Bucs Take Another Infielder, Kevin Kramer, at #62

Pittsburgh continued its run on infielders by selecting UCLA junior SS Kevin Kramer, 21, in the second round (#62 overall) in the draft. He lost 2014 to a medical redshirt after shoulder labrum surgery. Like the first two picks, he brings a nice hitting profile to the table, batting .323/.423/.476 with seven home runs and 34 RBIs for the Bruins.

He was originally drafted by the Indians in 2011 out of high school, but passed to join the Bruins, where he became a national champ in 2013 and All-PAC this season. He was a bit of a stretch to be taken this early. MLB.com had him pegged at #165, Baseball America at #133, and scout.com had him in the #103 slot.

Kevin Kramer (photo - UCLA.com)

Some of that may be due to coming off an injury, and some because he didn't participate in the pre-draft showcases. But Kramer does fit what appears to be the team philosophy last night of selecting infielders that are high average, high contact hitters, and he and first rounder Kevin Newman should both start in A rather than short season ball.

The Bucs spent the first night selecting guys to fill an organizational soft spot with players who should be quick, and likely underslot, signings; we'd expect the FO to look for a couple of prep pitchers today when the draft continues this afternoon.