MLB: Predicting the Upcoming MLB Draft

Mock MLB Draft: 1-10

Let’s take a look at the draft pick by pick with a quick review of each pick. I’ve taken a lot of time in working with people I know in the game and also reading anything I can get my hand on in verified and qualified draft coverage. I’ll likely do another couple of these before the June 9th draft. We’ll go through the competitive balance picks at the end of round one, so picks #1-41. Let’s start at the top!

1. Philadelphia Phillies – Kyle Lewis, OF, Mercer University
Lewis isn’t a can’t-miss type of guy, but he’s got the type of athletic body with monster power that teams love to dream on. In a draft without real elite top guys, Lewis has come out and just dominated in the college season to move him to the top of many draft boards.

2. Cincinnati Reds – A.J. Puk, LHP, University of Florida
Puk has that near-perfect lefty body with a big, strong frame, a mid-90s fastball, good secondary stuff, and he’s actually done well this year confronting some of the personal red flags from the offseason. His inconsistent season has him #2 still. If he dominates until the draft, he could be a no doubt #1.

3. Atlanta Braves – Jason Groome, LHP, New Jersey HS
Braves have been making noise about possibly working a deal to get two of their top 5 hitters if Lewis is off the board, but it’s hard to project those sort of things, so without more confirmation on that, I’m going with the top available player, giving the Braves incredible left-handed pitching depth with Sean Newcomb, Max Fried, Kolby Allard, and Groome.

4. Colorado Rockies – Mickey Moniak, OF, California HS
The Rockies front office would love to see Puk or Groome here, and if either is here, I think they’ll pick them. They may also consider Garrett, who is gaining big helium as the draft gets close. Moniak would be a big time pick, though, as he would be perfect in that big Coors outfield and could be a huge player for them for years.

5. Milwaukee Brewers – Corey Ray, OF, University of Louisville
Maybe the most athletic player in the college hitting class, but there are some words that he could drop some. I honestly think it’s as much “draft speak” as anything – the sort of rumors team put out before the draft to get other teams off of their trail. Ray would be a great pick up for the Brewers here and would quickly advance in their system.

6. Oakland Athletics – Nick Senzel, IF, University of Tennessee
Senzel is the most “safe” pick, but he’s not exactly sexy. I’ve heard a lot of Charlie Hayes comparisons, though his defense is questionable at third. That said, his bat to ball skills are very high, and he’s a guy that would fit very well with Oakland’s general hitting philosophy.

7. Florida Marlins – Delvin Perez, SS, Puerto Rico
If Perez lands in their lap, it’d be a big coup for the Marlins as he may have the highest ceiling of any player in the entire draft. He’s a very toolsy shortstop from the Puerto Rico academy and very young. He’ll probably take some time to work his way up the system, but he’d seem to be a good fit in the Marlins system.

8. San Diego Padres – Riley Pint, RHP, Kansas HS
Pint is one of my personal favorites, with an arm that can touch 102 and more and more scouting reports that rave about his secondary pitches. San Diego has a huge bonus pool, and they’ll likely hope to get one of Pint or Groome to fall to them here.

9. Detroit Tigers – Braxton Garrett, LHP, Alabama HS
It wouldn’t surprise me if the Tigers went college arm instead here, but Garrett is just moving up boards so much that I don’t know that he’ll even make it this far in the draft. The Tigers could also use the high-end lefty arm as well within their system.

10. Chicago White Sox – Matt Manning, RHP, California HS
Another team that could go after a college starter if they really believe in one, but there’s just not a lot of arms in the college class that I could put here. They’d also be a team that’d jump on a Ray or Senzel if they did drop this far, but here they get one of the more highly regarded prep arms, with some considering him even better than Pint as an overall package.

Next: 11-20

Mock MLB Draft: 11-20

11. Seattle Mariners – Blake Rutherford, OF, California HS
Rutherford has been dropping on boards recently for unknown reasons, though his age as a high schooler could play a part as he’s an “old” 19 as a high schooler. I think the Mariners would be very pleased to grab him here.

12. Boston Red Sox – Josh Lowe, 3B, Georgia HS
Lowe was a two-way prospect coming into the spring, and then he blew the doors off of those ideas by hitting very well all spring. He’ll be picked within the next few picks here if the Red Sox aren’t the team who does pick his power bat.

13. Tampa Bay Rays – Taylor Trammell, OF, Georgia HS
Trammell is probably the biggest “helium” guy this spring. He’s been rumored as high as the Tigers at #9. That’d be incredible for a guy who was in the 50s in draft rankings just in February! His speed is ridiculous, and teams are projecting power to go with it.

14. Cleveland Indians – Jordan Sheffield, RHP, Vanderbilt University
Indians already have Sheffield’s brother Justus Sheffield. Since Tommy John surgery before his freshman year, Jordan has recovered very well, and he may be a very deserving first college righty off the board.

15. Minnesota Twins – Zack Collins, C, University of Miami
I’m not sure if he lasts this long, but if he does, he doesn’t last beyond this pick, as the Twins have had contact with Collins plenty, even though I don’t have word whether they see him as a catcher going forward. May be a Kyle Schwarber type with a big bat that can just play.

16. Los Angeles Angels – Dakota Hudson, RHP, Mississippi State University
Hudson probably has had the most consistent college starter season, but that may actually cause him to tumble a bit just because he hasn’t had a “dominant” season, just a steadily good one. He’s got a dominant slider along with a great sinker and could move quickly to the major league rotation, even if he projects more as a #2/3 than a #1.

17. Houston Astros – Ian Anderson, RHP, New York HS
Here’s a big arm that somehow has gotten lost in the shuffling up and down of the high school arms. He’s been highly regarded throughout the process and performed well, so nothing really changed. That could oddly allow him to fall to here, definitely below where his talent would warrant him going.

18. New York Yankees – Joey Wentz, LHP, Kansas HS
Wentz could mostly copy exactly what I just said about Anderson. Solid, consistent all season. I’m not sure about the fit for the Yankees, though they seem to be getting an arm everywhere I look, and this is the best one on the board here.

19. New York Mets – Alex Kirilloff, OF, Pennsylvania HS
I really, really like Kirilloff’s skills, but I don’t see a fit earlier than this, and the Mets would gobble him up immediately if he fell to their spot. He would instantly be a big time impact player in their system.

20. Los Angeles Dodgers – Forrest Whitley, RHP, Texas HS
Whitley is at the end of a number of high school arms that will likely go from about 8-20, and he’s been projected as high as 9 in drafts in March and now he’s here. It’s nothing to do with poor performance, but just team fit. The Dodgers have a number of selections in the first round, and they’re going to likely pursue some high upside arms as they do often with great success.

Next: 21-30

Mock MLB Draft: 21-30

21. Toronto Blue Jays – Robert Tyler, RHP, University of Georgia
The Blue Jays are looking for pitching, and specifically college pitching, after using so much of their pitching depth to make their 2015 playoff run. Tyler is a guy who may not be flashy, but he’s a guy who should move quickly and contribute quickly.

22. Pittsburgh Pirates – T.J. Zeuch, RHP, University of Pittsburgh
Zeuch seems like a perfect fit. A guy from the Pittsburgh area that works primarily off of his fastball, the way the Pirates teach their pitchers. The Pirates may go for a hitter here and get their pitcher later, but Zeuch may not make it later, so if they’re a fan of his, this may be the spot to get him.

23. St. Louis Cardinals – Will Craig, IF, Wake Forest University
Craig is a guy with a solid bat. Cardinals fans may not like this comparison, but there’s some Brett Wallace in Craig in that he’s got a mature bat, but he’ll need to still make pitch adjustments for that mature bat to play at the major leagues.

24. San Diego Padres – Zack Burdi, RHP, University of Louisville
With a big money pick like Pint with their first selection, the Padres will need to save some money in one of these two picks. Getting Burdi in their system gets a guy that should move very quickly up the system as a reliever to possibly pitch significant big league innings in 2017.

25. San Diego Padres – Will Benson, OF, Georgia HS
From all accounts, the Padres have a love affair with Georgia prep hitters this year, and they’re looking to make a deal with one for their 24/25 picks in order to ensure they have the funds to get a great player at 8 and still get a solid high school player at 24/25 as well. Benson, to me, is the class of the Georgia outfield prep class with physical tools that remind you of Jason Heyward.

26. Chicago White Sox – Eric Lauer, LHP, Kent State University
The White Sox taking a lefty from a smaller school that’s considered a safe and quick-moving prospect. Sounds like a script that could be applied to the early part of every single draft in recent years. Lauer is possibly the most projectable lefty, and with the White Sox working with him, he could reach that #3 ceiling.

27. Baltimore Orioles – Buddy Reed, OF, University of Florida
The Orioles are looking for a bat that can make it soon, and especially one that can provide some defensive value as well. While scouts are mixed on Reed’s offensive projection, he does have solid defensive value, and he could move quickly in the Orioles system.

28. Washington Nationals – Matt Thaiss, C, Virginia Univeristy
The Nationals will lose Wilson Ramos after the season, and they’d like to get a guy who could move quickly. Thaiss has split opinions on his ability to play behind the dish at the pro level, but most feel the bat should work well and quickly.

29. Washington Nationals – Drew Mendoza, IF, Florida HS
With the college pick of Thaiss, the Nationals can afford to go after a high-risk pick with Mendoza. Mendoza has varying reports, but he has some very, very high reports that would make you think he should be a top 10-15 pick. Very slick fielder that could allow him to stay at short, but he has the size and raw bat skills to possibly play third as well.

30. Texas Rangers – Jared Horn, RHP, California HS
Added strength to his frame and a build similar to Gerrit Cole. That added strength has added a few ticks of velocity to the point where he’s touching upper 90s and sitting mid-90s. His breaking stuff and change are inconsistent, but they’ve flashed plus at times, so a team that believes could take him even higher than this spot.

Next: 31-41