2014 CLEVELAND INDIANS DAY 1 MLB DRAFT PICKS

Here are the Indians first four picks in the 2014 MLB Draft with information courtesy of the Tribe on all four kids that Chris Antonetti and his staff selected.

Also posted is a report from ESPN.com’s baseball writer Keith Law with his thoughts on how the Indians did with their picks on Day 1.

1^st round – Pick #21 – OF – BRADLEY ZIMMER

A 6’5”, 205-pound outfielder, hit .368 with 10 doubles, 7 triples, 7 home runs and 31 RBI for the University of San Francisco Dons as a junior during the 2014 season. For his size, he is not known for his power at this time, but is a very good athlete.

1^st Round – Pick #31 – LHP – JUSTUS SHEFFIELD

The selection was compensation for the free agent signing of RHP UBALDO JIMENEZ by the Baltimore Orioles.

Sheffield, 18, recently completed his senior season at Tullahoma (TN) High School, going 10-0 with a 0.34 ERA (3 ER/61.2 IP) and 131 strikeouts. On Wednesday, the 6-for-1, 180-pound southpaw became the first high school athlete from the state of Tennessee to win a Gatorade National Player of the Year Award after leading his Wildcats team to a third straight district championship and a second round appearance in the Tennessee state playoffs. Past pitching recipients of the award include Zack Greinke (’02), Clayton Kershaw (’06) and Rick Porcello (’07), while Cleveland’s 2013 first round selection (5th overall), OF Clint Frazier, earned the distinction last year. His fast ball tops out around 94 mph.

Competitive Balance Round A – Pick #38 –  OF – MIKE PAPI

Papi, 21, is a junior outfielder for the University of Virginia where he has hit .297 (62-209) this season with 9 doubles, 11 home runs, 51 RBI and 51 runs scored in 60 games for the Cavaliers.  Virginia is taking on Maryland this weekend in the NCAA Super Regional. The Tunkhannock, PA native is a 6-3 outfield/first baseman with checks in at 6-3, 210 pounds.  Currently owns a career 3-year average of .324 (159-491) at UVA with 32 2B, 19HR & 125RBI in 150 games.

2^nd Round – Pick #61 – RHP – Grant Hockin –  Damien HS (Calif.)

18-year-old righty from Damien High School in La Verne, California, where he pitched 80 innings this season, with a 1.49 ERA, with 99 strikeouts and only 17 walks. He is listed at 6’3″, 195 pounds. He has committed to UCLA, so we’ll see if he heads to college, or if the Indians offer him enough cash to jump to the pros.

ESPN.com Baseball Writer  –  Keith Law

The new slotting system in baseball has made Day 1 analysis more difficult, as many teams approach the draft with a more holistic, top-down approach designed to spread money around to specific picks. With that in mind, here are some preliminary thoughts on eight teams’ Day 1 selections: four I really liked, four I didn’t really get. You can also find my list of the 10 best players available at the bottom. 

I’ll have team-by-team reports after Day 2, with AL reports on Saturday and NL reports on Monday. 

The approved list: Four teams I thought got good value 

The Cleveland Indians had my favorite Day 1 batch of picks, landing four players I had in the top 50. They took Brad Zimmer, one of the best college bats in the draft class, who slid to 21; grabbed and have already signedJustus Sheffield, an advanced prep lefty from Tennessee whom area scouts loved, at 31; and took Mike Papi, one of the most patient, advanced hitters in the college crop and a first baseman with emerging power and the tools to play right field, at 38.