List of Arizona Diamondbacks first-round draft picks

Justin Upton, the first overall selection in 2005, was named to the 2009 All-Star Team.[1]

The Arizona Diamondbacks are a Major League Baseball franchise based in Phoenix, Arizona. The Diamondbacks compete in the National League West division. Officially known as the "First-Year Player Draft",[2] the Rule 4 Draft is Major League Baseball's primary mechanism for assigning amateur baseball players from high schools, colleges, and other amateur baseball clubs to its teams. The draft order is determined based on the previous season's standings, with the team possessing the worst record receiving the first pick.[2] In addition, teams which lost free agents in the previous off-season may be awarded compensatory or supplementary picks.[3] Since the franchise first participated in the draft in 1996, the Diamondbacks have selected 28 players in the first round. The First-Year Player Draft is unrelated to the 1997 expansion draft in which the Diamondbacks filled their roster.

Of the 28 players picked in the first round by the Diamondbacks, 15 have been pitchers, the most of any position; 11 of these have been right-handed, while 4 have been left-handed. Five players taken in the first round have been shortstops; additionally, two players have been selected at each of first base, third base, catcher, and the outfield. No second baseman has been selected in the first round by the Diamondbacks.[4] The Diamondbacks have drafted 16 players out of college, and 10 out of high school. Arizona has drafted seven players out of high schools or colleges in the state of California, with two being taken from each of Florida, Georgia, and their home state of Arizona.[4]

The Diamondbacks' 2003 selection—Carlos Quentin, who was then playing with the Chicago White Sox—won the 2008 Silver Slugger Award as one of the three best offensive outfielders in the American League.[5] The franchise has held the first-overall pick once, in 2005, when they selected Justin Upton.[4] The Diamondbacks have received twelve compensatory picks, including nine selections made in the supplemental round of the draft since the franchise's first draft in 1996.[4] These additional picks are provided when a team loses a particularly valuable free agent in the previous off-season,[3][6][V] or, more recently, if a team fails to sign a draft pick from the previous year.[7]

  1. ^ "Justin Upton Statistics and History". Baseball-Reference.com. Archived from the original on December 31, 2010. Retrieved September 7, 2010.
  2. ^ a b "First-Year Player Draft Rules". MLB.com. Archived from the original on June 5, 2011. Retrieved September 7, 2010.
  3. ^ a b McCalvy, Adam (December 1, 2008). "Brewers offer three arbitration". Brewers.MLB.com. Milwaukee Brewers. Archived from the original on June 29, 2011. Retrieved July 29, 2010.
  4. ^ a b c d Cite error: The named reference draft was invoked but never defined (see the help page).
  5. ^ "Carlos Quentin Statistics and History". Baseball-Reference.com. Archived from the original on November 6, 2010. Retrieved September 7, 2010.
  6. ^ "First-Year Player Draft FAQ". MLB.com. Archived from the original on June 6, 2011. Retrieved July 29, 2010.
  7. ^ "MLB, MLBPA reach five-year labor accord". MLB.com : Players Association. October 24, 2006. Archived from the original on June 21, 2008. Retrieved July 29, 2010.