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Trevor Bauer Signed By D-backs, First Start Saturday

The 2011 MLB Draft will be held June 6 - 8 and by all accounts features a ton of good talent. The Arizona Diamondbacks picked two strong pitching prospects 3rd and 7th overall.

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Trevor Bauer Signs With Diamondbacks, Fast Track To Majors Possible

The Arizona Diamondbacks have signed their prize pick from the 2011 MLB Draft, Trevor Bauer. Bauer was taken third overall after putting up better numbers at UCLA than his teammate, first pick Gerrit Cole. The D-backs are on the road in San Diego but they held a press conference at the ball park Monday to introduce Bauer to the local media.

Bauer reports Tuesday to Single-A Advanced Visalia and will get his first start on Saturday. He'll be limited to two innings or 40 pitches in his first start to account for all the time he's add off since last throwing for UCLA on June 4 (9 IP, 6 H, 2 BB, 1 ER). 

The terms of Bauer's deal haven't been officially disclosed but were reported to be $7 million over four years. He did allow that he would going to splurge on some "good food" but has no plans to buy a car or other expensive items.

"I wanted to sign as quickly as possible and go out and pitch," Bauer said. He was very complimentary of the Diamondback's organization and how the process has been handled.

As for his plans with the team, performance will dictate how fast he'll progress through the system.

"When you are talented as Trevor is, anything's possible," Senior Vice President, Scouting & Player Development Jerry Dipoto said. He added that giving Bauer a major league contract right away (he's on the 40-man roster) is a sign of how close he is to being able to contribute at the major league level.

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(Photo by Jody Jackson, Fox Sports Arizona via twitter)

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Arizona Diamondbacks 2011 MLB Draft Results: Full List Of 52 Players Picked

The 2011 MLB First-Year Players Draft has ended with the Arizona Diamondbacks taking a total of 52 players. The full list of picks include 37 college players, 20 right-handed pitchers, eight left-handed pitchers, 13 infielders, seven outfielders and four catchers including Steve Rodriguez who was the battery-mate of Trevor Bauer and Gerrit Cole at UCLA.

"We came out of the draft with those two arms (Trevor Bauer and Archie Bradley) at the top and we feel good about what we were able to add behind them." D-backs' Director, Scouting Ray Montgomery said.

"We feel very good about what we accomplished in the last three days. We tried to focus on pitching and middle-of-the-field-type guys because it takes pitching and defense to win. Now we are looking to get these guys signed, get their careers started and get them on their path to the big leagues."

The big names at the top of the draft will be getting multi-million dollar signing bonuses while the vast majority will be struggling to find enough money to feed themselves and pay rent in the minor league.

Here's the complete list of players picked by the Arizona Diamondbacks in the 2011 MLB Draft:

Round No. Player Pos. B-T Age Ht. Wt. School

1 3 Trevor Bauer RHP R-R 20 6-2 185 UCLA

1 7 Archie Bradley RHP R-R 18 6-3 215 Broken Arrow HS, Muskogee, Okla.

A 43 Andrew Chafin LHP R-L 20 6-2 210 Kent State University

2 63 Anthony Meo RHP R-R 21 6-2 185 Coastal Carolina University

3 93 Justin Bianco OF L-R 18 5-11 195 Peters Township HS, McMurray, Penn.

4 124 Evan Marshall RHP R-R 21 6-2 208 Kansas State University

5 154 Michael Perez C L-R 18 5-11 180 Colegio Vocacional Para Adultos HS, San Juan, PR

6 184 Matt Price RHP R-R 21 6-2 215 South Carolina University

7 214 Ben Roberts OF L-R 18 6-4 200 Sentinel HS, Missoula, Mont.

8 244 Jesse Darrah RHP L-R 21 6-2 190 Fresno Pacific University

9 274 John Leonard INF R-R 18 6-2 170 Connellsville Area Senior HS, Connellsville, Penn.

10 304 Kyle Winkler RHP R-R 20 5-11 195 Texas Christian University

11 334 Will Locante LHP L-L 21 6-0 190 Cumberland University

12 364 Joshua Parr INF R-R 21 5-11 170 University of Illinois

13 394 John Pedrotty LHP L-L 21 6-4 220 College of the Holy Cross

14 424 Cody Geyer RHP R-R 19 5-11 215 Walters State CC, Morristown, Tenn.

15 454 Steven Rodriguez C L-R 21 6-1 200 UCLA

16 484 Michael Blake LHP L-L 20 5-11 190 University of Hawaii

17 514 Adam Choplick LHP R-L 18 6-9 250 Billy Ryan HS, Denton, Texas

18 544 Taylor Siemens LHP L-L 21 6-5 200 California Baptist University

19 574 Danny Pulfer INF R-R 21 5-9 190 University of Oregon

20 604 Tommy Williams INF R-R 18 6-2 175 Palm Beach Gardens HS, Palm Beach Gardens, Fla.

21 634 Jonathan Griffin INF R-R 22 6-6 245 University of Central Florida

22 664 Garrett Weber INF R-R 22 5-11 185 Fresno State University

23 694 Ryan Court INF R-R 23 6-2 225 Illinois State University

24 724 Matt Ogden RHP R-R 18 6-3 190 Smoky Hill HS, Aurora, Colo.

25 754 Brett Williams OF R-R 20 6-0 182 North Carolina State University

26 784 Austin Platt RHP R-R 19 6-3 190 No School

27 814 Wyatt Strahan RHP R-R 18 6-3 190 Villa Park HS, Villa Park, Calif.

28 844 Matt Sample RHP R-R 22 6-5 200 Rogers State University

29 874 Carter Bell INF R-R 20 6-1 195 Oregon State University

30 904 Dexter Price RHP R-R 20 6-7 220 University of South Carolina Beaufort

31 934 Matt Jensen INF R-R 21 5-10 190 Cal Poly - San Luis Obispo

32 964 Alex Vetter RHP R-R 19 6-7 205 Feather River College

33 994 Anthony Banda LHP L-L 17 6-3 175 Sinton HS, Sinton, Texas

34 1024 Zachary Jones C R-R 22 6-0 185 Stanford University

35 1054 Ross Gerdeman RHP R-R 21 6-3 210 Bowling Green State University

36 1084 Bryan Henry C R-R 21 6-3 220 Keystone College

37 1114 Elroy Urbina LHP L-L 21 6-1 180 University of the Incarnate Word

38 1144 Kerry Jenkins OF R-R 22 6-1 210 San Jose State University

39 1174 Chris Ellison OF L-R 22 6-2 189 University of Oklahoma

40 1204 Seth Simmons RHP R-R 22 5-9 170 East Carolina University

41 1234 Michael Cederoth RHP R-R 18 6-6 195 Steele Canyon HS, Spring Valley, Calif.

42 1264 Tyler Bream INF R-R 21 6-3 210 Liberty University

43 1294 Alex Capaul RHP R-R 22 6-2 210 University of Hawaii

44 1324 Derek Luciano INF L-R 22 6-2 195 University of Central Florida

45 1354 James Lane OF R-R 17 5-11 180 Coral Shores HS, Tavernier, Fla.

46 1384 Joseph Loftus OF R-R 21 6-3 210 Vanderbilt University

47 1414 Tucker Ward RHP R-R 19 6-5 230 UMS Wright Prep School, Mobile, Ala.

48 1444 Raymond Hernandez RHP R-R 22 6-1 190 Cal State Fullerton

49 1474 Jacob Williams INF S-L 20 6-1 190 South Mountain CC, Phoenix, Ariz.

50 1504 David Masters INF R-R 18 6-1 185 Timberland HS, Wentzville, Missouri

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2011 MLB Draft Results: 15 More Pitchers For D-backs On Day 2

The second and third days of the MLB Draft can be mind numbing affairs. There are a lot of guys drafted who will never be heard from again. But at least for now, it's their big day and they get to say for the rest of their lives that they were drafted in the 2011 MLB Draft by the Arizona Diamondbacks. 

There were 28 picks made by the D-backs after the top four arms (Bauer, Bradley, Chafin, Meo). Of those 15 are pitchers which just backs up what Kevin Towers said about pitching being the key to the game. 

Here's a full list of players drafted by the Diamondbacks in Rounds 3-30 via MLB.com (pick, name, school, position, height, weight, birthday, class year):

93 Bianco, Justin Peters Township HS (PA) CF L/R 5'11" 1992-08-24 HS
124 Marshall, Evan Kansas State RHP R/R 6'02" 208 1990-04-18 JR
154 Perez, Michael Colegio Vocacional Para Adultos C L/R 5'11" 180 1992-08-07 HS
184 Price, Matt South Carolina RHP R/R 6'02" 215 1989-09-08 JR
214 Roberts, Ben Sentinel HS (MT) CF L/R 6'04" 1992-09-07 HS
244 Darrah, Jesse Fresno Pacific U RHP L/R 6'02" 190 1990-03-28 JR
274 Leonard, John Connellsville Area School (PA) SS R/R 6'02" 170 1992-06-25 HS
304 Winkler, Kyle Texas Christian RHP R/R 5'11" 195 1990-06-18 JR
334 Locante, William Cumberland University LHP L/L 6'00" 190 1990-02-02 JR
364 Parr, Joshua University of Illinois SS R/R 5'11" 170 1989-09-11 JR
394 Pedrotty, John Col of The Holy Cross LHP L/L 6'04" 220 1989-11-28 JR
424 Geyer, Cody Walters State CC RHP R/R 5'11" 215 1992-05-04 J1
454 Rodriguez, Steven UCLA C L/R 6'01" 1990-01-08 JR
484 Blake, Michael Hawaii LHP L/L 5'11" 190 1990-08-04 JR
514 Choplick, Adam Billy Ryan HS (TX) LHP R/L 6'09" 250 1992-11-18 HS
544 Siemens, Taylor California Baptist University LHP L/L 6'05" 200 1989-07-01 SR
574 Pulfer, J. Oregon 2B R/R 5'09" 1990-02-16 JR
604 Williams, Tommy Palm Beach Gardens HS (FL) SS R/R 6'02" 1993-03-11 HS
634 Griffin, John U Central Florida 1B R/R 6'06" 245 1989-04-29 SR
664 Weber, Garrett Fresno St U SS R/R 5'11" 185 1989-03-29 SR
694 Court, Ryan Illinois State 3B R/R 6'02" 1988-05-28 5S
724 Ogden, Matt Smoky Hill HS (CO) RHP R/R 6'03" 190 1992-09-18 HS
754 Williams, George North Carolina St U OF R/R 6'00" 182 1990-06-23 SR
784 Platt, Austin No School RHP R/R 6'03" 190 1992-03-05 NS
814 Strahan, Wyatt Villa Park HS (CA) RHP R/R 6'03" 190 1993-04-18 HS
844 Sample, Truman Rogers State RHP R/R 6'05" 200 1988-08-16 SR
874 Bell, Carter Oregon State 3B R/R 6'01" 195 1990-06-12 JR
904 Price, Dexter University of South Carolina Beaufort RHP R/R 6'07" 220 1990-08-08 JR

For more on the 2011 MLB Draft, visit AZ Snake Pit for in-depth coverage of theArizona Diamondbacks and SB Nation's Baseball Nation for national draft coverage.

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MLB Draft Results: Anthony Meo Picked By Diamondbacks In 2nd Round

The Arizona Diamondbacks continue to load up on arms in the 2011 MLB Draft. They've now selected four pitchers with their first four picks. Anthony Meo joins Trevor Bauer, Archie Bradley and Andrew Chafin as the team looks to replenish it's farm system with young talent.

Meo is a college junior out of Coastal Carolina where he put up impressive numbers:

2011 season 10-3 with a 2.16 earned run average and an impressive 115-to-31 strikeout-to-walk ratio over 108 1/3 innings. Over his last six starts, Meo went 5-0 with a 1.20 ERA and 52 strikeouts in 45 innings - a stretch that included the first no-hitter in Big South tournament history and a clutch performance against Connecticut in the Chants' NCAA regional opener last Friday.

ESPN baseball analyst Keith Law watched Meo pitch this spring and was impressed:

Based on what he showed over the first few innings, he looks extremely likely to go in the first round, probably in the top 20-25, as long as he maintains this type of stuff. Meo sat 93-96 in his outing, and there was more 96 than 93 to it.

The pitch doesn't have great life but he showed some ability to get on top of the ball and drive it down to the lower half of the zone... He paired it with a hard, intermittently plus slider at 86-90 that, when it was on, had very sharp, late bite, although most of the swings and misses on the pitch were on sliders out of the zone. 

Meo could be a starter but seems destined to be a reliever unless he can add a third and possibly fourth pitch. He's listed at 6-2, 185 and is 21-years-old.

Here's a video scouting report from MLB.com.


For more on the 2011 MLB Draft, visit AZ Snake Pit for in-depth coverage of theArizona Diamondbacks and SB Nation's Baseball Nation for national draft coverage.

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MLB Draft: Diamondbacks Select Tommy John Survivor, Andrew Chafin With 43rd Pick

Arizona Diamondbacks GM Kevin Towers was asked if the team would be taking more pitchers after they had already used their first two picks on right-handers Trevor Bauer and Archie Bradley. 

"We're going to take the best talent," Towers said. "It's a pitching-rich draft. I think there's still a lot of arms still up on the board...You can never have enough good pitching."

True to his word, the Diamondbacks used their 43rd overall pick on  left-handed pitcher Andrew Chafin from Kent State. Chafin, a 6-2, 210-pound left-hander, went 8-1 with a 2.02 ERA and 2 complete game shutouts with 23 walks and 105 strikeouts in 14 games (12 starts) with Kent State this season.

Chafin has already done something in his career a lot of pitchers only wish for. He successfully came back from Tommy John elbow surgery. He went under the knife in 2009 and 16 months later was back on the mound. In his first game back his fastball had improved to 95 mph and he threw eight straight strikes. He finished his final year at Kent State with 105 strikeouts to only 23 walks and an ERA of 2.02.

MLB.com video recap:


For more on the 2011 MLB Draft, visit AZ Snake Pit for in-depth coverage of theArizona Diamondbacks and SB Nation's Baseball Nation for national draft coverage.

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Trevor Bauer Brings Plenty Of Weapons To The Mound

Have you ever wondered why a young pitcher wouldn't develop multiple pitches instead of just focusing on two or three? If there are so many ways to throw a ball, why not learn them all? Trevor Bauer, the Arizona Diamondbacks third-overall pick in the 2011 MLB Draft, clearly had the same question. 

Bauer is known as a baseball intellectual who's studies the game and the art of pitching from every angle. He's got a similar frame as Tim Lincecum so he modeled his mechanics on those of the two-time Cy Young winner. You can see it clearly in their similar mechanics in this video of Lincecum and this one of Bauer.

Trevor started working with his pitching coach when he was ten-years-old and that dedication has clearly paid off.

"I throw a four-seam fastball. I throw two variations of the curve ball, two variations of a slider, two variations of a change-up, a split-finger fastball, and two variations of a reverse slider which is kind of a cross between a two-seam fastball and a screwball. It's a little bit slower than a sinking fastball and it's a little bit faster than a screwball. It kind of has a left-handed cut fastball action to it," Bauer explained.

"It's six different pitches with slight variations on most of them, four out of six. I like to pitch with my off-speed stuff. It's always been a strength of mine.  The things about having a repertoire that deep is that every night you have something to go to. If this pitch isn't working you can pitch with that pitch. I feel like every time I'm out there I have at least three pitches going. There's some days I go out there and all six of them are working really well. Those are the fun days but I feel like I give myself a chance to compete even on days when 50 percent of them are working because I have so many different variations."

To top that off, he's modeled his pitch sequencing on Roy Halladay and Cliff Lee. You can see why the Diamondbacks love him so much.


For more on the 2011 MLB Draft, visit AZ Snake Pit for in-depth coverage of theArizona Diamondbacks and SB Nation's Baseball Nation for national draft coverage.

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Arizona Diamondbacks Confident They Can Sign Picks Trevor Bauer And Archie Bradley

The Arizona Diamondbacks front office couldn't repress their smiles just moments after drafting two right-handed pitches with the third and seventh overall picks in the 2011 MLB Draft. Trevor Bauer, a junior from UCLA, comes to the D-backs with incredible numbers. Archie Bradley, a two-sport start from Oklahoma is equally considered an impact prospect.

Bauer was described as "the most dominant college pitcher in our memories" by Senior Vice President, Scouting And Player Development Jerry Dipoto. Dipoto said the team's area scout first identified Bauer at the age of twelve and watched everyone of his starts with the UCLA Bruins.

Bauer was named Collegiate Baseball's National Player of the Year, Pac-10 Pitcher of the Year and is a semifinalist for the USA Baseball Golden Spikes Award after posting a 13-2 record, 1.25 ERA and NCAA-best 203 strikeouts in 16 starts this season for UCLA. The three-time All-Pac-10 selection has thrown 10 complete games this year, including nine straight to end the season after April 9, and led all conference pitchers in ERA, strikeouts, innings pitched (136.2) and opponent's batting average (.154).

Dipoto, a former pitcher who's been around the game for 30 years, paid Bauer this compliment, "Every time I go watch this guy pitch I feel like I learn something more about pitching. He's a pretty unique talent, so we're thrilled to have him."

Archie Bradley is a two-sport star which is appealing to GM Kevin Towers. The  team has had discussions with Bradley about his decision to sign with the D-backs or accept a scholarship to play quarterback at Oklahoma. 

"We have every faith that we are going to get these guys signed, get them in the organization, and develop them properly," DiPoto said.

The team wasn't willing to set timetables on either Bauer or Bradley and deflected questions about reports that Bauer could pitch as soon as this season for the big league team. The first priority will be to get the players signed and the timing of that will dictate where and when they play. They emphasized that neither player would be rushed but suggested the Bauer especially wouldn't be a guy they expect to spend too much time in the minor leagues.

"We're hopefully going to get him signed, get him out there and put him in a circumstance where we allow him toward the big leagues as quick as he's able and make an impact on our big league club. Whether that's 2012, 2012, I can't say until we get him into our system but our plan for Trevor Bauer is not to carve through the minor leagues one year at a time."

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Arizona Diamondbacks Senior Vice President, Scouting And Player Development Jerry Dipoto addresses the media after the team selected Trevor Bauer and Archie Bradley in the first round of the 2011 MLB Draft.

For more on the 2011 MLB Draft, visit AZ Snake Pit for in-depth coverage of theArizona Diamondbacks and SB Nation's Baseball Nation for national draft coverage.

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MLB Draft Tracker: Arizona Diamondbacks Select Archie Bradley, RHP, Broken Arrow HS (OK)

After selecting perhaps the safest prospect in UCLA pitcher Trevor Bauer with the third pick in the 2011 MLB Draft, the Arizona Diamondbacks stick to bolstering the pitching in their organization with the seventh pick and select high school right-hander Archie Bradley out of Broken Arrow HS in Oklahoma. 

Archie Bradley is another two-sport star who, like Bubba Starling, is going to have to choose between baseball and playing quarterback for a Big 12 school. Bradley, 18-years-old from Tulsa, Oklahoma, has already committed to the University of Oklahoma and will have to decide if being a Sooner for a few years is worth more than the multi-million dollar contract he's now facing. This is an interesting pick considering this pick is a compensation pick and if the team cannot sign Bradley, they don't get another one.

Bradley is a prototypical young power pitcher who's been compared to Brad Penny. He's already 6-foot-4 and 225 lbs and certainly will get bigger over the next few years as he puts on some man-weight.  His fastball is in the mid 90's but he's touched 100 mph and his curveball is already an outpitch with a sharp 12-to-6 drop. Unlike some of the other top pitching prospects, Bradley is currently a two-pitch guy. His changeup is a work in progress and his command is what you might expect from a young hurler.

This kid has a lot of upside but isn't quite as major-league ready as some of the other arms in the top 10 of the 2011 MLB Draft although some scouts say he could reach the majors by age 20.

Bradley is friends with the other top high school prospect from Oklahoma, Dylan Bundy. Bundy's dad even helped Bradley with his mechanics as he transitioned back from football to baseball early in the spring season.

"In my mind, I see myself as one of those guys who hits 100 consistently," he said, mentioning Justin Verlander, Aroldis Chapman and Joel Zumaya. "If I put the work in that I'm doing now and do it consistently instead of picking up a football - if I stay focused on baseball, I could be one of those guys, throwing 96-100 every outing."

The Cleveland Indians are next in the MLB Draft with the eighth pick.

For more on the 2011 MLB Draft, visit AZ Snake Pit for in-depth coverage of theArizona Diamondbacks and SB Nation's Baseball Nation for national draft coverage.

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MLB Draft Tracker: Trevor Bauer Goes Third To Arizona Diamondbacks

The Arizona Diamondbacks are the first team ever to have two picks in the top seven of the MLB Draft. With their first pick, third overall, they selected Trevor Bauer, right-handed pitcher from UCLA. Bauer is extremely polished and according to ESPN's Buster Olney could even pitch in the big leagues in the 2011 season.

Trevor Bauer has been a sensational pitcher, but succeeding in the shadow of the attention of his highly touted teammate, Gerrit Cole (selected 1st overall, Pittsburgh). He holds the Bruins team record for wins (33) and strikeouts (433). He was 12-2 in 2011, was Pac-10 Pitcher of the Year and led the nation in innings pitched (127 2/3), strikeouts (189) and strikeouts per nine innings (13.7).

In a draft where his teammate is the flashy pick, Bauer could be seen as one of the safest and is projected to be selected in the top 10 of the draft, some having him as early as number four to the Baltimore Orioles.

He has several pitches - a four-seam fastball in the 90-95 mph range, two curveballs, a slider, a backdoor slider, a splitter and a circle change. All his pitches are rated from average to plus. His delivery is compared to Tim Lincecum.

His one knock seems to go contrary to his history. Teams may have some concern for his future durability because of the workload he has had on college. Bauer isn't a big guy, just 6-foot-1, 175 pounds. He will not come with the fanfare that Cole will when he makes the big leagues, but he should make a fine addition at the top of any rotation for years to come.

Twitter / @Buster Olney: By the way: If Arizona tak ...
By the way: If Arizona takes Bauer at No. 3, there is a chance he will pitch in the big leagues this year.

Baltimore Orioles are up next with the fourth pick in the 2011 MLB Draft.

For more on the 2011 MLB Draft, visit AZ Snake Pit for in-depth coverage of the Arizona Diamondbacks and SB Nation's Baseball Nation for national draft coverage.

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2011 MLB Draft Schedule, TV Coverage, Online Stream, And Draft Order

The 2011 MLB Draft is scheduled to start on Monday, June 6 at 7:00 p.m. ET / 4:00 p.m. PT with Round 1 of the First-Year Player Draft. This year's draft is widely considered one of the better and deeper crops of talent in the last few years. TV coverage of the first round of the draft will be provided by the MLB Network on cable and satellite television and live online streaming will be available on MLB.com who has a fantastic Draft Central page set up.

Rounds 2-30 of the MLB First-Year Player Draft starts at 12:00 p.m. ET / 9:00 a.m. PT on Tuesday, June 7 and Rounds 31-50 at the same time on Wednesday, June 8. There does not appear to be any TV coverage of Rounds 2-50.

There's several pitchers slated at the top of most mock drafts that could help teams in the coming years and a couple of position players as well. UCLA RHP Gerrit Cole is at the top of several draft boards but by no means is a consensus first pick. Other top arms include Dylan Bundy and Danny Hultzen Infielder Anthony Rendon and outfielder Bubba Starling are the top position players.

SB Nation Arizona will provide timely coverage of every pick in the top ten and will be on-hand for any media availability with the Diamondbacks front office. The Diamondbacks have both the third and seventh overall picks and will operating their draft war room out of their new Spring Training facility at Salt River Fields.

AZ Snake Pit has a primer to the MLB Draft that explains everything from the process to Diamondback team needs. They will have additional draft information such as history of top picks and other useful information in the coming days.

Here's the top ten picks in the 2011 MLB Draft. (Click here for full draft order).

1. Pittsburgh Pirates
2. Seattle Mariners
3. Arizona Diamondbacks
4. Baltimore Orioles
5. Kansas City Royals
6. Washington Nationals
7. Arizona Diamondbacks (for unsigned 2010 first-round pick Barret Loux)
8. Cleveland Indians
9. Chicago Cubs
10. San Diego Padres (for failure to sign 2010 first-round pick Karsten Whitson)

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