The Astros take George Springer at No. 11 overall, so after four pitchers to start the draft, six of the last eight selections have been hitters.

Springer just got compared to Hunter Pence on MLB Network by John Hart, but Springer has been considered the Best Athlete in the draft among college players, and he's a center fielder, not a right fielder. Springer has big power and speed but also has had some swing and miss. He had an up-and-down season this year but cut down on his strikeouts and was hitting .350/.458/.628 with 35 walks and 38 strikeouts entering Monday's regional final at Clemson. He also had 31 stolen bases.

Springer fits the Astros' template of middle-of-the-diamond athletes, but was thought to have been sliding later in the first round. He wound up going ahead of teammate Matt Barnes, who is still on the board.