With the Second Pick, the Astros Select Alex Bregman

The Astros have made their first selection of the 2015 MLB Draft. After weeks of speculation, the draft is under way. Depending on who you read to get you ready for the draft, the Astros were expected to take Drew Swanson, Brendan Rodgers, or Alex Bregman. Why take a shortstop when you already have Carlos Correa in the fold? Because besides Correa, there are not too many options for shortstop. The Astros have felt the lack of depth this year having to rely on Marwin Gonzalez and Jonathan Villar.

The Arizona Diamondbacks selected Dansby Swanson, who was reportedly top of the Astros draft board. While the Astros were probably disappointed, they did not have the top overall draft pick this year. So who did the Astros take?

With the Second Pick, the Astros Select Alex Bregman

The following info is from Jeff Haddon’s article here.

“Bregman is a 6’0, 190 lb. A shortstop from the LSU Tigers. He was considered of the most talented pure hitters coming out of high school and was drafted by the Boston Red Sox in the 2012 draft.

However, he fell to the 29th round because of the belief that he would honor his college commitment. He went on from his prep career in New Mexico to LSU where he was 2013 Freshman of the Year and has been a three-year starter with the Tigers.

He’s a right-handed hitter with, what scouts describe as, a quick, mechanically sound swing. His approach at the plate is considered aggressive, but he is extremely capable of drawing walks with a solid understanding of the strike zone.

In 2013, on his way to being named the top freshman in college baseball, he hit .369 in 282 At Bats. He hit 18 doubles that year along with seven triples and six home runs. He followed that up in 2014, batting .316 while hitting six home runs and 16 doubles.

Bregman has hit .318 with nine home runs and 22 doubles in 2015. He has also increased his walk total in each of his college seasons while cutting his strikeouts down to 20 in 238 at-bats this year.” – Jeff Haddon.

Why is this a good pick for the Astros

The Astros needed some reinforcement at shortstop. They could also use a player who could eventually play second or third base. Bregman is a college player who knows how to win. He can hit for power, average, and speed. He is a shortstop who could play send base, even though he would tell you he’s good enough to be a shortstop. He could be 1-2 years away from major league action. Draws comparisons to Dustin Pedroia.

He hit .312/ 9hrs/ 49 RBI/ 37 sb in 2015 with LSU. Stats can be found here.

ETA: In Astros pregame Luhnow just confirmed Bregman will stick at SS through minors at least and will figure out where to put him when the time comes.

Here is what we said about in CTH’s Draft Week

Who could be next pick for the fifth overall – Andrew Benintendi. There are rumors that Daz Cameron could fall to the Astros with the 37th pick, so they might be able to save some money in Benintendi.

Next: CTH on Alex Bregman

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