The Padres were the first team in yesterday’s amateur draft to select a high schooler. They picked Donovan Tate with the #3 overall pick in the first round. Tate is an outfielder from Cartersville, Georgia. Tate is an all-around great athlete. Not only is he a top baseball prospect, but he’s also ranked among the top 100 high school football recruits in the country. Some of you might remember his father, former NFL running back Lars Tate. Donovan played safety, so you know he’s got to be fast. In fact, he’s one of the fastest kids in the draft this year, but his game is so much more than that. He also hits for power and has a cannon for an arm in the outfield. There are two downsides to Tate: he needs to take more pitches at the plate and he isn’t sure that he wants to play pro baseball just yet. He might still end up choosing college football, where he’s been recruited by North Carolina and Michigan, among many others I’m sure. If he chooses football, it’ll be another early pick wasted by the Padres.

Tags: cartersville, donovan tate, draft pick, mlb draft, san diego padres