With the second overall pick in the draft, the Astros have selected shortstop Alex Bregman out of LSU. Bregman, 21, was projected to go anywhere between the second and seventh pick in the draft, so his selection at this early juncture was widely expected.
In three seasons in Baton Rouge, Bregman hit .336/.410/.518 with 21 home runs and 146 RBI, winning the National Freshman of the Year award in 2013 after a monster season in which he hit .369/.417/.546 with six home runs. He was previously drafted by the Red Sox in the 29th round of the 2012 draft out of high school, but declined to sign and instead excelled as one of the best players in the nation for the Tigers. Bregman is one of four finalists for the Golden Spikes Award, college baseball's top honor, and will find out if he is the recipient on June 23.
According to his scouting report on MLB.com, Bregman is an excellent right-handed hitter with quick bat speed and control of the strike zone, in addition to being an average baserunner and an average-to-above-average fielder at shortstop. He is most frequently compared to Dustin Pedroia due to his height (6-feet) and style of play, and some believe that he will eventually become a second baseman in the pros.
For the Astros, the addition of Bregman is an interesting one because the team has Jose Altuve and recent call-up Carlos Correa as long-term options in the middle infield. Bregman profiles as a shortstop in the big leagues, so Houston will have great depth at the position going forward with two top-two-overall picks in the mix at shortstop.