The Orioles have the 11th overall pick in the first round of Monday’s MLB draft, their highest selection since taking Kevin Gausman fourth overall in 2012. But, as always, creating a strong draft class goes far beyond the first few rounds, and that might be even more important this year because of the pending overhaul the Orioles face.
On the eve of the draft’s first two rounds, which begin Monday at 7 p.m., scouting director Gary Rajsich said the Orioles will take the best player available when their first selection arrives in a draft he said is deep on pitching but could place a premium on impact position players because there’s a shortage of them, meaning the top non-pitchers might come off the board early.