When the 2018 MLB Draft opened last night at 7:00 p.m., could the Rays have expected to be able to draft the players they did with their first three picks? Let’s break down the Rays’ five picks.
Rd. 1, #16 – Matthew Liberatore, LHP – Mountain Ridge (AZ) High School
Perhaps one of the bigger surprises of the night, high school lefty Matthew Liberatore dropped to the Tampa Bay Rays with the 16th pick. This is a highly regarded starting pitcher who most scouts and draft analysts had as a sure top ten, including MLB.com’s Jonathan Mayo and Jim Callis.