Aiken selected No. 1 overall in 2014 Draft

NEW YORK -- Brady Aiken made history from his couch Thursday night.

The 17-year-old pitcher from Cathedral Catholic High School in San Diego was selected by the Houston Astros as the No. 1 overall pick in the 2014 First-Year Player Draft, becoming just the third high school left-hander to be taken as the top pick.

"We found out on TV, we were going back and forth and we just found out and it was a crazy moment," Aiken said. "It's been a fun experience and this whole thing is just crazy."

Texas high school right-hander Tyler Kolek was selected second overall by the Marlins, while the White Sox picked North Carolina State lefty Carlos Rodon at No. 3. The Cubs made the Draft's first surprise when they grabbed Indiana catcher Kyle Schwarber fourth before the Twins took Florida high school shortstop Nick Gordon, the brother of Dee Gordon and the son of Major League veteran Tom Gordon, at No. 5.

Aiken features a 94-mph fastball and said he's modeled his game after Rays ace David Price.

"I think he's going to be a front end starter in the big leagues," said Major League veteran Al Leiter. "He has a good curveball. This is a nice pick."

David Clyde (Texas Rangers, 1973) and Brien Taylor (New York Yankees, 1991) are the only other high school left-handers to be selected No. 1 overall in Draft history.

"He's the most advanced high school pitcher I have seen in my entire career," Astros general manager Jeff Luhnow said. "We've been following Brady Aiken for a while now and we feel that he is a young, dynamic, high-upside, left-handed pitcher. I couldn't be more excited for the Houston Astros and their future by adding this player to what already is a very strong system." 

Houston, which had the No. 1 overall pick for the third straight year, added to its already deep system with Aiken, who had committed to UCLA but will likely sign with the Astros.

"I'm just ready to move forward and see what the Astros have in store for me," Aiken said. "I'm really excited. I want to say thank you to all my family and friends. It's really an honor to be drafted by the Astros, it really means a lot."

The Houston system now includes former No. 1 overall picks Carlos Correa and Mark Appel, as well as prospects like Mike Foltynewicz, Lance McCullers, Vince Velasquez and Domingo Santana.

Aiken said he went on a mission to position himself as the Draft's top prospect with a winter of hard work and focused drills.

"When I got back from Taiwan, I sat down with my advisor and trainer and parents. I had the goal to be the best player in the country," Aiken said. "It's a lot of hard work, a lot of early mornings. That truly paid off for me in this spring season, it's been fun, it's been a great experience."

Kolek, a right-hander from Sheperd High School in Sheperd, Texas, is a 6-foot-5, 245-pound 18-year-old who has verbally committed to TCU.

"We didn't really see any red flags," Marlins vice president of scouting Stan Meek told MLB.com. "We spent a lot of hours on him. We helped the economy in Shepherd, Texas."

Kolek alone will get a nice payday -- the slot money for the No. 2 selection is $6.8 million.

"We met with the family in January," Meek said. "We spent upwards of 100 hours on him, with all the flights in and out of there. All the things you need to do. When you're picking that high, you sure want to feel good about everything about the player. Not just the on-field performance, but how he handles himself around the field, how he handles himself around his teammates. 

"We worked through a lot of things," Meek said. "We had it down to six guys we liked, then down to four. The last couple of days, we just settled on [Kolek]."

Rodon was viewed as the Draft's top collegiate arm and entered the day ranked as the No. 2 prospect by MLB.com. The 6-foot-3 lefty, represented by Scott Boras, previously led NC State to the College World Series and was drafted three years ago by the Brewers in the 16th round of the 2011 Draft. He features a 96-mph fastball, a power slider, and like Aiken, has also drawn comparisons to Price.

"He's an aggressive kid. He's a tough-nosed kid," White Sox scouting director Nick Hostetler said. "He's a very ... I don't know if bulldog is the right word, but he's in charge. You know he's in charge. When he's on the mound, he takes the ball and he controls the game. He's like that on the field, off the field. He's got a makeup that a manager is going to love running out there every fifth day."

Schwarber, a catcher from Indiana, was viewed by many to be the top college power bat in the Draft class after hitting .358 with 14 homers this past season. A Reds fan growing up, Schwarber said he's modeled his game after Joey Votto. He was ranked as the No. 16 prospect by MLB.com entering the evening.

"He does everything that we like from an offensive standpoint in terms of controlling the strike zone, hitting for average, hitting for power," Jason McLeod, the Cubs' senior vice president of scouting and player development, told MLB.com. "His makeup is off the charts."

Gordon, a left-handed shortstop from Olympia High School in Orlando, Florida, said he's ready to earn bragging rights in a family full of Major League talent.

"It's a blessing, I'm so thankful right now," said Gordon, who was at MLB Network along with several other Draft prospects. "[Dee's] gonna say, 'That Twins jersey will look good on you.' But it's on, it's a competition."

Dee Gordon was a Dodgers fourth-round pick in 2008, while his father, Tom, was a sixth-rounder in 1986.

"This is a proud moment. It's hard to describe," Tom Gordon told ESPN. "I have nothing but pride and pure joy for my boys."

At #MLBDraft @MichaelChavis11 @Jake_Gatewood2 @NickyG_IV @GHolmes_14 Monte Harrison & Derek Hill...where's Kody? pic.twitter.com/gHDV8Q4BlQ

- MLB Network (@MLBNetwork) June 5, 2014

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