90. Brendan McKay, LHP/1B, Tampa Bay Rays
Birthday (age on opening day 2018): 12/18/1995 (22)
Likely 2018 opening level: high-A
Info: After an impressive college career both on the mound and as a hitter, McKay seemed disappointed to have his name called 4th overall as a first baseman in the June draft, but the Rays have made it clear that they do intend to allow him to continue to develop as a hitter and a pitcher.
McKay is not a guy who is likely elite at either spot, with likely #3/4 start projection as a pitcher and a likely role as a solid average and OBP, 20ish home run first baseman. Either role is very valuable and needed, though neither is exactly a monster prospect by themselves, but rolled into one player makes it much more intriguing.
The Rays intend to allow McKay to develop both at the plate and on the mound, likely with a push to full season ball.
89. Luis Urias, 2B, San Diego Padres
Birthday (age on opening day 2018): 6/3/1997 (20)
Likely 2018 opening level: AAA
Info: Urias’ size has often worried scouts at just 5’9″ and roughly 165 pounds dripping wet, but he puts the barrel of the bat on the ball from the moment he rolls out of bed in the morning. Now he’s shown that impressive hand-eye to be an asset on the defensive side as well, growing much more confident and sure of himself defensively, even able to hop over to the other side of the keystone when need be.
Offensively, Urias probably won’t profile as a 20 home run hitter, but if he hit .300 multiple seasons with 30+ doubles and kept his strikeout rate under 10% in the process, I think that would surprise no one. He will open 2018 at AAA, but if he really pushes the envelope, he could spend some time in San Diego before his 21st birthday.
88. Jason Groome, LHP, Boston Red Sox
Birthday (age on opening day 2018): 8/23/1998 (19)
Likely 2018 opening level: low-A
Info: The talk of the high school pitching class in the 2016 draft, Groome was considered a viable candidate for the #1 overall draft pick. He’s left-handed, has an easy delivery that he repeats, and has a big, mature frame at 6’6″ and 215-225 pounds. It’s easy to understand what teams liked.
Groome began getting some tags with maturity issues during his final high school season as teams got to know him more, and he fell to the Red Sox at #12 overall. The Red Sox pushed his advanced talent on an advanced time line, but found him struggling.
He works with a fastball that sits in the low 90s with the ability to elevate with high spin, a plus hard curve that could work to a double-plus pitch with better consistency in his arm slot. Groome worked in a cutter this season that showed promise and also showed a change that had better feel than in high school.
Gaining better consistency will allow Groome to play up to his peak ability and control his pitches better. He’ll open in low-A to start 2018 with an expected promotion to high-A if he can put things together well.
87. Pavin Smith, 1B, Arizona Diamondbacks
Birthday (age on opening day 2018): 2/6/1996
Likely 2018 opening level: low-A
Info: Smith was widely regarded as the most natural hitter in the 2017 draft, with rarely a strikeout in his collegiate career. The question for Smith was whether he would be able to develop the sort of offensive firepower as a first baseman to warrant an early draft selection.
Many scouts believe that the power will quickly accompany Smith’s plate discipline
Smith went out and attempted to do just that, hitting very well and spraying the ball throughout the park with authority, but only seeing one home run, and that was in a playoff game, his final game of the season. Many scouts believe that the power will quickly accompany Smith’s plate discipline.
Some believe Smith could be an average or adequate corner outfielder if he was moved to the position, and with Paul Goldschmidt in Arizona at first base, he’d certainly not have an easy road to that position, but Goldschmidt is only signed through 2019, so he could end up working as the future D-backs first baseman on what would be a normal development path.
86. Matt Manning, RHP, Detroit Tigers
Birthday (age on opening day 2018): 1/28/1998 (20)
Likely 2018 opening level: low-A
Info: Manning had the natural athleticism of a son of a former professional basketball player coming out of high school, which made his impressive velocity less of a concern to many in the draft than some of his fellow draftees with similar high-90s readings.
Manning faces the issues that many taller pitchers have with repeating his mechanics at 6’6″ tall. He sees his arm slot vary when he gets off in his mechanics, and that can turn his normal impressive high-spin fastball that touches upper 90s and sits around 93 into more of a flat pitch that hitters are able to sit on.
With that fastball and a potential plus curve, Manning has two of the pieces toward a future frontline starter, especially if he can further develop his changeup. He’ll return to low-A to open 2018, and could find his way to high-A by the end of the season.
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