Dylan Bundy, Archie Bradley top pitchers taken in MLB draft

Pitchers were the pick du jour in the Major League Baseball First Year Player Draft on Monday, with eight high school hurlers going in the first 33 picks of the first round.

Leading the way were a pair of Oklahoma rivals, and friends, in Owasso's Dylan Bundy and Broken Arrow's Archie Bradley. Bundy was the top high school player chosen in the draft, going with the No. 4 overall pick to the Baltimore Orioles. Bradley, meanwhile, was the third overall high school player chosen (seventh overall) and went to the Arizona Diamondbacks.

Bradley's Broken Arrow squad defeated Bundy's Rams 4-0 in the Oklahoma 6A state championship game this year with Bradley picking up the win. Bundy did not pitch in the championship game, but he was named the Oklahoma Gatorade State Player of the Year for the third straight season, and won the national award as well.

The duo appeared together during the MLB Network's broadcast of the first round and noted that while they are rivals during the regular season, they train and even live together during the summer months while competing on the summer baseball circuit.

Other high school pitchers to go in the first round included Jose Fernandez of Alonso (Tampa, Fla.) to the Florida Marlins at No. 14, Tyler Beede of Lawrence Academy (Groton, Mass.) to the Toronto Blue Jays at No. 21, Taylor Guerrieri of Spring Valley (Columbia, S.C.) to Tampa Bay at No. 24, Joe Ross of Bishop O'Dowd (Oakland, Calif.) to the San Diego Padres at No. 25, Robert Stephenson of Alhambra (Martinez, Calif.) to the Cincinnati Reds at No. 27, and Kevin Matthews of Richmond Hill (Ga.) to the Texas Rangers at No. 33.

Sandwiched in-between Bundy and Bradley was another midwest prospect in Bubba Starling, an outfielder from Gardner-Edgerton (Gardner, Kan.), who was chosen by the hometown Royals. The three-sport star has committed to play football and baseball for the University of Nebraska. He was the first position player chosen.

A total of 30 high school players were chosen among the first 60 picks, which included 33 first round selections and 27 compensatory round picks. Rounds 2 through 30 will begin Tuesday at noon E.T. with rounds 31-50 on Wednesday, also starting at noon.

Here are some of the highlights of the first round:

Biggest Drop: Two players expected to go in the first round but not selected among the first 60 picks in the draft were outfielder Josh Bell of Dallas Jesuit and left-handed pitcher Daniel Norris of Science Hill (Johnson City, Tenn.). Bell had reportedly sent a memo to the MLB explaining his desire to not be drafted as he was planning on honoring his college commitment to play at the University of Texas. Bell was regarded as the top high school hitting prospect in the draft, and his mother is a college professor.

Meanwhile, Norris was considered at one time to be the top overall high school prospect in the draft. Although he slid a bit during the season, Norris was still considered a first-round talent and one of the top four high school pitchers in the draft. Norris has signed to play at Clemson next season.

High riser: Among the highest risers on the first day were Blake Snell of Shorewood (Shoreline, Wash.) and Jake Hager of Sierra Vista (Las Vegas), both of whom were chosen by the Tampa Bay Rays. Hager went in the first round to the Rays with the No. 32 overall pick while Snell, a pitcher, was a No. 52 overall pick. Neither Hager nor Snell were ranked among the top 100 players in the country by MaxPreps. The two were among six high school players selected by the Rays on the day.

Familiar Names: A pair of familiar names went in the compensatory round with Dante Bichette Jr. of Orangewood Christian (Maitland, Fla.) going to the New York Yankees with the No. 51 overall pick and Dwight Smith Jr. of McIntosh (Peachtree City, Ga.) going to the Blue Jays with the No. 53 selection.

Dante Bichette Sr. played with five different clubs over a 15-year career including seven years with the Colorado Rockies when he finished second in the MVP voting. Dwight Smith Sr., meanwhile, played eight seasons, mostly with the Chicago Cubs. He finished second in the Rookie of the Year voting in 1989.

California Dreamin': The Golden State had the most picks among the first 60 selections on the first day of the MLB Draft, including four from the San Francisco Bay Area. Ross and Stephenson were joined by St. Francis (Mountain View, Calif.) infielder Tyler Goeddel at No. 41 by the Rays and Oakland Tech outfielder James Harris at No. 60, also by the Rays.

Other California picks included Jacob Anderson of Chino at No. 35 to the Blue Jays, Henry Owens of Edison (Huntington Beach) at No. 36 to the Red Sox, Brandon Martin of Santiago (Corona) at No. 38 to the Rays, Joe Musgrove of Grossmont (El Cajon) at No. 46 to the Blue Jays and Travis Harrison of Tustin at No. 50 to the Twins.