Astros set for No. 1 pick in 2013 Draft

NEW YORK -- The Houston Astros will kick off the 2013 First-Year Player Draft with the No. 1 overall pick when Major League Baseball hosts the annual event June 6 live on MLB Network.

The Astros pick first, marking only the second time a team has held the top overall selection in consecutive years, and will be followed by the Cubs, Rockies, Twins and Indians to begin the first round. Houston selected high school shortstop Carlos Correa last summer and join the Nationals as the only team to own the first pick in two straight years -- Washington selected Stephen Strasburg and Bryce Harper in 2009 and 2010.

The first round of the Draft, which will be held at MLB Network's Studio 42 in Secaucus, N.J., will feature 33 picks. The entire Draft will be held over three days -- Rounds 3-10 will take place on Friday, June 7, beginning at 1 p.m. ET, and Rounds 11-40 will begin at 1 p.m. ET on Saturday, June 8. The proceedings on the second and third days will take place via conference call from Major League Baseball's headquarters in New York.

The Pirates, Cardinals, Rangers and Rays all have two picks in the first round while the Yankees own three selections, two of which they received after losing free agents Rafael Soriano and Nick Swisher. Pittsburgh's No. 9 overall pick was awarded after they failed to sign their first-round selection last year, Stanford's Mark Appel.

Appel figures to again be one of the first few players to be picked this year. According to MLB.com, Houston is looking at six players including Appel. The other are Oklahoma right-hander Jonathan Gray, Indiana State left-hander Sean Manaea, University of San Diego third baseman Kris Bryant and Georgia high school outfielders Clint Frazier and Austin Meadows.

The first round will be followed by the Compensation A Round, in which the Royals, Marlins, D-backs, Orioles, Reds and Tigers will round out the first 39 selections. The Astros will again select first in the second and third rounds.

The first 73 picks will be televised live on the Draft's first night, with a former player or front-office member representing each club. Some top players are also expected to attend the Draft -- in recent years, Correa, Mike Trout and Courtney Hawkins were among those present in-studio.

Fans can follow along live with MLB Network's pre-Draft coverage beginning at 6 p.m. ET on June 6.