Jupiter, FL - So much for Florida high schools dominating the first round.
I predicted there would be four true first-round picks out of Floridian high schools with the possibility of a fifth. Would you believe there were only two?
While Brito Miami Private shortstop Manny Machado went third overall to Baltimore and Chipley righty Karsten Whitson ninth to San Diego, neither A.J. Cole, Yordy Cabrera, nor Nick Castellanos were selected in the true first round. Castellanos eventually went in the sandwich round, 44th overall to Detroit, but Cole (RHP, Oviedo HS) and Cabrera (3B, Lakeland HS) are still on the board going into round two tomorrow afternoon.
Wherever Cole and Cabrera end up, they could still be offered 1st-round money to sign.
Guess which state did end up with five high school first-rounders? Georgia out-did their neighbors to the south. Their true first-rounders were 2B Delino DeShields (8th overall, HOU), OF Jake Skole (15th, TEX), and all three Los Angeles Angels’ picks (RHP/3B Kaleb Cowart (18th), RHP Cam Bedrosian (29th), OF Chevy Clarke (30th)).
It was a banner year for Georgia from the beginning, but I never would have predicted the Peach State to dominate the first round the way they have. I do not have to research the records to know that this is their state record. And they’ve matched the state of Florida’s greatest output from back in the 2000 Draft.
Of course, signability affected both states’ numbers and it will be interesting to see how many players drafted later end up getting first round money regardless.
In addition to Castellanos, Calvary Christian righty Luke Jackson was also a sandwich round selection out of the Sunshine State. Jackson went immediately after Castellanos at pick #45 to the Texas Rangers.
On the Georgia side, there were no sandwich picks. Righthanded pitcher DeAndre Smelter was considered by many to a be a 1st-round talent and it’s still possible someone antes up to give him that money later in the draft.