St. Louis Cardinals Select Dylan Carlson with 33rd Pick in MLB Draft

The St. Louis Cardinals surprised most draft experts with their second selection on Thursday night.

The St. Louis Cardinals have taken high school outfielder Dylan Carlson with the 33rd pick in the 2016 MLB Draft. The Cardinals received the pick, their second of the first round, after the Cubs signed starting pitcher John Lackey, who had received a qualifying offer from the Cards. His selection followed that of shortstop Delvin Perez, who the Cardinals took at pick 23.

Carlson, a product of Elk Grove High School in California, was not even ranked among MLB Pipeline’s top 200 draft prospects this year. The 6-foot-3, 195-pound switch-hitter has experience at both first base and in the outfield, and Baseball America’s John Manuel said on MLB Network Thursday night that he projects best as a corner outfielder long-term.

The 33rd pick is valued at $1,909,500. The Cardinals will have to buy him out of a scholarship to Cal State Fullerton.