On Monday, the Orioles drafted Manny Machado – a high schooler from Florida in the 2010 First Year Player Draft.
The organization looked at drafting a pitcher (right-hander and high-schooler) Jameson Taillon, plus catcher Bryce Harper; however, Harper went first to Washington and Taillon was snatched up by Pittsburgh.
From the Baltimore Sun: When Harper went to the Washington Nationals with the first pick in Monday’s first-year player draft and the Pittsburgh Pirates followed by selecting Taillon, Jordan and his crew didn’t hesitate to snag Machado, who was considered the best prep hitter available.
“We felt, knowing what was going to happen in front of us, that he was going to be our guy. Today has been very easy for me, to be honest,” Jordan said. “I knew I was going to get a good player when I went to bed [Sunday] night. It’s been a good day, and I am just very excited for this kid and his family.”
Machado, who hit .639 with 12 homers and 68 RBIs in 29 games for Brito Miami Private, becomes the highest Orioles draft pick since LSU‘s Ben McDonald was taken first overall in 1989.
“I was just here hanging out with family, sitting around waiting for my name to be pronounced over the TV. It was just a great feeling once I heard my name,” said Machado, who watched the MLB Network prime-time event with about 25 family members. “My heart dropped, all the nervousness went away. It’s a great feeling, an opportunity, a one-time thing that happens, to get drafted.”
He has been compared to New York Yankees star Alex Rodriguez, also a top high school shortstop out of Miami. Although Machado said “it’s a great honor” and “delightful” to be compared to Rodriguez, he said he doesn’t compare himself to anyone.
Reading up on him the past week, he does look impressive and the Orioles really do need to build up depth at the shortstop position. I’d imagine Machado would need to some seasoning at the minor league level for a few years and could either sink or swim; however, the team got it right – I think – snagging him up.
The draft is never a sure thing, but teams now more than ever use it as a tool to improve and stock talent (a great case study would be the Washington Nationals). Let’s hope the Orioles can improve on the front, sooner rather than later.
