MLB Draft Picks 2017: List of Day 1 Selections, Grades and Updated Order

The first day of the 2017 MLB draft is in the books, and a number of general managers have reason to give themselves a pat on the back. 

Evaluating a team's return on draft day is always somewhat of a fool's errand immediately after the day has concluded, especially in baseball, when most players are years away from seeing a major league roster. Still, it's always fun to compare and contrast how each front office operated.

The full draft order is available to view on MLB.com. Below are grades and brief overviews for how all 30 teams performed on Monday.

Day 1 Results and Grades

Arizona Diamondbacks: Pavin Smith, 1B (7); Drew Ellis, 3B (44); Daulton Varsho, C (68)

Grade: B+

Paul Goldschmidt is only 29 and not showing any signs of slowing down. For that reason, one questions whether a first baseman was the Arizona Diamondbacks' best option with the eighth overall pick.

Pavin Smith batted .342 with 13 home runs and 77 RBI in his junior year with the Virginia Cavaliers. A polished hitter, he shouldn't need a lot of time in the minors before he's ready to contribute to the Diamondbacks.

If he's good enough, then Arizona should be able to find a way to accommodate both he and Goldschmidt together in the lineup.

Atlanta Braves: Kyle Wright, RHP (5); Drew Waters, OF (41)

Grade: A

On one hand, the Atlanta Braves don't exactly need another starting pitcher after they have assembled a stable of arms through the draft and trades.

On the other hand, Kyle Wright is great value with the fifth overall selection. Atlanta couldn't pass on a player who could've easily gone No. 1 to the Twins. Wright has the potential to become the ace of the Braves' staff.

Baltimore Orioles: D.L. Hall, LHP (21); Adam Hall, SS (60); Zac Lowther, LHP (74)

Grade: A-

After watching Kevin Gausman and Dylan Bundy, Baltimore Orioles fans know all too well that promise doesn't always materialize with young pitchers. That won't stop them from getting excited about D.L. Hall, and for good reason.

Hall boasts a good fastball and curveball. With the Orioles potentially facing a transition period depending on the future of Manny Machado, Hall could be a cornerstone of Baltimore's rebuild.

Boston Red Sox: Tanner Houck, RHP (24); Coleman Brannen, OF (63)

Grade: B+

Baseball writer Peter Gammons provided some perspective on the Boston Red Sox' first-round selection:

Tanner Houck doesn't have a prototypical delivery from the mound, but it didn't stop him from striking out 95 batters in 94.2 innings this past year for the Missouri Tigers. He's as good as the Red Sox could've hoped for this late into the first round.

Chicago Cubs: Brendon Little, LHP (27); Alex Lange, RHP (30); Cory Abbott, RHP (67)

Grade: B

The Chicago Cubs arguably got more with their second pick on Day 1 than their first since Brendon Little was a reach at No. 27. Alex Lange is more of a proven commodity. He's 9-5 with a 2.92 ERA in 17 starts for the LSU Tigers.

In order for the Cubs to maximize the value from their first-round approach, they should've selected a prospect with a higher potential reward than Little.

Chicago White Sox: Jake Burger, 3B (11); Gavin Sheets, 1B (49)

Grade: B-

The Chicago White Sox's selection of Jake Burger was the second questionable pick of the first round after the Los Angeles Angels took Jordon Adell. CSN Chicago's Chuck Garfien reported Jim Thome was high on Burger, which makes sense since Burger has a somewhat similar profile as a player.

Given some of the players still on the board—Shane Baz, J.B. Bukauskas and Jeren Kendall—the White Sox could've gotten more value.

Cincinnati Reds: Hunter Greene, RHP (2); Jeter Downs, SS (32); Stuart Fairchild, OF (38)

Grade: A

Since the Reds aren't going anywhere in the short term, following Greene's development will give fans a source of optimism. Greene is also a high-ceiling prospect for an organization that lacks a lot of top-end talent beyond Nick Senzel and Jesse Winker.

Sure, there are questions over whether Greene's future lies at shortstop or on the mound, and the price tag to sign him to a contract will be high. But the Reds can sort all of that out later.

Cleveland Indians: Quentin Holmes, OF (64); Tyler Freeman, SS (71)

Grade: B

The Cleveland Indians surrendered their first-round pick by signing Edwin Encarnacion in the offseason. They did well to make up for lost time with Quentin Holmes, who's basically a Billy Hamilton clone. Holmes could be the Indians' best base-stealer since Kenny Lofton's prime years in the late 1990s.

Colorado Rockies: Ryan Vilade, 3B (48); Tommy Doyle, RHP (70)

Grade: C+

Like the Indians, the Colorado Rockies gave up their first-rounder by adding Ian Desmond, but unlike Cleveland, Colorado did slightly less with what it had. 

Ryan Vilade has a lot of power and profiles as a capable option at the hot corner. Tommy Doyle, on the other hand, will need to make big strides in order to become an MLB closer and justify his selection this early.

Detroit Tigers: Alex Faedo, RHP (18); Reynaldo Rivera, OF (57)

Grade: B+

Alex Faedo was 7-2 with a 2.60 ERA in 17 starts in 2017 and struck out 132 batters in 107.1 innings. While the right-hander hasn't been quite as dominant as some expected, he's well worth a mid-first-round pick for the Detroit Tigers.

Coincidentally, he winds up with the same team that selected him out of high school in the 40th round of the 2014 draft.

Houston Astros: J.B. Bukauskas, RHP (15); Joe Perez, 3B (53); Corbin Martin, RHP (56); J.J. Matijevic, 2B (75)

Grade: B+

The luxury for the Houston Astros with J.B. Bukauskas is that he could easily transition into a relief role should he struggle as a starter in the minors or at the major league level. The last few years have illustrated the value of a dominant late-inning reliever, so even if Bukauskas' future is in the bullpen, he'll still be a good pick in the middle of the first round.

Kansas City Royals: Nick Pratto, 1B (14); MJ Melendez, C (52); Evan Steele, LHP (73)

Grade: B+

Should the Kansas City Royals re-sign Eric Hosmer this offseason, the selection of Nick Pratto will be even more shrewd. By the time Hosmer is entering his late 20s and early 30s, Pratto should be positioned to help the Royals at the major league level.

Power-hitting first basemen come at a premium, and Pratto should be just that for Kansas City.

Los Angeles Angels: Jordon Adell, OF (10); Griffin Canning, RHP (47)

Grade: B+

The Los Angeles Angels redeemed themselves by stealing Griffin Canning with the 47th overall pick.

Adell was easily the biggest reach of the first round and could've potentially led to an underwhelming Day 1 for the Angels. Then Canning fell into their laps in the second round. In a farm system starved for quality pitching, Canning is a godsend.

Los Angeles Dodgers: Jeren Kendall, OF (23); Morgan Cooper, RHP (62)

Grade: A

Strictly in terms of value, Jeren Kendall might be the best pick of the first round. Nobody would've batted an eye if he had gone in the top 10, and instead, the Los Angeles Dodgers take him at No. 23.

Kendall's 74 strikeouts in 261 at-bats raise a small red flag. He still averaged .307 with 15 home runs and 53 RBI. He also stole 20 bases in 24 attempts.

The Dodgers have earned deserved praised for their player development in recent years, and in a few years, Kendall could be one of the top prospects in baseball.

Miami Marlins: Trevor Rogers, LHP (13); Brian Miller, OF (36); Joseph Dunland, 3B (51)

Grade: B+

Trevor Rogers is the third prep pitcher the Miami Marlins have selected in the first round over the last four years. The Marlins haven't shied away from risk, even going back to Jose Fernandez in 2011.

Rogers is a 6'6" lefty with a good fastball and solid slider. It's easy to see why Miami felt he was worth selecting a little earlier than expected on Day 1.

Milwaukee Brewers: Keston Hiura, 2B (9); Tristen Lutz, OF (34); Caden Lemons, RHP (46)

Grade: B

Keston Hiura is one of the best hitters in this year's draft class. He batted .442 and reached base in more than half of his at-bats (.567 on-base percentage).

Hiura's elbow is a concern, though, and MLB.com's Doug Miller noted Tommy John surgery is a possibility. The specter of Tommy John surgery isn't as great for a position player as it is a pitcher, but it could rob Hiura of development time. That makes him somewhat of a risk so early in the first round.

Minnesota Twins: Royce Lewis, SS (1); Brent Rooker, OF (35); Landon Leach, RHP (37)

Grade: A-

On talent alone, Greene should've been the pick here, which is why the Minnesota Twins get knocked slightly. With that said, selecting a high school pitcher is always risky and a lot can go wrong before he reaches the majors.

Lewis is a solid hitter with above-average power for a shortstop and will bring competent defense to the Twins. At least one general manager has a high opinion of Lewis, per FanRag Sports' Jon Heyman:

New York Mets: David Peterson, LHP (20); Mark Vientos, 3B (59)

Grade: B

A few years ago, the New York Mets appeared to have the most promising starting rotations in baseball. Injuries have since ruined a lot of that potential, so it makes sense the Mets would eschew going with a high-ceiling prep arm in the first round and opt for a college star such as David Peterson.

New York Yankees: Clarke Schmidt, RHP (16); Matt Sauer, RHP (54)

Grade: B+

It's almost like the New York Yankees operated in reverse during the first day. Matt Sauer was a first-round-caliber prospect, while Clarke Schmidt looked more likely to land in the second. Instead, the opposite occurred.

Assuming they can sign him, Sauer was a steal at 54th overall. At least selecting Schmidt will have saved New York the money necessary to take care of Sauer's contract.

Oakland Athletics: Austin Beck, OF (6); Kevin Merrell, SS (33); Greg Deichmann, OF (43)

Grade: B

Austin Beck recovered nicely from the torn ACL and meniscus that kept him out for last summer and fall. Oakland A's scouting director Eric Kubota was impressed by Beck's power, per NBC Sports California's Joe Stiglich:

There was a time when the A's would shy away from a prep star such as Beck so early in the MLB draft. While he carries plenty of risk based on his age, Beck was the necessary pick for Oakland.

Philadelphia Phillies: Adam Haseley, OF (8); Spencer Howard, RHP (45)

Grade: B+

Philadelphia Phillies fans are likely already salivating over an outfield that includes Mickey Moniak and Adam Haseley. Whereas Moniak is a few years away from the majors, Haseley is far closer to the finished product after posting a .390/.491/.659 slash line for Virginia.

While Philadelphia did well by getting Haseley, Spencer Howard drags the team's overall grade down. The Phillies overvalued him significantly by taking him in the second round.

Pittsburgh Pirates: Shane Baz, RHP (12); Steve Jennings, RHP (42); Cal Mitchell, OF (50); Conner Uselton, OF (72)

Grade: A-

The volume of prospects the Pittsburgh Pirates added on Day 1 bumps up their grade to some extent, which isn't to say this is a case of Pittsburgh getting quantity rather than quality.

The key, however, will be signing Shane Baz. With a commitment to the TCU Horned Frogs in his back pocket, Baz is in a strong negotiating position when he sits down to work out his contract with the Pirates. If Pittsburgh can't get Baz on board, then the 2017 draft will have become a far less prosperous venture.

San Diego Padres: MacKenzie Gore, LHP (3); Luis Campusano, C (39); Blake Hunt, C (69)

Grade: A

Especially with Anderson Espinoza's injury problems this year, targeting a starting pitcher was a good idea for the San Diego Padres.

And with Greene off the board, MacKenzie Gore was the clear pick. The Padres are years away from contention, so they can afford to wait for a prep prospect such as Gore to take a long time before reaching the majors.

San Francisco Giants: Heliot Ramos, OF (19); Jacob Gonzalez, 3B (58)

Grade: C

The San Francisco Giants could wind up looking extremely smart in retrospect. For the time being, it feels like they reached for both of their Day 1 selections. 

Although Heliot Ramos and Jacob Gonzalez have a lot of potential, there's also a good chance that potential fails to become actual talent. They're both teenagers, so it'll be a while before the Giants have a good idea of the return on their gamble.

Seattle Mariners: Evan White, 1B (17); Sam Carlson, RHP (55)

Grade: A

Evan White is a bit of rarity in that he could become an All-Star first baseman without boasting a ton of power. He's a great defender and can hit for average, which more than makes up for the fact he may not regularly hit 20 home runs a year.

In Sam Carlson, the Seattle Mariners added one of the best pitchers in this year's class. The fact he fell to the second round may indicate some signability concerns.

St. Louis Cardinals: N/A

Grade: N/A

Tampa Bay Rays: Brendan McKay, 1B, (4); Drew Rasmussen, RHP (31); Michael Mercado, RHP (40)

Grade: A-

If only the previous regime in charge of the Tampa Bay Rays had had the chance to select Brendan McKay. Joe Maddon would've likely used McKay creatively on occasion.

The dream may not be dead since Yahoo Sports' Jeff Passan tweeted McKay envisions both pitching and playing first base for the Rays in the minors.

After years of failing to find impact players in the first round of the draft, the Rays took the smart approach and selected the best collegiate player available. Whether he's playing first or pitching, McKay can play a starring role for Tampa Bay.

Texas Rangers: Bubba Thompson, OF (26); Christopher Seise, SS (29); Hans Crouse, RHP (66)

Grade: B+

Bubba Thompson could be a bit like Manuel Margot in that his defense and speed in center field will compensate for any deficiencies at the plate. If Thompson can hit 15-20 home runs every year, then that would be the cherry on top.

Toronto Blue Jays: Logan Warmoth, SS (22); Nate Pearson, RHP (28); Hagen Danner, C (61)

Grade: B+

Logan Warmoth is a safe pick at the back end of the first round. He's unlikely to become a perennial All-Star, but he has the defense and hit tool to become an everyday MLB shortstop.

Hagen Danner is the exact opposite in that he carries a lot of uncertainty, even when it comes to where he'll play at the next level. A catcher and starting pitcher, he could play either one when it's time for him to commit to one over the other.

Washington Nationals: Seth Romero, LHP (25); Wil Crowe, RHP (65)

Grade: A-

The Houston Cougars kicked Seth Romero off the team in May, which resulted in his slide down the first round. On talent alone, Romero can become a No. 3 or 4 starter in MLB, making him more than worth the gamble at 25th overall.