The New York Yankees selected college pitchers with two of their first three picks in the 2015 MLB Draft. The took UCLA right-handeder James Kaprielian 16th overall, San Diego shortstop Kyle Holder 30th overall as a compensatory pick for losing David Robertson, and Indiana State left-handed pitcher Jeff Degano in the second round, 57th overall.

Here is some of the reaction to the picks:

John Sickels at the fantastic site, Minor League Ball, had this to say about Kaprielian:

Junior, 2.02 ERA with 114/33 K/BB in 106 innings, 86 hits, velocity kicked up well into 90s this spring and he already knew how to pitch with full arsenal, excellent instincts. Won’t need long in the minors, mid-rotation projection, should be a durable strike-throwing workhorse type. Maybe not a sexy pick, but that doesn't mean it is a bad one.

Kaprielian, 21, was the 13th-ranked prospect on the big board of ESPN draft expert Keith Law. Law had this to say about the pick:

UCLA righty Kaprielian will sit in the 90-94 mph range with his fastball and mix in two average or better breaking balls that he rarely leaves up in the zone. Scouts like his changeup -- some even consider it his best pitch -- but he seldom throws it, opting instead to double and triple up on his breaking balls. Kaprielian is a safer, low-ceiling, high-floor type of arm who should be a fourth or fifth starter.

Here is what the Yankees had to say about the selection:

"Kaprielian is a guy we've scouted for a long time, and we're really happy we were able to get him," said Damon Oppenheimer, the Yankees' vice president of domestic amateur scouting. "He has three quality pitches, throws strikes and generates a lot of swings and misses. On top of that, he has great make-up."

Sickels had this to say about the compensatory selection of San Diego shortstop Kyle Holder (30th overall):

Junior, hits left, batted .348/.418/.482 this year, 19/19 BB/K in 224 at-bats. Despite those numbers his offensive projection at higher levels is considered just so-so due to lack of power, however he could exceed that expectation. Glove is very impressive.

ESPN's Law said Holder " has the best pure glove of any college middle infielder in the draft ... but I'm concerned that he won't ever hit enough for it to matter."

The Yankees selected Indiana State left-handed pitcher Jeff Degano in the second round, 57th overall. Here is Sickels on the pick:

Senior, Canadian lefty missed most of two years with Tommy John but was outstanding this year, 2.36 ERA, 126/28 K/BB in 99 innings, 78 hits, low-90s fastball and effective breaking ball combined with sharp command for success. Stock rising.

River Avenue Blues says the Yankees played it safe on the first day of the draft:

The Yankees went probability first, upside second on Day One this year. Getting safe players — safe by draft standards, which means not safe at all! — likely to contribute at the MLB level was the priority over getting players with impact potential. That’s nothing fans want to hear, of course, but it’s very easy to say they should take more risk when you’re not the one with your neck on the line. -

This draft was more about probability. Kaprielian’s very likely to be a big league starter as long as he stays healthy. Holder’s defense at a premium position means the offensive bar is low, and Degano will get a million chances as a lefty who misses bats. Even if he doesn’t learn a changeup, he goes to the bullpen to be a poor man’s Jacob Lindgren. The Yankees went safe on Day One this year, safe but with two project players in Holder and Degano who have the potential to be big league regulars with the fall back option of being high probability useful players. 

Did you like what the Yankees did on Day 1 of the draft? Drop a line to @valentine_ed on Twitter and let me know.