BALTIMORE -- What intrigued Orioles scouting director Gary Rajsich the most about lefty DL Hall was his athleticism. But a power arm with that kind of talent, Hall projected to go much earlier in mock drafts and the O's internal draft board than the No. 21 pick.
"We weren't planning on him being there originally," Rajsich said. "When it got closer to our time to pick, we realized it was a possibility and we began to get pretty excited."
:: 2017 MLB Draft coverage ::
The Orioles got their guy in Hall using their first-round selection to add a high school left-handed pitcher who could move very quickly through the Minor Leagues.
The Draft continues on Tuesday with Rounds 3-10. The MLB.com preview show begins at 12:30 p.m. ET, with exclusive coverage beginning at 1 p.m. ET.
• Orioles' 60th overall pick: Adam Hall
• Orioles' 74th overall pick: Zac Lowther
"It was a very exciting and emotional time," said Hall, who was at the beach with his family watching for his name to be called. "Tonight was a huge night for myself and my family."
Ranked No. 14 in the Top 200 players eligible for the Draft by MLBPipeline.com, Hall is an intriguing pick for an organization in need of immediate rotation help.
Out of Valdosta High School in Georgia, Hall is committed to Florida State and -- like most high school arms -- is a high-risk, high-reward selection for an organization that has struggled to develop homegrown pitching.
"Hall is a polished, young left-handed pitcher with a good fastball, curve, change-up and good control," said Rajsich. "We project seeing him in our starting rotation in the near future."
Hall offers some intriguing upside, drawing comparisons to MLB lefty Scott Kazmir in what MLB.com Draft expert Jim Callis called "an absolute steal" of a selection for Baltimore. With a fastball that touches 96 mph, Hall has a quick arm and great spin on his breaking ball, with a changeup still developing.
"[I] couldn't be happier," Rajsich said of the O's top selection. " D.L. is an exciting pitcher. He's polished, has a good delivery…it shouldn't take very long."