Draft day is here. The First-Year Player Draft begins tonight at 7 p.m. and the draft will be televised by both ESPN and MLB Network. The Orioles will have two picks this evening when they select No. 2 and No. 30 overall. Their first pick is the second pick of a first round that will last 29 picks. Their second pick is the first selection of Competitive Balance Round A that will comprise picks 30 through 37. The draft resumes Thursday at 5 p.m. with rounds two through five. The Orioles have...

Baseball has found its window to be active tonight beyond negotiations and hostilities with the start of the First-Year Player Draft. The festivities kick off at 7 p.m. on MLB Network and ESPN. Names will begin dropping off the virtual board, with Arizona State first baseman Spencer Torkelson likely to go first to the Tigers. Orioles executive vice president/general manager Mike Elias indicated during Monday's Zoom call that there's little suspense behind the pick, though he never said...

While pointing out that the Orioles could go underslot with their No. 2 draft pick to go over at No. 30 and/or No. 39, The Athletic's Keith Law still has the club taking Vanderbilt's Austin Martin with its first pick. The draft begins at 7 p.m. on Wednesday night with coverage on both ESPN and MLB Network. That night, the first round features picks No. 1 through No. 29 and then the competitive balance round with selections Nos. 30 through 37. So the O's will have two picks Wednesday. Draft...

As we binge on mock drafts, fight the confusion and wish that we could gain some clarity, the Orioles are attached to multiple players depending on the hour and who's doing the predicting. The consensus in my informal poll remains Vanderbilt third baseman/center fielder Austin Martin with the second overall pick. But there's some hedging. Baseball America's Carlos Collazo and The Athletic's Keith Law, to name just two, have heard that the Orioles could go under slot. Baseball America's 6.0...

Exactly one week remains before the start of the First-Year Player Draft and absolutely no one knows who's going to the Orioles with the second overall pick. The Orioles must wait until the Tigers choose ahead of them and most likely will lose an opportunity to select Arizona State first baseman Spencer Torkelson. He's expected to be the guy if he stays on the board, but I probably have a better chance of staying in my 50s. Assuming that Torkelson is gone, the Orioles must reach a consensus...

Because I've become quite adept at disappointing fans who seek answers from me during the coronavirus pandemic, I'm comfortable opening my latest "mailbag" and also putting the word in quotation marks. With all of the binge-watching that's taking place in households around the world, I'm hoping that you'll happily accept my latest sequel. Try to fit it in between episodes of "Ozark" and "Tiger King." In a related story, I haven't seen either one. I actually thought the latter was a...

The picture that is painted is an exciting one. It's of a player who not only has a ton of talent but is smart, poised and driven. He can handle the big games and moments. He makes teammates better. What is not to like about Vanderbilt infielder-outfielder Austin Martin? Many outlets project the Orioles will claim him with the No. 2 overall pick in the First-Year Player Draft on June 10. Many tab Arizona State's first baseman Spencer Torkelson to go 1/1 and Texas A&M left-hander Asa Lacy...

We have just over two weeks to this year's five-round First-Year Player Draft. The Orioles hold the No. 2 pick in the first round behind the Detroit Tigers at No. 1. The Orioles will also pick at No. 30 and No. 39. They are the only major league team with three picks among the first 39 selections. Many analysts seem to be predicting that Arizona State first baseman Spencer Torkelson goes first to the Tigers. He hit 25 homers as a freshman and 23 as a sophomore. When this year's season was...

The Major League Baseball First-Year Player Draft is scheduled for June 10-12. The Orioles will hold the No. 2 overall pick for the first time. They've now picked No. 1 overall twice, but never had the second pick. While there has been talk that the draft could be delayed, that is only speculation right now. At some point they will almost certainly hold a draft and it may just be beginning June 10 as scheduled. When I interviewed Baseball America national writer Carlos Collazo, who specializes...