2017 MLB Mock Draft, Version 3.1

player. 2. While he wasn’t a big prospect out of high school, going undrafted, Vanderbilt knew what they had, featuring Wright out of the bullpen as a freshman before moving him into the rotation as a sophomore. Projected as the top college arm coming into the season after an elite summer with USA Baseball, Wright struggled initially as he seemed eager to show more velocity to scouts early in the season and struggled to control his electric stuff. Wright is at his best when he’s working 92-95 and touching 96-97, using his moving fastball to set up his top-shelf off speed stuff, including a slider and curve that are both plus-level pitches. Wright rarely uses his change, but it’s considered a plus level pitch as well when he has used it, showing good feel on the pitch and excellent movement. Wright’s frame and projectable stuff will allow the Twins to feel comfortable making him the first overall selection.. RHP. Vanderbilt University. Kyle Wright . 1

This would be the ideal situation for the Reds as McKay is definitely the guy they covet. There is mixed opinion on whether scouts prefer McKay as a hitter or pitcher more, likewise whether the Reds would prefer McKay as a hitter or pitcher. McKay on the mound works around 90 MPH max velocity, but he does have excellent feel for his pitches and has the ability to manipulate pitches well, as evidenced by how quickly he picked up a cutter in season this year. At the plate, he’s flashed big power (4 home runs against Eastern Kentucky in one game this year) and also has very good bat control that would project along the lines of a solid average, 20-25 home run power type with a bit more power projection possible once he focused solely on hitting. Whether he’ll be forced by the Reds to hit or pitch or allowed to continue doing both would be a very intriguing thing to follow.. 1B/LHP. University of Louisville. Brendan McKay . 2. player. 61

3. player. 127. The Padres would do back flips to have Greene fall to them. He’s a local prospect, and while many have him ranked as the top prospect in the draft, Greene is a great off-field prospect as well, with exceptional academics and volunteer efforts to his resume. Greene has legit plus to plus-plus power as a hitter along with a fastball that can reach triple digits. Concerns about the true quality of his off speed offerings have led to some concerns about taking Greene #1 overall, though many believe he could be a legit option at #1 if he was being selected as a shortstop as well, though his future defensive home would most likely be third base or an outfield corner.. RHP/SS. Notre Dame HS (CA). Hunter Greene

21. The Rays would really like to get one of the three above. Given those three off the board, the team would have an interesting decision that there are split reports on who they truly favor most. Some have said that the team is split on which North Carolina prep they prefer between Beck or Gore. Beck has had plenty of Rays presence at his spring games, and he would fit the teams’ recent focus on extreme ceiling. Beck shredded his knee during his junior season and missed the showcase circuit, but used the time rehabbing to strengthen his frame along with natural strength growth, taking him from a speed-focused lanky center fielder to a legit 5-tool threat. Beck has some concern about his hit tool, but his plus arm, plus speed, and plus bat speed could lead to a very impactful profile that could stick in center field.. OF. North Davidson HS (NC). Austin Beck . 4. player

player. 17. Adell’s been a guy known by scouts for some time, but that has been a blessing and a curse for Adell. In Adell’s regular season play in Kentucky and his first go-round on the summer showcase circuit as one of the few players between his sophomore and junior seasons invited to summer All-Star events, Adell had shown near-elite strike zone judgement. This past summer, he struck out more than had been seen previously, and suddenly reports were out that Adell had “swing and miss issues.” Adell this season has over 20 home runs while not yet striking out double-digit times on the season. Adell would be an elite raw prospect off the mound, able to touch 95-97 (depending on your report) with a good breaking pitch, but his excellent power and speed projection will keep his future as an outfielder. The Braves will be likely deciding among a group of about a dozen players, including Beck, Adell, Gore, Lewis, Baz, and Carlson for their pick.. OF. Ballard HS (KY). Jordon Adell . 5

96. On a staff that included four early draft picks last season, a very good argument could be made that Faedo was the best pitcher on the Florida staff. The Friday night starter on that elite staff, Faedo then enjoyed a very productive summer with the USA Collegiate National Team. Faedo had surgery in the fall on his knees that isn’t significant, but it did slow his start to 2017. Faedo’s picked it up as the season has wore on, and with a strong finish to the season, this placement will seem very normal. Ironically, the A’s picked Faedo’s teammate <strong><a rel=. RHP. University of Florida. Alex Faedo . 6. player

8. Gore is a guy who wasn’t as highly touted after showcase season simply due to his velocity sitting more 85-88 and touching 90-91 with his elite control. As Gore has filled in since the summer, he’s now sitting 88-92 and touching 93-95. Gore’s impressive athleticism allows him to have good feel for new grips and new pitches, and he’s noted for being able to manipulate his four pitches in multiple ways on each individual pitch, giving him dozens of looks to keep hitters off guard. The Diamondbacks love high end athleticism, and while Gore’s funky delivery could cause double takes, he keeps his body in good position for repeating his release point and holding his stuff deep into a game.. LHP. Whiteville HS (NC). MacKenzie Gore . 7. player

Royce Lewis . 8. player. 6. Philadelphia could go for the most elite arm in this spot, but it’d be hard to pass on Lewis at this point in the draft if he was still on the board. Coming into the spring, most had Lewis as a sure-fire top-5 pick. He has the incredible speed and instincts to work up the middle defensively, though there are some questions whether he could handle shortstop as a professional, certainly profiling as a second baseman or center fielder, however. Lewis has shown very good bat control in showcase, though he’s struggled this spring, leading to some thought that he may fall a bit in the draft. He does have plus raw power and double-plus speed. The Phillies would covet his ceiling in their development system.. IF/OF. JSerra Catholic HS (CA)

76. Stop me if you’ve heard this one before – Texan prep pitcher has a big fastball. Baz has been jumping up boards this spring as he’s shown that the elite velocity he flashed in showcases last summer is able to be sustained deep into a start. Baz has also shown more separation between his slurvy slider and his more direct 12-to-6 curve. Baz is a very good athlete and has the ability to play both ways with big right-handed power, but teams selecting him will be taking him off the mound, and the Brewers would be overjoyed to have him at this point.. RHP. Concordia Lutheran HS (TX). Shane Baz . 9. player

player. 102. After taking <strong><a rel=. 1B. Huntington Beach HS (CA). Nick Pratto . 10

Pavin Smith . 12. player. 4. It would surprise nearly no one within “the industry” if Smith is long gone by this point, and yet he could also fall a few more picks. Such is the volatility of the college first baseman in the modern draft. Without heavy experience in the outfield, teams will struggle to project him in a corner outfield role, and modern college first basemen have had a very mixed track record, even ones with Smith’s elite hit tool. Smith does have the best pure hit tool in the draft, however, and it would not be surprising if he ends up the target of a team even in the top 5 due to his excellent eye and controlled swing. Within the Pirates system, Smith would find himself able to move quickly to challenge for the first base job at the big league level.. 1B. University of Virginia

13. player. 82. Carlson is the guy who could have an <strong><a rel=. RHP. Burnsville HS (MN). Sam Carlson

University of North Carolina. J.B. Bukauskas . 14. player. 7. Very possibly the best-performing collegiate arm this spring, Bukauskas has concerns regarding his small stature being able to hold up as a starter. Of course teams only have to look to starters like <strong><a rel=. RHP

player. 135. One of the current risers in the draft, Rogers has the ideal size you’d want in a projectable pitcher at 6’6″ and 185 pounds. He is one of the older pitchers in the class, and he was initially projected much lower due to that and the lack of true refinement in his pitches, but he’s come out this spring after a very good showing in the summer showcases to put up easy 95 on his fastball with a repeatable delivery from his tall frame, something not exactly common from a tall high school arm, especially a lefty. His slider has been showing two looks, one with a sharp, distinct break, and the other more of a sweeping style, akin to what <strong><a rel=. LHP. Carlsbad HS (NM). Trevor Rogers . 15

player. 11. The connection between the Orioles and Warmoth has been strong throughout the spring, and this is probably his floor as he’ll certainly be an Oriole if he’s on the board, but Warmoth’s balance of tools across the board could entice a team ahead of this spot to take a shot on him in a middle infield class without many guys who will likely stay up the middle on the dirt. Warmoth is a sabermetric darling offensively, with good strike zone judgement and gap power, but not a ton of home run power or stolen bases that would light up a stat sheet. He’s a high-floor player that will likely have a big league future, but whether that’s as a reserve infielder, a low-division starter, or a <strong><a rel=. SS. University of North Carolina. Logan Warmoth . 21

St. Amant HS (LA). Blayne Enlow . 23. player. 71. Enlow is a high-variance pitcher, with some teams really liking his stuff, but some teams scared he could end up requiring more than slot to pull him away from his LSU commitment. That won’t scare away the Dodgers in this spot, as they have the pitcher whose curve draws the most comparisons to Enlow’s excellent curveball in their ace. His velocity was down early in the spring, but has ticked back up recently, which could help to drive him back up into the first round even beyond this spot, but the Dodgers could certainly pull the trigger on Enlow with his advanced command of a fastball that sits low 90s and touches 95 with a curve that has incredible spin, but that he also knows how to adjust the spin on in order to get different looks for his curve. Maturity on the mound like that will give a team like the Dodgers a lot of comfort in giving him the money to pull him away from his college commitment.. RHP

player. 90. Little has elite stuff that had him rated in the top 200 coming out of high school, but after not getting the work he wanted with North Carolina, he transferred to JuCo to get drafted sooner. He did have experience pitching in the Cape Cod League against top college competition, and he performed very well, flashing his mid-90s fastball and sharp curve. Little does have some issues with consistency in his delivery, and that has led to issues with his command. When he’s on, there are few in this draft class with more dominating stuff from the left side, but he will need to work on that delivery. Little does get very high marks for his willingness to take coaching and has made big strides already since high school, so pro teams will be excited to land his talent in the draft. The Nationals emptied their system’s top end pitching in trades this offseason, and this would give a quick fill of talent that could possibly move quick once things click in Little’s delivery.. LHP. State Junior College of Florida. Brendon Little . 25

26. player. 95. If there is a guy that is hardest to peg in the first round, Ramos would be among that group, as he is viewed as one of the best overall prospects in the draft by some clubs and viewed as much too raw by others. He’ll be one of the youngest players in this draft class. Ramos has legit plus to plus-plus raw power that he displayed in showcase home run derbies and BP but was inconsistent in game action. Ramos has the raw tools to be an elite right field profile with a legit 70-grade arm fromt he outfield, plenty of athleticism to handle the position well defensively, but some very raw skills at the plate. He fits well in the high ceiling, big tools sort of player that the Rangers tend to target early in the draft.. OF. Leadership Christian Academy HS (PR). Heliot Ramos

Very feasibly the most likely guy that will be picked in the first round to stay at the shortstop position, Allen is not just a good shortstop, he has what one scout termed, “major league glove skills” already as a high school shortstop. The difficulty will be for a team to allow his bat to develop as his glove will be so advanced along the way to encourage a push forward. The Cubs will have that sort of flexibility with one of the young superstars at the SS position in the major leagues in their organization in <strong><a rel=. SS. Francis Parker School (CA). Nick Allen . 27. player. 9

University of Houston. Seth Romero . 29. player. 95. Are we drafting based purely on talent? Then Romero is off the board in the top 5. Are we drafting based on intangibles? Then Romero may not be picked. A talent that rated in the top 10-15 in the entire draft even with off-field stuff before this season, Romero will likely end up coming off the board to someone with multiple first round picks toward the end of the first round. Romero has a fastball that can touch 96-97 and sits just a couple ticks lower with a slider and a change that are behind the fastball. Romero has not faced a ton of work this spring, so he could end up seeing significant work this summer once he’s drafted.. LHP

player. 9. Vientos has been viewed early on as one of the big time bats in the 2017 prep draft class, but early spring issues with contact dropped him back in the class. The Cubs would gobble up his upside this deep into the first round. Vientos has youth on his side as a 17 year old that won’t turn 18 until December, but his true upside comes from his ability to not just make contact at an elite level when he’s going well, but to make that contact with the good part of the bat, consistently barreling balls and driving them with authority. Many have compared Vientos to <strong><a rel=. 3B. American Heritage HS (FL). Mark Vientos . 30

21. Burger is a guy who could go in the top 15 or could end up slipping to the back of the first round depending on how a team views his long-term abilities at the hot corner. What there’s no doubt on is his legit power, which has been considered as much as plus-plus raw power. Burger’s not just a raw hacker, either, with very good zone recognition and the ability to handle both elite velocity and strong breaking stuff. Burger does have a very solid arm, so he could end up working in an outfield corner for a time, but his run tool is certainly below average, so likely as he ages, he’ll be forced to 1B or DH. His power would be certainly welcome into the Rays system.. 3B. Missouri State University. Jake Burger . 31. player

OF. Etowah HS (GA). Drew Waters . 32. player. 61. Last season, the Reds took one of the most safe picks in the draft in <strong><a rel=

Lutz has been getting a lot of notice late in the process here as his power has really began to stand out among the prep class. While many have flashed plus raw power in batting practice, Lutz has been showing steady plus power in game this spring and flashing true double-plus power. He has a right field profile with an ability to track balls well with above-average speed on top of his big power. He does have some contact concern in his swing, but the power is completely legit, and the Athletics could take a gamble here on his big booming bat.. OF. Martin HS (TX). Tristen Lutz . 33. player. 96

Coming into 2017, Houck was regarded as one of the best draft prospects. He was part of the USA Baseball Collegiate National Team the last two years and showed very well both years. Houck did struggle early in the season, but as the winter turned to spring, his stuff ticked back up to its usual levels, and he has shown his excellent mid-90s fastball with incredible sink and movement. Houck has shown good feel for locating his slider and change even when they aren’t getting the best results. While he’s primarily a sinker ball pitcher, Houck has a high floor as a guy who should profile as an inning-eating rotation member in his future, and that would balance well for the Brewers with their high ceiling selection of Baz earlier in the round.. RHP. University of Missouri. Tanner Houck . 34. player. 76

35. player. 2. Danner has been on the radar nationally for a long time as he was a Little League star, played for a very well-known high school program, starred for the USA National Team, and has performed well at showcases and tournaments throughout the process. However, his true destination on the diamond is what has led to the debate about where his draft slot would be. Danner is a guy who can show a 95 MPH fastball with a tight curveball off the mound along with a change that shows promise. At the plate, he has plus raw power, but more of an average contact ability. Danner was worked out in the infield this spring at times, and he could profile very well as a third baseman as well. Whether the Twins would profile Danner as a pitcher, catcher, or infielder isn’t known, but his level of talent would be difficult to pass at this point of the draft.. RHP/C. Huntington Beach HS (CA). Hagen Danner

82. Oregon State is enjoying a magical season, ranked #1 in the nation for the last number of weeks, and Heimlich is a big reason why as he’s taken the reins as the ace of the staff this year with an ERA that has to be viewed with a magnifying glass. Heimlich built himself up physically this season after two years of relieving, knowing he wanted to be ready for the trials of starting on the body, and it’s allowed his stuff to tick up as well, as he’s sitting right around 90 with his fastball, touching 92-93 with tremendous movement and location along with a deceptive arm motion that makes it difficult to pick up. Heimlich’s best pitch is his change that he can manipulate multiple ways, but he also has seen his curve take a more firm shape this year with his better physical shape. Heimlich has been pushing himself forward with his performance all season, and he is seen as a high-floor lefty that should move quickly in a Marlins system dying for production from the minor leagues.. LHP. Oregon State University. Luke Heimlich . 36. player