At a glance
WHAT Major League Baseball amateur draft
WHEN Today through Wednesday
FORMAT Rounds 1 and 2 will be today, starting at 6 p.m., along with supplemental picks between the rounds awarded to teams who lost players to free agency. Rounds 3-10 start at 11 a.m. Tuesday and rounds 11-40 start at 11 a.m. Wednesday.
TV The MLB Network will televise today’s picks.
INTERNET The entire draft can be tracked on MLB.com
FAYETTEVILLE -- The longer the Arkansas Razorbacks' season went on, the higher first baseman Chad Spanberger's stock for the Major League Baseball amateur draft continued to rise.
Spanberger, a left-handed hitter, struggled early but came on strong and had a breakout season as he batted .305 with 20 home runs, 13 doubles and 67 runs batted in.
Spanberger was named MVP of the SEC Tournament even though LSU beat the Razorbacks 4-2 in the championship game. He had five home runs in five games -- including three in one game against Auburn -- and three doubles to finish 8 for 19. He had 10 RBI, 7 runs and 7 walks.
Baseball America ranks Spanberger, 6-3 and 240 pounds, No. 163 among its list of 500 draft prospects. MLB.com doesn't list him among its top 200 prospects.
"Chad went from a guy with a lot of potential to a guy who in my opinion should go in the top five rounds," Razorbacks Coach Dave Van Horn said. "I think he should be a second- or third-round pick, but that's me talking, knowing how athletic he is for his size and what could happen.
"I saw what happened in one year. What could happen when he's 23, 24, 25 years old.
"He could be a starting right fielder in the big leagues or a first baseman. So I don't expect him back."
Spanberger is one of six University of Arkansas, Fayetteville players with eligibility remaining who figure to be drafted and possibly sign professionally.
The draft begins today with the first and second rounds along with supplemental selections -- known as "sandwich picks" -- awarded to teams who lose players through free agency.
Rounds 3 through 10 will be held on Tuesday with rounds 11 through 40 on Wednesday.
Right-handed pitcher Blaine Knight, a draft-eligible sophomore from Bryant, figures to be the first Razorback selected.
Knight, who was 8-4 this season with a 3.28 ERA and 96 strikeouts in a 90 2/3 innings, is ranked the No. 58 draft prospect by MLB.com and No. 87 by Baseball America.
But Van Horn said he's optimistic that Knight might return for his junior season to improve his draft position.
To help convince Knight playing another season could benefit him, Van Horn and Arkansas pitching coach Wes Johnson can point to Trevor Stephan.
Stephan was 6-3 with a 2.87 ERA and 120 strikeouts in 91 innings for the Razorbacks this season after transferring from Hill (Texas) Junior College.
The Boston Red Sox made Stephan the 538th overall pick in last year's draft after his sophomore season.
Stephan is ranked No. 87 by MLB.com and No. 177 by Baseball America.
"Trevor passed on some pretty good money last year, but he really helped himself by coming here," Van Horn said. "I think Coach Johnson really helped him.
"I think he's going to be plucked off the board a little higher than a lot of people realize. There are four or five teams that love him."
Stephan held opponents to a .215 batting average.
"He's got that fastball that is a little different," Van Horn said. "It has a little giddy-up at the end and it almost looks like it's rising. Teams have trouble hitting it."
Luke Bonfield, an outfielder and DH, and second baseman Carson Shaddy, also are juniors expected to be drafted.
Bonfield, who batted .294 with 11 home runs and 49 RBI, is ranked No. 476 by Baseball America. Shaddy batted .279 with eight home runs and 40 RBI.
Pitcher Cody Scroggins, a draft-eligible sophomore who redshirted this season after undergoing elbow surgery, has drawn interest from scouts, Van Horn said, and could be selected.
Seven of the Razorbacks signees are among Baseball America's top 500 prospects led by Bryce Bonnin, a pitcher and infielder, at No. 74; pitcher Daniel Tillo at No. 94; outfielder Cole Turney at No. 129; and pitcher Jackson Rutledge at No. 184.
Tillo played at Iowa Western Community College this season after beginning his college career at Kentucky.
"If you look at his numbers, he had a lot of walks, but he's got a great arm," Van Horn said. "He's a 6-5 left-hander who throws 95 mph. There's not a lot of them out there.
"We're hoping he'll come in here for one year and do what Trevor did. We think that instead of going in the third round he could go in the first round.
"He's got to throw that fastball over the plate a little more. But I think with Coach Johnson he would definitely learn that."
Rutledge is a 6-8 right-hander from St. Louis Rockwood High School.
"He's really smart and he really wants to go to school," Van Horn said. "I think he'd be better served to go to college."
Hunter Milligan, a left-handed pitcher from Greenbrier High School, is ranked No. 499 by Baseball America. Other signees include catchers Casey Opitz, ranked No. 304 by Baseball America, and Canaan Smith, ranked No. 367.
Arkansas seniors who could be drafted include pitchers Dominic Taccolini, Josh Alberius and Cannon Chadwick and outfielder Jake Arledge.
Sports on 06/12/2017