2016 MLB Draft: Future MLB Stars Still Available Entering Day 2

With unpredictability comes great opportunity for franchises to find hidden gems late in the 2016 MLB draft.

Some of the 77 players selected on Thursday night won't stick in the majors. Others will never make it. Bryce Harper, Manny Machado, Matt Harvey and Chris Sale make 2010's opening round one of the most star-studded classes in recent memory, but that group also includes Barrett Loux, Karsten Whitson and Michael Choice.

Meanwhile, the New York Mets found Jacob deGrom hiding in the ninth round. The following year, the Boston Red Sox stole Mookie Betts in the fifth. Plenty of talent remains available after the first day of drafting, which covered two of 40 total rounds.

Of course, identifying those undervalued players proves far tougher without the benefit of hindsight. Thirty teams employing bright and devoted baseball minds won't all repeatedly pass on a prospect without good reason. Yet with so much volatility in MLB's first-year selection process, a handful of undervalued studs will produce far beyond their draft slot's typical expectations.

Still available heading into Friday, these players have the potential to make fools out of the league. 

Corbin Burnes, RHP, St. Mary's

Most analysts pegged Corbin Burnes as a Day 1 selection. Baseball America ranked him No. 57 overall, and ESPN Insider Keith Law placed the St. Mary's starter No. 31. Minor League Ball's John Sickels suggested a possible climb into the opening round.

The 21-year-old righty instead lasted 77 picks, making him one of the best players available. Unless unknown signability issues are steering teams away, whoever takes the plunge will snag a promising mid-rotation arm.

As a freshman, opponents clobbered Burnes to a tune of 34 runs over 43.2 innings. After improving to a steady 3.74 ERA last year, he jumped to top-tier billing as a junior. In 16 stellar starts he recorded a 2.48 ERA with 120 strikeouts and 33 walks.

Last month, Baseball America's Mike Lemaire examined the prospect's well-rounded arsenal:

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Still, it’s hard to blame big league teams for flocking when the 6-foot-3, 200-pound Burnes is touching 97 and complementing the fastball with potentially plus secondary pitches. The changeup has splitter action and is his second-best pitch according to [coach Eric] Valenzuela. In practically the same breath, the coach countered that if he had to call for a 2-0 strike, he would probably call for the slider.

The diverse repertoire and more importantly, his ability to command all four pitches in it, is what sets him apart as a prospect.

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While Burnes lacks ace upside, he has the velocity and command to make his mark as a trustworthy starter. The Philadelphia Phillies should give him a look to begin Friday's proceedings. 

Heath Quinn, OF, Samford

Polished college hitters usually don't have trouble finding a home. If they lasted a few picks longer, first baseman Peter Alonso and catcher Brett Cumberland would have received consideration as bargain picks needing little minor league seasoning.

Rated No. 48 by Baseball America and No. 55 on MLB.com, Heath Quinn boasted better odds of hearing his name called during the second round. The Samford smasher had to wait another day, but the suspense shouldn't last much longer.

In 61 games this season, the righty hit .343/.452/.682 with 21 home runs and 77 RBI. While he made contact in all three seasons for the Bulldogs, the power spiked as he gained experience. He also drew a personal-best 44 walks in 294 plate appearances.

Three years after the Cleveland Indians drafted him in the 12th round, Quinn has put his power to good use and developed a keen batting eye. Solid across the board, he can surface as a quality MLB outfielder both offensively and defensively in the not-so-distant future. 

Kyle Funkhouser, RHP, Louisville

Nati Harnik/Associated Press

Selected with the No. 35 pick last year, Kyle Funkhouser did not reach an agreement with the Los Angeles Dodgers. The right-handed pitcher instead returned to Louisville as the class' earliest selection not to sign.

The high-risk gambit to boost his already high stock backfired. In a rocky senior campaign, the 22-year-old has posted a 3.86 ERA while issuing 47 walks over 93.1 innings. As noted by MLB.com, his stuff stumbled early in an inconsistent season.

"After he worked at 92-94 mph and reached 97 for much of last season, he operated at 88-92 along with a less sharp slider and less effective changeup for much of this spring. His stuff looked significantly better in May, leaving evaluators puzzled as to what to do with him."

Funkhouser, however, has salvaged enough value to stand out as a high-upside flier. He has recorded a 2.31 ERA over his last five starts, compiling 39 strikeouts in 35 innings. On June 3rd, he led the Cardinals to an NCAA-tournament victory by allowing one run through eight frames.

His March and April woes alarmed MLB teams enough to drop him well beyond last year's slot, but the lively hurler still has the goods to emerge as a valuable mid-rotation piece.

Bobby Dalbec, 3B, Arizona

Timing is everything. Had MLB's rules let Bobby Dalbec leave Arizona after his stellar sophomore season, the third baseman would have ridden a .319/.410/.601 slash line to prominent draft slotting.

Instead, he's still waiting for a landing spot after batting .266/.378/.440 with six homers, a far cry from last year's 15 deep flies. 

He's certainly a risky selection after striking out in 30.4 percent of his plate appearances this year. Against professional pitchers, he may make Mark Reynolds look like Ichiro Suzuki.

Yet he has displayed high-upside power and plate discipline, skills that don't vanish from the portfolio once flaunted during his second season. Such a high-ceiling, low-floor selection is easier to make on the second day, especially with a possible alternate route. 

He pulled double-duty as a pitcher, notching a 3.28 ERA and seven saves for the Wildcats. Teams will come calling for his bat, but his power arm may represent a Plan B if his power bat doesn't return to 2015 levels.

Carlos Cortes, 2B, Lake Howell High School (Florida)

Associated Press

Like every available prospect, Carlos Cortes has his warts. Undersized and lacking a concrete position, the 18-year-old fell outside the second round despite his tantalizing offensive upside.

MLB.com broke down the case for and against the Lake Howell High School prospect:

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Cortes might be the best high school hitter in the state of Florida. He consistently barrels the ball up, doing so against top notch competition over the summer as well as during his senior season. He has surprising pop considering his 5-foot-8 frame. That frame is fairly thick, however, and Cortes doesn't run particularly well. He may not have the range or the hands to stick at second base, the position he plays more often than not. He has seen time in the outfield and he's also been giving catching a try to try and find a defensive home.

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If he could run and field second base like Jose Altuve, he would have went early in Thursday night's proceedings. Five-tool prospects don't fall to Day 2, so teams might as well target someone with one exceptional skill.

His new employer will have plenty of time to develop his glove wherever they choose, and he certainly wouldn't become the first big leaguer to offset erratic defense with above-average offense. 

When an MLB franchise has the chance to take a promising teenage hitter in the third round, why not? The designated hitter could become universal law by the time he makes the majors.