers Selection: RF Richard Hidalgo How do you follow up drafting Bartolo “Big Sexy” Colón at No. 4? By doubling down on impact talent—and this time, doing it on the offensive side of the ledger. The Los Angeles Dodgers step up at Pick 11 and land one of the most polished bats still on the board: Richard Hidalgo. This is the kind of selection that instantly stabilizes a position of chaos. Last year’s left...
Pick 10 – San Diego Padres Selection: RF Magglio Ordoñez Sometimes patience is the most underrated skill in drafting. And no team in this top ten played the waiting game better than the San Diego Padres. They watched the early picks unfold, saw the expected run on pitching, and stayed calm. And because of that, they walk away with one of the top bats in the entire class: Magglio Ordoñez. This wasn’t an easy decision. In fact, the...
Pick 9 – Florida Marlins Selection: 1B David Ortiz Every once in a while, fortune smiles on a franchise—not with a playoff berth or a breakout star, but with something quieter and equally valuable: a top-10 pick in a draft loaded with impact talent. The Florida Marlins didn’t plan to be here, but they won’t complain. And after two trades that have already added depth to their rotation, Florida enters this draft with a luxury:...
Pick 8 – Washington Senators Selection: SP Tony Saunders The Washington Senators are a machine—well-built, well-run, and well ahead of schedule. They led the DBL in wins, only to see their season end abruptly at the hands of the eventual champions. It was a disappointing finish, but not a derailing one; this is a franchise built on stability, depth, and decisiveness. And Washington wasted no time reminding the league of that decisiveness....