The Padres concluded Day 1 of the draft by selecting Texas Tech outfielder Grant Little No. 74 overall, the pick acquired in the Phil Hughes trade.

The suggested slot value is $812,000.

Little has paired 12 homers with 70 RBIs and a .380/.481/.676 batting line through 58 games at Texas Tech

In Monday’s post-draft recap, Padres General Manager A.J. Preller offered this take on where Little ultimately ends up on the baseball diamond:


“Our scouts like the fact that he has played shortstop. He played high school basketball. He’s an athlete. I think we’ve talked about, ‘Could he play center field? Could he play left field?’ That’s what we’re going to see here in pro baseball. He’s a guy who’s very versatile, he’s athletic, he’s got some twitch and some athleticism to him. He’s made some tremendous catches in left field, some diving catches that have been on SportsCenter. From our standpoint, my guess is we’ll start playing him in the outfield and we’ll take a look at the infield as well and see what factors in for us.

MLB.com ranked Little the No. 128 prospect in the draft.

Here’s that scouting report.

“Left-hander Steven Gingery and right-hander Davis Martin were supposed to be the prime prospects at Texas Tech this year, but it’s possible Little could go ahead of both of them unless his signability as a sophomore-eligible becomes an issue. Gingery had Tommy John surgery and Martin has been inconsistent, while Little has improved upon a strong freshman season. A team that believes Little can handle a more challenging position than left field could pop him in the third round.With Little’s simple approach and advanced feel for hitting, he makes consistent hard contact to all fields from the right side of the plate. He has significantly increased his power output as a sophomore and has enough strength and bat speed to provide 30 doubles and 15 homers per season as a pro. He manages the strike zone well and has solid speed on the basepaths. Little has spent most of his college career in left field because the Red Raiders have a superior defender in Cody Farhat in center. Some scouts think Little has the quickness to play center and would give him the chance to do so at the next level. Texas Tech tried him at shortstop in fall ball, and while his below-average arm wasn’t a good fit there, he intrigues some evaluators as a possible second baseman.”

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PICK 38

Apparently, you can never have enough shortstops in a system.

With their second pick of the day (No. 38), the Padres drafted high school shortstop Xavier Edwards out of North Broward (Fla.) prep, their second Vanderbilt recruit of the day.

MLB.com ranked Edwards 28th in the draft class. MLB Network analyst Dan O’Dowd threw out a Jimmy Rollins comp after the pick was announced.

Preller offered this assessment:


“From our standpoint, it’s hard to find leadoff hitters. It’s hard to find guys that can make things happen at the top of the order, swing the bat, control the strike zone. He’s a guy that we had as one of the more advanced high school bats in terms of plate discipline, seeing pitches, doing the things you want to see from good leadoff hitters. For us, he’s an infielder. He’s a shortstop, he’ll go out and play shortstop. Like a lot of our young infielders, he’ll move around the infield a little bit in rookie ball, get a taste for left side and right side. But we see him as a middle infield, top of the order guy that’s got a dynamic skill set.”

Here are two scouting reports on a switch-hitting shortstop joining an organization already stocked with Fernando Tatis Jr., Gabriel Arias and Jordy Barley, among others.

MLB.com

“The home run ball returned with a vengeance in Major League Baseball in 2017, but that doesn’t mean teams aren’t still in need of the table-setters to get on base and run in front of the slugging run producers. When a hitter like Edwards also plays up the middle defensively, teams are definitely going to sit up and pay attention. While he is a bit undersized at 5-foot-10, Edwards’ performance over the summer and into his senior season had many evaluators looking past that. His speed is his best tool, an easy plus that allows him to get down the line in a hurry from both sides of the plate and be a basestealing threat. He has a contact-oriented approach and uses all fields well, and while he’s not likely to be a home run threat, he could grow into his frame for more extra-base pop with an Eric Young type of build. He has excellent actions and footwork at shortstop and has shown he has enough arm to stay on the left side of the infield. Assuming teams can look past his size, the one other hurdle might be his commitment to Vanderbilt. Edwards is a good student whose parents are educators, so he’ll have to go early enough to bypass college, a distinct possibility.”

Baseball America

“Pound for pound, Edwards might be the most skilled player in the class. The problem is that he’s just 5-foot-10 and 155 pounds. A twitchy, switch-hitting infielder, Edwards possesses some of the quickest hands and footwork in the class, turning the double play from shortstop and second base with aplomb. A true, top of the scale runner, Edwards has more than enough range to handle shortstop, but scouts are mixed on whether he has the arm strength to stick at the position, with grades ranging from fringe-average to average. He makes the most of what he has, taking good angles on balls, cutting down ground and using his advanced footwork to put him in ideal throwing positions. He has the athleticism and instincts to make throws from multiple angles and a quick exchange. His speed also plays well on the bases, where he is an aggressive runner. He’s been clocked regularly in the 3.9-second range from the lefthanded batter’s box to first base--good enough for an 80-grade time--and his hand-eye coordination and quick, simple swing gives him great barrel control. He has good feel to hit from both sides of the plate and should hit for a high average when factoring in his speed, although his power is well below-average with little reason to project more. Power and size won’t ever be in Edwards’ favor, but he is a player who can impact the game on offense and defense because of his speed and the chance to be an above-average defender at a premium position.”

The 38th pick is valued at $1.88 million. The Padres will also pick 74th ($812,200) before the conclusion of the first day of the draft.

The Padres drafted prep left-hander Ryan Weathers, also a Vanderbilt recruit, in the first round. Read about him here.


Loretto’s Ryan Weathers pitches against Lawrence County during a game earlier this year at Vanderbilt. David Cardaciotto / For The Tennessean (David Cardaciotto / The Tennessean )

FIRST ROUND

Again, the Padres have plucked the first left-hander off draft boards.

With the seventh overall selection, the Padres have selected high school left-hander Ryan Weathers – son of former big league pitcher David Weathers – to add to one of the game’s best farm systems.

The 18-year-old Weathers is a 6-foot-2, 210-pound left-handed pitcher who was named the Gatorade Tennesse Baseball Player of the Year after his senior year at Loretto High School.


There, he went 10-0 with an 0.09 ERA, 148 strikeouts, 24 hits and 10 walks allowed in 76 innings. He also hit .434 with five homers, 26 RBIs and 14 steals.

Weathers – who is committed to Vanderbilt – led his high school team to a state championship as a junior and won a gold medal with Team USA at the 2017 U-18 World Cup in Canada.

Area scout Tyler Stubblefield made the recommendation.

The pick comes with a suggested slot value of $5.23 million.


Left-hander MacKenzie Gore signed for $6.7 million as last year’s No. 3 overall pick, a Padres record for a drafted player.

The top of the draft played out like this before the Padres selected Weathers seventh overall:

Tigers | RHP Casey Mize (Auburn) Giants | C Joey Bart (Georgia Tech) Phillies | 3B Alec Bohm (Wichita State) White Sox | 2B Nick Madrigal (Oregon State) Reds | 3B Jonathan India (Florida) Mets | OF Jarred Kelenic (Waukesha West (Wis.)

The last time the Padres drafted seventh they selected left-hander Max Fried in 2012 (he was later traded to the Braves in the Justin Upton deal).

Here’s two scouting reports:


MLB.com

Loretto (Tenn.) High produced Johhny Jones, the No. 5 overall pick in the 1967 Draft, and David Weathers, who pitched 19 years in the Majors. Weathers’ son Ryan has the potential to be better than both of them as a lefty with the pitches and polish to work in the front half of a big league rotation. He set a Tennessee high school tournament record with 28 strikeouts last spring, including 12 in a shutout in the Class A championship game, and turned in two scoreless outings for Team USA as it won the 18-and-under World Cup in September. While Weathers lacks a true out pitch, he has three solid offerings and mixes them well. His fastball sits at 90-93 mph and tops out at 95, playing above its velocity with a high spin rate that gives it deceptive riding life. His upper-70s curveball usually features good depth and he possesses an advanced changeup for a teenager. Weathers has a sound delivery and repeats it well, throwing strikes with ease. He’s a good athlete who does the little things well and could contribute as a two-way player at Vanderbilt if he doesn’t turn pro. He gets his athleticism from both sides of his family, as his mother, Kelli Davis Weathers, was an All-America basketball player at Belmont.”

Baseball America

“The son of 19-year major league veteran David Weathers, Ryan is an advanced lefthanded pitcher out of Tennessee who offers a high floor for a prep arm. Weathers has three pitches that are at least average with a fastball, curveball and changeup. Scouts had to wait for a chance to see him this spring as Weathers is also a high-level basketball player and helped lead Lorretto High to its first ever state championship this season. When he did take the mound, Weathers pitched with a low-90s fastball that got up to 95 mph at its best with a curveball that appeared to be a tick better than it was last summer. Some scouts have put a 60-grade on the mid-70s breaking ball this spring after it was more 50-55 during the showcase circuit and with USA Baseball’s 18U team. He can also turn to an average changeup when he needs it as well. Weathers spots all of his pitches effectively--some evaluators believe he can develop future plus command--and his fastball plays up with heavy sinking action as well. With major league bloodlines and a well-rounded arsenal, Weathers figures to be a middle of the first-round pick, though he’ll need to maintain his body as he develops.”

RECENT PADRES FIRST-ROUND HISTORY

2017 | No. 3, LHP MacKenzie Gore (Currently: Fort Wayne DL)

2016 | No. 8, RHP Cal Quantrill (Currently: Double-A rotation)

2016 | No. 24, SS Hudson Potts (Currently: Lake Elsinore third baseman)

2016 | No. 25, LHP Eric Lauer (Currently: San Diego rotation)

2015 | Did not have a first-round pick (James Shields)

2014 | No. 13, SS Trea Turner (Currently: Nationals shortstop; Wil Myers trade)

2013 | No. 13, OF Hunter Renfroe (Currently: San Diego bench)

2012 | No. 7, LHP Max Fried (Currently: Braves bullpen; Justin Upton trade)

2012 | No. 33, RHP Zach Eflin (Currently: Phillies rotation; Matt Kemp trade)

2012 | No. 44, OF Travis Jankowski (Currently: San Diego outfield)

2012 | No. 55, RHP Walker Weickel (Currently: Rangers system; released)

2011 | No. 10, 2B Cory Spangenberg (Currently: San Diego bench)

2011 | No. 25, RHP Joe Ross (Currently: Nationals disabled list; Wil Myers trade)

2011 | No. 48, RHP Michael Kelly (Currently: Orioles system; minor league free agent)

2011 | No. 54, C Brett Austin (Currently: White Sox system; did not sign)

2011 | No. 58, SS Jace Peterson (Currently: Orioles bench; Justin Upton trade)

2010 | No. 9, RHP Karsten Whitson (Currently: out of baseball; did not sign)

2009 | No. 3, OF Donavan Tate (Currently: out of baseball; minor league free agent)

2008 | No. 23, 1B Allan Dykstra (Currently: out of baseball; Eddie Kunz trade)

2008 | No. 42, OF Jaff Decker (Currently: Nationals system; Alex Dickerson trade)

2008 | No. 46, 3B Logan Forsythe (Currently: Dodgers infield; Jesse Hahn trade)


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jeff.sanders@sduniontribune.com; Twitter: @sdutSanders

UPDATES:

8:50 p.m.: Updated with Padres’ No. 74 selection.