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MLB Draft 2015: White Sox select Carson Fulmer with eighth overall pick

Vanderbilt righty was college's best pitcher, but frame and command concerns allowed him to slide to Sox

Steven Branscombe-USA TODAY Sports

For the second year in a row, the White Sox selected the best college pitcher in the country with their first-round pick.

For the second time this decade, the White Sox drafted a pitcher from Lakeland, Fla.

Now it's up to Carson Fulmer to keep putting himself in the same sentences as Carlos Rodon and Chris Sale.

The White Sox took the Vanderbilt righty with the No. 8 pick, as the majority of mock drafts figured. He led the rotation for a talented Commodores roster and performed the part, going 13-2 with a 1.82 ERA over 17 starts, with 152 strikeouts over 114 innings.

If he outpitched everybody, then why were two pitchers taken before him? It's mostly due to his frame. Fulmer stands only 6 feet and 195 pounds, and uses an energetic delivery to produce his above-average velocity. He's also not a classic strike-thrower, and a lot of success is based on getting hitters to chase.

Those are reasons why some believe he's better off as a reliever, but as we've seen with other guys with unorthodox frames and deliveries (Sale, Tyler Danish), the White Sox are probably more comfortable than most working with the raw materials.

The first seven picks

No. 1: Dansby Swanson (Diamondbacks). Vanderbilt shortstop solidified his standing with a strong postseason.

No. 2: Alex Bregman (Astros). LSU shortstop draws comparisons to Dustin Pedroia.

No. 3: Brendan Rodgers (Rockies). High school shortstop is considered the top talent in the draft.

No. 4: Dillon Tate (Rangers). UC Santa Barbara righty showed strongest stuff of the college starters after making transition from the bullpen, though his performance tailed off toward the end of the season.

No. 5: Kyle Tucker (Astros) .Houston already has the prep outfielder's older brother Preston on the 25-man roster.

No. 6: Tyler Jay (Twins). Illinois product is the draft class' best lefty pitcher.

No. 7: Andrew Benintendi (Red Sox). Lefty outfielder had the biggest breakout season at the NCAA level.