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The 2016 MLB Draft is still a few weeks away, but we will kick off our coverage today. This year's draft takes place over a three-day period starting on Thursday, June 9th, and ending on Saturday, June 11th. Rounds one and two will take place on the first day, while rounds three through ten will take place on Friday, June 10th. Rounds 11-40 will be held on the final day.
Here's a look at this year's draft order:
1. Philadelphia Phillies
2. Cincinnati Reds
3. Atlanta Braves
4. Colorado Rockies
5. Milwaukee Brewers
6. Oakland Athletics
7. Miami Marlins
8. San Diego Padres
9. Detroit Tigers
10. Chicago White Sox
11. Seattle Mariners
12. Boston Red Sox
13. Tampa Bay Rays
14. Cleveland Indians
15. Minnesota Twins
16. Los Angeles Angels
17. Houston Astros
18. New York Yankees
19. New York Mets
20. Los Angeles Dodgers
21. Toronto Blue Jays
22. Pittsburgh Pirates
23. St. Louis Cardinals
The Yankees finished the 2015 season with a record of 87-75, and based on the reversed standings, they should have had the 22nd spot in the first round. However, numerous teams sacrificed their first-round picks in order to sign free agents during the offseason. The Yankees jumped up two spots after the Orioles gave up their first-round pick to sign Yovani Gallardo, while the Diamondbacks gave up their pick to sign Zack Greinke. They moved up another spot after the Giants signed Jeff Samardzija, and the Nationals' decision to sign Ian Desmond bumped the Yankees up to the 18th pick overall.
Over the offseason, the Yankees were adamant about holding onto their draft pick and thus avoided the free agency market. Although it's impossible to predict whether a player will ultimately succeed at the major league level, there have been several notable players selected 18th overall over the past ten years, including Corey Seager, Sonny Gray, Ike Davis, Pete Kozma and Kyle Drabek.
Last year the Yankees received a compensation pick after they gave David Robertson a qualifying offer and he opted to sign with the White Sox. The Yankees didn't give out any qualifying offers this year though, so their next pick will come in the second round. They'll have the 62nd overall pick in the second round, and the 98th overall pick in round three. The Yankees will have the 22nd pick in rounds four through 40.
Here are a few additional resources that will come in handy before the draft starts:
Be sure to check back over the next several weeks to find everything you need to prepare for the draft, including reviews, previews, analysis, news and more. As they have done in the past, Jason and Tanya will be providing live draft coverage when the action starts on June 9th. You can start sending them pizzas in advance to help them prepare.