MLB Draft 2017: Day 2 and 3 notables

While the large majority of the players who go on to play in the major leagues are drafted on the first day of the MLB Draft, the second and third days certainly provide their fair share of intrigue. Baseball’s draft is unlike any other sport’s in that it lasts 40 rounds, so plenty of players with notable relatives or heartwarming stories are drafted, and a few players (looking at you, Johnny Manziel) are selected strictly for entertainment purposes.

Here are some of the most interesting players selected on the second and third days of this year’s MLB Draft:

RHP Blayne Enlow, Twins, 3rd round—Enlow was an interesting second-day pick simply because he was so highly-regarded going into the draft. He was ranked 27th by Baseball America and 29th by MLB.com, yet he somehow fell to pick 76, naturally leading to questions about whether he’s destined to honor his commitment to LSU.

SS Cash Case, Reds, 4th round—The shortstop from Florida arguably has the best name of any player drafted this year, and he’ll earn a case of cash (at least by the standards of most hard-working Americans) if he chooses to sign with Cincinnati, as he’s slotted to earn a signing bonus of $501,900.

RHP Tyler Buffett, Reds, 6th round—Though he’s unsure of their exact relation, Buffett is a distant relative of billionaire Warren Buffett and had dinner with him in Omaha when Oklahoma State reached the College World Series last summer.

1B Jake Adams, Astros, 6th round—While the 6-foot-2, 250-pound Adams will likely be limited to first base as a pro and saw his draft stock dip as a result, he led Division I with 29 home runs this season.

OF Chase Pinder, Cardinals, 7th round—The Cardinals swiped right on Pinder, the brother of A’s rookie Chad Pinder, in the seventh round.

1B Kacy Clemens, Blue Jays, 8th round—Kacy became the second of Roger Clemens’ four sons to be drafted by a major-league team, going to one of Roger’s former clubs on Tuesday. He follows older brother Koby, who was drafted by the Astros in 2005 and bounced around the minors for eight seasons.

Dodgers picks Zach Pop (7th round) and Connor Strain (9th round)—It’s fitting that the team which has found ways to utilize the disabled list more creatively than ever before in 2017 selected two pitchers whose last names represent the two worst things that can happen to a pitcher’s elbow.

RHP Trey Turner, Nationals, 10th round—With a guy named Trea Turner already starring at shortstop for the Nats, things could get really confusing in Washington.

RHP Cole Bellinger, Padres, 15th round—Bellinger has a lot of ground to make up to become the most accomplished baseball player in the family, as his father, Clay, was a utility player for the Yankees and Angels during the early 2000s, and his brother Cody is the presumptive favorite for the NL Rookie of the Year Award.

OF Chris Singleton, Cubs, 19th round—Singleton might be the best story of this year’s draft, as he persevered to star at Charleston Southern University after losing his mother, Sharonda, in the tragic Charleston church massacre back in 2015.

RHP Jake Cousins, Nationals, 20th round—The Nats’ 20th-round selection will have trouble becoming the most notable athlete with the name “Cousins” in D.C., as he’s the cousin of Redskins quarterback Kirk Cousins.

RHP Janson Junk, Yankees, 22nd round—This is another one of the great names in this draft class. It’d be a nice touch if he relied on a knuckleball rather than a high-90s fastball.

3B Colby Bortles, Tigers, 22nd round—Bortles, a slugging third baseman who enjoyed an outstanding four-year career at Ole Miss, is the brother of Jaguars quarterback Blake Bortles.

SS Nick Valaika, Pirates, 24th round—Valaika’s parents have now produced four MLB draftees, as his brothers Chris, Matt, and Pat—a current member of the Rockies—were all drafted before him.

SS Preston Grand Pre, Dodgers, 24th round—While it would’ve been ideal if he spelled his last name as “Grand Prix,” Grand Pre still has one of the best names in this year’s draft and kind of sounds like he should’ve been a character in The Great Gatsby.

Darren Baker, Nationals, 27th round—While he’s still just 18 years old and will probably end up honoring his commitment to Cal, this is an opportunity for all of us who remember his near-disastrous experience as a three-year-old bat boy in the 2002 World Series to feel old.

OF Zach Jarrett, Orioles, 28th round—Jarrett, a product of UNC Charlotte, is the son of NASCAR Hall of Famer Dale Jarrett.

RHP Cole Percival, Diamondbacks, 31st round—Percival, the son of four-time All-Star closer Troy Percival, stands to be much bigger than his 6-foot-3, 200-pound dad, as he’s already 6-foot-6 and 180 pounds at the age of 18. He’ll almost certainly honor a commitment to play for his dad at UC Riverside.

OF Edmond Americaan, Rangers, 34th round—It’d be a major disappointment if there was anyone more patriotic in the draft than this guy.

OF Ronell Coleman, Tigers, 34th round—Coleman wins the Jose Altuve Award as the smallest player in this year’s draft, as he’s listed at just 5-foot-5 and 140 pounds.

RHP Riley Crean, White Sox, 35th round—Crean is the rare draftee who is related to multiple non-baseball-related celebrities. He’s the son of former Indiana basketball coach Tom Crean and the nephew of Michigan football coach Jim Harbaugh.

SS Trei Cruz, Astros, 35th round—As anyone could probably infer if they thought about his first name long enough, Cruz has a chance to be a third-generation pro, following grandfather Jose Cruz Sr., who played in the majors for 19 seasons, and father Jose Cruz Jr., who spent 12 years in the big leagues.

SS Tyler Coolbaugh, Orioles, 36th round—The son of Baltimore hitting coach Scott Coolbaugh will presumably get a shot in the Orioles organization now that he’s wrapped up his collegiate career at Angelo State University.

LHP Rio Gomez, Red Sox, 36th round—Gomez, who recently finished his redshirt senior season at the University of Arizona, is the son of longtime ESPN reporter Pedro Gomez.

Joe and Josh Breaux, 36th round—The Breaux brothers, both of whom played at McLennan Community College, were taken within nine picks of each other in Round 36. Joe, an outfielder, was taken by the Phillies at pick 1,073, while Josh, a catcher, was drafted by the Astros with the 1,081st selection.

LHP Peyton Glavine, Angels, 37th round—The son of Hall of Fame left-hander Tom Glavine will likely head to Auburn in hopes of boosting his draft stock after being selected late on Day 3.

SS Jake Boone, Nationals, 38th round—Though he’s set to attend Princeton in the fall, Boone has a chance to be a fourth-generation major-leaguer someday, as great-grandfather Ray, grandfather Bob, and father Bret all played in the big leagues.

3B Daniel Alfonzo, Mets, 38th round—Alfonzo is the son of former Mets infielder Edgardo Alfonzo.

Adam Groesbeck, Braves, 38th round—Groesbeck, who played four seasons at the United States Air Force Academy, will be an interesting story to follow. He hit .410 for the Falcons this year and could join the Braves organization after a stint as a drone pilot in the Air Force.

Chance King, White Sox, 39th round—The most interesting celebrity connection was saved for last. King, a graduate of IMG Academy, is the son of longtime CNN talk show host Larry King.