MLB

For the Houston Astros, day two of Major League Baseball’s 2010 First-Year Player Draft began with selections No. 58 and No. 90 (before a plethora of picks in rounds 4-30) shortly after noon ET on Tuesday, June 8.

So how did Houston score in the second day of the draft?

Let’s begin by taking a look at their first few choices (rounds two, three, and four) and what the future may hold for those players.

Overall, I’d give the Astros a B for their picks in day two of the MLB Draft.

In basketball, the transition from college to the NBA is said to be the hardest for point guards.  

In football, with the exception of great talents, it's difficult for quarterbacks to come straight into the league and get a taste of success.

In baseball, evaluating talent, especially young talent, is just as, if not more difficult. There will always be exceptional athletes who make grown men plays [insert whatever Mark Jackson joke you'd like here]. 

If you are reading this article, you most likely have been looking forward to Stephen Strasburg's debut. Well, if you can't get to a television, you are in luck as I will provide in-depth analysis on Strasburg every time he takes the mound. Check back between innings for the latest updates.

Here goes.

1st inning

Round Three

Norman (Blake) Forsythe, C, University of Tennessee

At Christian Brothers High School in Memphis, Tennessee, he earned both All-Region and All-American honors from the American Baseball Coaches Association after his senior season. He was an All-State pick both his junior and senior seasons.

Here’s a list of the first 18 players selected by the Twins in this year’s  MLB draft from mlb.com, which may grow as the Twins continue to draft players. 

The players selected thus far look like what we’ve come to expect from the Twins: a lot of college pitchers and athletic high school position players.

With the seventh overall selection in the 2010 baseball draft the New York Mets select… Matt Harvey.

RHP Matt Harvey, a North Carolina product was selected by the Mets yesterday, marking the first time since the drafting of Mike Pelfrey in 2004 that they have drafted someone in which they think they can make a star out of.

The 21-year old Harvey is almost an exact replica of Mike Pelfrey the way he plays the game, 6-4, 225 pounds, and a hard fastball that top’s out at 98 MPH, Harvey will need to develop more off speed stuff to become a prominent big leaguer.

Second Round (74 overall) Jarrett Parker OF Virginia:   Parker actually hit better his sophomore year than he did this year.  In 2009 he hit .355 with a 1.114 OPS.  Both numbers fell this year to .338 and 1.033, which is probably why he fell to the bottom of the second round.

The New York Mets drafted the son of former Major Leaguer Greg Vaughn.

Cory Vaughn is a power hitting outfielder for San Diego State. Cory has good size like his father—6'3" and 225 lbs. Vaughn could be a good replacement for Carlos Beltran when he becomes a free agent next year.

Ever since the Washington Nationals signed number one overall pick Stephen Strasburg in August 2009 with a record $15.1 million rookie contract, the hype machine has been on full power. 

Strasburg has been compared to everyone from Randy Johnson to Nolan Ryan, thanks to his blazing 102 MPH fastball and a 7-2 record in the minors with a 1.30 ERA. He has been praised as being the savior of Washington and every MLB fan (including myself) has been anxiously awaiting his debut.

Stephen Strasburg will make his MLB debut at 7:05 ET Tuesday in perhaps the most exciting Washington, D.C. event to take place since the Obama inauguration. 

Although it will not break any glass ceilings, Strasburg's debut will mark the beginning of a potentially groundbreaking movement for the D.C. sports scene. 

Acknowledging the inflow of young talent into D.C. in Strasburg, Bryce Harper, and John Wall, one might suggest D.C., like New York, Boston, Chicago and Los Angeles, could become one of the top U.S. sports cities in the not-too-terribly-distant future.