2018 MLB Draft Grades: Round 1 Results and Scores for Each Baseball Team

Unlike the NFL, the NBA and the NHL, Major League Baseball conducts its draft in the first half of the regular season.

The other sports all wait until after the championship is decided before they give teams the opportunity to address their future in the offseason.

In baseball, it's a much longer-term process to develop talent. In nearly all cases, the top prospects need seasoning in the minor leagues before they can come up to the big leagues and show off their skills. That's one of the reasons the MLB does not have to wait until the offseason to conduct its selection meeting. 

The high school and college seasons are coming to an end, and it's time for the players drafted to take the next step in their development. 

The draft order was based on last year's performance, and the Detroit Tigers and San Francisco Giants had the two worst records  (both were 64-98) in the major leagues and had the first two picks.

The Tigers, picking first, selected power-pitching righthander Casey Mize of Auburn, while the Giants went after catcher Joey Bart of Georgia Tech. Both appear to be outstanding players who have can't-miss written all over them.

Here's a look at our first-round grades and a detailed look at several of the selections.

2018 MLB Draft Round 1 Results and Grades

Round 1

1. Detroit Tigers: Casey Mize, RHP, Auburn (A)

2. San Francisco Giants: Joey Bart, C, Georgia Tech (A)

3. Philadelphia Phillies: Alec Bohm, 3B, Wichita State (B-)

4. Chicago White Sox: Nick Madrigal, 2B, Oregon State (A-)

5. Cincinnati Reds: Jonathan India, 3B, Florida (C+)

6. New York Mets: Jarred Kelenic, OF, Waukesha West (Wis.) HS (A-)

7. San Diego Padres: Ryan Weathers, LHP, Loretto (Tenn.) HS (B)

8. Atlanta Braves: Carter Stewart, RHP, Eau Gallie (Fla.) HS  (A-)

9. Oakland Athletics: Kyler Murray, OF, Oklahoma (B-)

10. Pittsburgh Pirates: Travis Swaggerty, OF, South Alabama (B+)

Frank Franklin II/Associated Press

11. Baltimore Orioles: Grayson Rodriguez, RHP, Central Heights (Texas) HS (A-)

12. Toronto Blue Jays: Jordan Groshans, 3B, Magnolia (Texas) HS (C)

13. Miami Marlins: Connor Scott, OF, Plant (Fla.) HS (A-)

14. Seattle Mariners: Logan Gilbert, RHP, Stetson (A)

15. Texas Rangers: Cole Winn, RHP, Orange Lutheran (Calif.) HS (A-)

16. Tampa Bay Rays: Matthew Liberatore, LHP, Mountain Ridge (Ariz.) HS (B+)

17. Los Angeles Angels: Jordyn Adams, OF, Green Hope (N.C.) HS (A-)

18. Kansas City Royals: Brady Singer, RHP, Florida (B+)

19. St. Louis Cardinals: Nolan Gorman, 3B, O'Connor (Ariz.) HS (B)

20. Minnesota Twins: Trevor Larnach, OF, Oregon State (B)

21. Milwaukee Brewers: Brice Turang, SS, Santiago (Calif.) HS (A-)

Brace Hemmelgarn/Getty Images

22. Colorado Rockies: Ryan Rolison, LHP, Ole Miss (A-)

23. New York Yankees: Anthony Seigler, C, Cartersville (Ga.) HS (B+)

24. Chicago Cubs: Nico Hoerner, SS, Stanford (C+)

25. Arizona Diamondbacks: Matt McLain, 2B, Beckman (Calif.) HS (B)

26. Boston Red Sox: Triston Casas, 1B, American Heritage (Fla.) School (A-)

27. Washington Nationals: Mason Denaburg, RHP, Merritt Island (Fla.) HS (B)

28. Houston Astros: Seth Beer, 1B, Clemson (B-)

29. Cleveland Indians: Noah Naylor, C, St. Joan of Arc Catholic (Ont.) HS (B)

30. Los Angeles Dodgers: J.T. Ginn, RHP, Brandon (Miss.) HS (C+)

Compensation Picks

31. Tampa Bay Rays: Shane McClanahan, LHP, University of South Florida (B)

32. Tampa Bay Rays: Nick Schnell, OF, Roncalli (Ind.) HS (C+)

33. Kansas City Royals: RHP Jackson Kowar, University of Florida (B+)

34. Kansas City Royals: LHP Daniel Lynch, Virginia (B)

35. Cleveland Indians: RHP Ethan Hankins, Forsyth Central (Ga.) HS (B)

Competitive Balance Round A

36. Pittsburgh Pirates: RHP Gunnar Hoglund, Fivay (Fla.) HS (B)

37. Baltimore Orioles: SS Cadyn Grenier, Oregon State (B-)

38. San Diego Padres: SS Xavier Edwards, North Broward Prep (Fla.) (A-)

39. Arizona Diamondbacks: OF Jake McCarthy, Virginia (B+)

40. Kansas City Royals: LHP Kris Bubic, Stanford (B+)

41. Cleveland Indians: RHP Lenny Torres Jr., Beacon (N.Y.) HS (B)

42. Colorado Rockies: 1B Grant Lavigne, Bedford (N.H.) HS (C+)

43. St. Louis Cardinals: RHP Griffin Roberts, Wake Forest (B)

P Casey Mize, Detroit Tigers

The Tigers may have fallen on hard times, but they are rapidly rebuilding their pitching staff. A year after selecting hard-throwing Alex Faedo from Florida in the first round, they may have found an even better pitcher in Mize.

Not only can he throw in the 95-97 miles-per-hour range when he cuts loose with his best fastball, he has a wonderful slider and split-fingered pitch that separates him from all the others selected in this draft. 

Auburn baseball coach Butch Thompson believes Mize has the personal makeup as well as the pitching talent to get to the highest level and succeed.

"You have to have a little something to make it to the highest level," he said, per Jerry Crasnick of ESPN.com. "Casey has just been so impressive. You look at how he handled last year when it really started looking like, 'Hey, this is a dude.' He cares about where his feet are planted. He's done a good job of caring about Auburn." 

C Joey Bart, San Francisco Giants

The Giants appear to have drafted another power-hitting catcher, and perhaps one who can succeed Buster Posey.

Bart has excellent tools behind the plate, but his power bat is the most impressive part of his game. He has hit 16 home runs in 56 games for Georgia Tech and has excellent bat speed and power to all fields. 

Bart was named the ACC player of the year, and he also gained defensive player of the year honors, and head coach Danny Hall was so impressed with his catcher that he let him call most of the pitches this year when he was behind the plate.

"I think the area that has all intrigued is that he is calling the pitches," Hall said, per Daniel Kramer of MLB.com. "I think body language and makeup, he's off the charts. ... I think his work ethic and his makeup will help him overcome whatever obstacle or slump or whatever may come his way as he fights to get to the big leagues."

OF Jarred Kelenic, New York Mets

The Mets selected Kelenic with the No. 6 pick overall, and he was the first prep player selected in the 2018 draft.

Kelenic is a left-handed power hitter who can patrol centerfield. He made a name for himself playing travel baseball and for two Team USA squads that competed on an international basis. He earned the MVP award while playing in the 2016 Pan American Games for the under-18 team, per the Milwaukee Journal Sentinel.

Kelenic became the highest draft pick from the state of Wisconsin, as no player from that state had ever been drafted prior to the No. 11 spot.

"We felt very comfortable selecting a player this high in the Draft who has tremendous makeup, passion for the game, intensity for the game," said Mets director of amateur scouting Marc Tramuta, per Anthony DiComo of MLB.com.

P Brady Singer, Kansas City Royals

The Royals have selected a dominant hurler with the No. 18 selection in the draft, as Singer was the Southeastern Conference Pitcher of the Year and a first-team All-American.

The 6'5", 220-pound hurler has been quite consistent throughout his college career with the Florida Gators, and it was a surprise he lasted as long as he did, per Jim Calis of MLB.com.

Singer is 11-1 this season with a 2.27 ERA, and he struck out 98 batters in 95 innings. He will attack hitters with his fastball and set them up with an excellent slider.