With the 1,214th pick in the 2018 MLB Draft, the Los Angeles Dodgers selected RHP Ben Specht (Evangelical Christian School, FL), a Florida recruit with athleticism and a quick arm. That marked the end of a yearlong process and the beginning of the next one. The third day of the draft is a grind as picks come in rapid fire and we go through 30 rounds. The early rounds, about 11 through 15, are interesting with teams taking players that might sign, before we fall into organization filler picks and late-round fliers on players that will go unsigned. Any signing bonus over $100,000 after the 10th round counts toward a team’s bonus pool, thus giving them some “free” money to play with.

A few interesting high school prospects got popped in the 11th round in RHP Michael Burrows (Waterford HS, CT), RHP Connor Van Scoyoc (Jefferson HS, IA), SS Blaze Alexander (IMG Academy, FL) and 3B Nick Northcut (Mason HS, OH). Alexander and Northcut were both on the PBR Draft Board at Nos. 200 and 168 respectively. Alexander, who is a good athlete with a plus plus arm, went to the Diamondbacks. The Red Sox got Northcut, who is one of the better pure hitters in the class. Burrows and Van Scoyoc are both projectable with fastballs that can reach the low 90s.

The Padres made a couple strong selections in the 12th and 13th rounds. In the 12th, they got SS Sean Guilbe (Muhlenberg HS, PA). A Tennessee recruit, Guilbe has plus raw power from the right side, though swing-and-miss tendencies preclude him from consistently getting to that power. He has a plus arm and will likely shift to third base. In the 13th, San Diego took LHP Antoine Kelly (Maine East HS, IL). Kelly has a long, projectable frame with a loose, easy delivery. In his last high school start, he sat 92-94 mph and touched 95.

In the 14th round, Atlanta took RHP Victor Vodnik (Rialto HS, CA), an undersized righty who can touch the mid 90s. OF Elijah Cabell (TNXL Academy, FL) was No. 80 on the PBR Draft Board and could have easily gone in the top five rounds. The Brewers got him in the 14th, though he’s more likely to wind up at Louisiana State. Also in the 14th, Cleveland took OF Korey Holland (Langham Creek HS, TX), a quick-twitch Texas recruit.

There were 46 players from the PBR Draft Board drafted on the third day, plus six more that went undrafted. Of those 52 players, 37 were high school prospects and most will end up on campus. The Rays took the most (12) PBR Draft Board prospects overall, nine in the top 10 rounds and another three after that.

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