Star quarterbacks taken high in the first-round of MLB draft

By Seth Livingstone, USA TODAY

Let the negotiating begin.

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  By Shane Bevel for USA TODAY

  The Diamondbacks chose Archie Bradley with the seventh overall pick despite his committment to play football at the University of Oklahoma.

By Shane Bevel for USA TODAY

The Diamondbacks chose Archie Bradley with the seventh overall pick despite his committment to play football at the University of Oklahoma.

The Kansas City Royals and Arizona Diamondbacks each took high-profile quarterback prospects in the first round of the Major League Baseball first-year draft Monday, hoping they can persuade them to choose a career in professional baseball over college and football.

"Now's the big-time decision ? the decision everyone wants to hear," said Archie Bradley from Broken Arrow (Okla.) High School, who has committed to play football at the University of Oklahoma.

But Bradley, who went 12-1 with an 0.29 ERA and 133 strikeouts in 71? innings this spring, couldn't contain his excitement about being selected seventh by the Diamondbacks.

"I was always talking about how I wouldn't cry in this situation," Bradley said. "But when I heard the pick, I kind of teared up a little bit. It becomes real when you hear your name (on) that (TV) screen."

The Royals simply couldn't pass up the chance to take homegrown high school outfielder Bubba Starling from Gardner-Edgerton (Kan.) High, even though he could be difficult to sign with the University of Nebraska quarterback job possibly in his future.

Starling, 6-5, is a multi-tool prospect. He's been known to dunk a basketball over much taller players and throw a football 55 yards from his knees.

The Royals like his ability to run (he rushed for 2,471 yards and 31 touchdowns as a senior) and hit a baseball more than 500 feet.

"I haven't seen anybody do what this kid can do on a football field or a basketball court and then translate it onto the diamond," said Lonnie Goldberg Kansas City's director of scouting. "We got the player we wanted. He's the most electric athlete in the draft, and he's in our backyard as well. There's not much not to like about this kid. He's competitive. He's a winner. We were real fortunate he was there."

That Starling is being advised by agent Scott Boras did not dissuade the Royals. Nor did it deter the Pirates from making Gerrit Cole the No. 1 pick overall.

The Baltimore Orioles, picking fourth, made Dylan Bundy the first high school player selected. A right-hander from Owasso, Okla., Bundy has a fastball that has been clocked at more than 100 mph. He was 11-0 with 158 strikeouts and five walks in 71 innings this season. His brother Bobby was signed by the Orioles as an eighth-round pick in 2008.

Pirates thinking:

Why did the Pirates take Gerrit Cole with the first pick?

"Cole has the size, strength, overall package of stuff and mentality to develop into a top-of-the-rotation major league starting pitcher," said Greg Smith, Pirates scouting director.

Pittsburgh is thinking pitching. The Pirates drafted promising arms in Jameson Taillon and Stetson Allie in the first round last year.

The last time the Pirates had the first pick, they took pitcher Bryan Bullington in 2002.

They also picked Kris Benson No. 1 in 1996.

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