MLB Draft: Mock Draft Monday, Version 5.1
It is time to start preparing for the MLB draft! We kick off our mock drafts with our fifth go-round today!
The MLB Draft will be held June 4th through the 6th. It can be viewed on MLB Network and online on MLB.com. However, pre-draft, one of the most exciting parts of preparing for the draft is putting together mock drafts of just how things could break down.
Our mock MLB draft work is done by Benjamin Chase, one of our editors here with Call To The Pen. Ben works with contacts around the game to attempt to find out if there are teams and players getting connected together or players rising that could surprise us by going earlier or later than selected. We will have a new mock MLB draft each Monday all the way until June 4, with each mock being through the CBA selections between the first and second round until that last mock, when Ben drinks some extra coffee and goes all the way through the second batch of competitive balance picks between rounds 2 and 3 on draft day.
Mock Draft, Version 1.0
Mock Draft, Version 2.0
Mock Draft, Version 3.0
Mock Draft, Version 4.0
We’ll start right at the top:
1. Detroit Tigers
63. Casey Mize has been the #1 guy all along, and barring a major deal, he will be the #1 guy in a week. No real indication that there’s a move off of Mize from anyone at this time, though.. RHP. Auburn. Casey Mize. 1. player
2. San Francisco Giants
C. Georgia Tech. Joey Bart. 2. player. 31. Bart could be the guy to tempt the Tigers as he closed his season well. With excellent defensive skills behind the plate and plate discipline ticking up this season to allow him to better access his power, Bart has moved into the top position as far as non-pitchers go in the draft.
3. Philadelphia Phillies
3. player. 6. Bohm’s power and contact have been on display all season, and many believe he could stick at the hot corner at this point.. 3B. Wichita State. Alec Bohm
4. Chicago White Sox
5. Cincinnati Reds
player. 61. The Reds would badly want Singer, but with him off the board, they’ll take the best college bat, and a player that could be up quickly to Cincinnati in Madrigal.. SS/2B. Oregon State. Nick Madrigal. 5
Next: #6-15
6. New York Mets
player. 3. Many have India here, but the Mets have been hard on a lot of college bats, so it would not surprise if the toolsy Swaggerty was the pick here instead.. OF. South Alabama. Travis Swaggerty. 6
7. San Diego Padres
127. With the acquisition of the Twins’ compensatory selection after the second round, the Padres now have the ability to push hard after their favorites with both of their selections before the second round, and right now Stewart and Liberatore are neck and neck with the Pads.. RHP. Eau Gallie HS (FL). Carter Stewart. 7. player
8. Atlanta Braves
Nolan Gorman. 8. player. 17. The Braves have seemingly focused their draft on Gorman, with heavy interest in hitters and eyes on a few othere, but Gorman is more and more the pick here.. 3B. Sandra Day O'Connor HS (AZ)
9. Oakland Athletics
Mountain Ridge HS (AZ). Matthew Liberatore. 9. player. 96. The A’s will focus on a college pick, but they’ve been heavy on Liberatore to end the season, and he’s likely to be their one player that will cause them to go away from a college pick here.. LHP
10. Pittsburgh Pirates
4. The Pirates would most likely grab an arm, but the presence of India’s glove and incredible performance in the SEC this season would make him very difficult to pass up here.. 3B. Florida. Jonathan India. 10. player
11. Baltimore Orioles
player. 11. While there are other starters who may have more upside among the high school class, Winn has the highest floor by a long ways, and that could make him very attractive when teams start selecting among the HS arms in the class.. RHP. Orange Lutheran HS (CA). Cole Winn. 11
12. Toronto Blue Jays
13. Miami Marlins
American Heritage School (FL). Triston Casas. 13. player. 82. The Marlins are looking hard at high school bats, and if Kelenic would somehow fall one more slot, that would be perfect. However, after Kelenic, the Marlins will look for the best production from the bat, and with Casas being local as well, the selection makes a lot of sense.. 3B
14. Seattle Mariners
LHP. Mississippi. Ryan Rolison. 14. player. 62. Rolison had slipped mid-season with stagnant performance, but he’s ticked back up very well to end the season, with impressive starts in the SEC tourney that many teams were at. The Mariners seem locked into a college arm here, though Larnach is always a possibility.
15. Texas Rangers
95. The Rangers love high upside early, and Scott or Jordyn Adams would be the two highest upside guys here. Scott’s raw speed and defensive abilities along with his maturing physicality could allow for a very impressive future leadoff profile.. OF. Plant HS (FL). Connor Scott. 15. player
Next: #16-25
16. Tampa Bay Rays
Grayson Rodriguez. 16. player. 21. Rodriguez has a ton of helium, and he’s been discussed heavily as an option by the Braves if they go away from a bat, so he could be long gone by this point, but if he’s still here, this would be a steal for his immense talent.. RHP. Central Heights HS (TX)
17. Los Angeles Angels
player. 102. The Angels are looking hard after arms, and with the way Gilbert finished his season, he could have moved himself back into the conversation for this pick over some of the HS arms still on the board.. RHP. Stetson. Logan Gilbert. 17
18. Kansas City Royals
Magnolia HS (TX). Jordan Groshans. 18. player. 7. The Royals will have plenty of ability to manipulate with their draft pool, but this is beginning to feel like a sure tie as the Royals have been on Groshans plenty and have him significantly high on their board. He won’t get to their next pick, so this would be the spot to grab him if they want him.. 3B
19. St. Louis Cardinals
32. The Cardinals would likely prefer Rolison or Gilbert, but absent either of them being on the board, they would go with the next high school arm, and Weathers is an incredibly talented one at that.. LHP. Loretto HS (TN). Ryan Weathers. 19. player
20. Minnesota Twins
20. player. 2. While perhaps not as sexy as teammate Singer on the top end, Kowar is more consistent and has plenty of upside as well. This is a good comparison to the <strong><a rel=. RHP. Florida. Jackson Kowar
21. Milwaukee Brewers
Trevor Larnach. 21. player. 76. Larnach jumped out of the gates with tremendous power, and while he hasn’t continued at the same level, he’s hit well all season with one of the best teams in the nation. The Brewers would be an interesting team here as they could go many directions.. OF. Oregon State
22. Colorado Rockies
22. player. 108. Seigler is a big Colorado favorite, and it’d be surprising for him to not be the selection in this spot if he is still on the board, though Colorado has been checking in on prep arms as well, and if they felt Seigler would make it to their second selection they may gamble.. C. Cartersville HS (GA). Anthony Seigler
23. New York Yankees
player. 43. The Yankees have the flexibility with their farm system to pursue the best upside available, and that would be Adams in this spot, a guy who could be an incredible player a few years down the road.. OF. Green Hope HS (NC). Jordyn Adams. 23
24. Chicago Cubs
LHP. South Florida. Shane McClanahan. 24. player. 9. This would be an incredible drop for McClanahan, but the Cubs would be doing back flips to see McClanahan in this spot with his elite arm, even though he’s struggled with his control at times.
25. Arizona Diamondbacks
The Diamondbacks will likely utilize this spot to pick a high floor hitter from the college ranks, and McCarthy has returned with a vengeance at the end of the season.. OF. Virginia. Jake McCarthy. 25. player. 8
Next: #26-35
26. Boston Red Sox
27. Washington Nationals
90. The Nationals have never been too worried about a player with elbow concerns, and Denaburg has returned to show well at the end of the season. His bonus demands will be the biggest concern here.. RHP/C. Merritt Island HS (FL). Mason Denaburg. 27. player
28. Houston Astros
135. A player who’s gained plenty of helium at the end of the spring, Siani is a cold weather outfielder that could be in play as early as 13, but likely won’t make the second round.. OF. William Penn Carter (PA). Mike Siani. 28. player
29. Cleveland Indians
30. Los Angeles Dodgers
SS. Santiago HS (CA). Brice Turang. 30. player. 71. The Dodgers will be grabbing the best player left on the board, and in this scenario, that’s Turang, who was considered the top prep player in this draft class entering last summer.
Compensatory selections, first round
31. Tampa Bay Rays
Hankins will be an interesting player to watch. He is in play for the Padres at #8 and for many teams willing to overspend their slot from that point, but once he gets to this spot, he’ll be gobbled up by those with extra bonus room.. RHP. Forsyth Central HS (GA). Ethan Hankins. 31. player. 21
32. Tampa Bay Rays
32. player. 21. Walker has a very high floor as a hitter with quality defensive abilities that could have him going in the middle of the first round, but he will definitely be in play for the Rays and Royals here.. OF. Oklahoma. Steele Walker
33. Kansas City Royals
7. Naylor could go off in the top 10 or fall down to this point due to bonus demands, but he will be a highly in-demand player after the top 5 in the draft.. C. St. Joan of Arc Catholic SS (Canada). Noah Naylor. 33. player
34. Kansas City Royals
Edwards is all about upside, and in this iteration, the Royals choose to go for measured upside over the arms and could end up coming out with a ridiculous amount of talent for their efforts.. SS. North Broward Prep (FL). Xavier Edwards. 34. player. 7
35. Cleveland Indians
Next: #36-43
Competitive Balance Selections, Round A
36. Pittsburgh Pirates
Heritage HS (GA). Cole Wilcox. 36. player. 4. Wilcox will be in play as soon as the picks hit double digits, but with the Pirates grabbing a college bat, getting one of the top prep arms in the class would suit them very well here.. RHP
37. Baltimore Orioles
OF. Dallas Baptist. Jameson Hannah. 37. player. 11. The Orioles certainly would be happy to have the measured floor and upside of Winn as a HS pitcher, but to get the high upside of Hannah as a college hitter as well would be a huge get for the Orioles farm system.
38. San Diego Padres
player. 127. Schnell has been the talk of the draft lately, and with the additional money of their recent trade, the Padres will be looking to maneuver two prep picks into their two selections before the second round.. OF. Roncalli HS (IN). Nick Schnell. 38
39. Arizona Diamondbacks
8. The Diamondbacks love McLain, and getting McCarthy with their first selection would allow them to get both a high floor hitter along with the HS shortstop that they covet most.. SS/2B. Arnold O. Beckman HS (CA). Matt McLain. 39. player
40. Kansas City Royals
Clemson. Seth Beer. 40. player. 7. Beer’s stock is all over the place due to his impressive production in college but his immense struggles with wood during summer leagues. He’s going to factor heavily from about pick #21 on down in the first round, likely not making it beyond the first few picks of the second round.. 1B/OF
41. Cleveland Indians
42. Colorado Rockies
North Oconee HS (GA). Kumar Rocker. 42. player. 108. The Rockies getting Rocker would be almost too much poetry for our own good, but he fits what they are looking for and could end up fitting their price tag if the Rockies are willing to cut down on their next couple rounds.. RHP
43. St. Louis Cardinals
32. The Cardinals often go for outfield upside, but a player like Jackson could definitely tempt them, and he’s flying up boards around the league right now.. SS. St. Luke's Episcopal School (AL). Jeremiah Jackson. 43. player
Now, who are the best players left on the board after this mock? Click to the next page to find out!
Next: Best Available
Best available: high school
Blaze Alexander – A shortstop with an incredible arm from Florida, Alexander has some feel for hitting, especially pull power.
Braxton Ashcraft – A righty with inconsistent velocity off the mound in Texas this spring, Ashcraft is extremely athletic and has big upside.
Will Banfield – The Georgia prep catcher has brilliant defensive skills, but his offensive game is still very raw.
Austin Beckr – A big righty from Ohio, Becker has mid-90s velocity, and he has just started to fill into his 6’6″ frame.
Elijah Cabell – Cabell has the ability to be a five-tool guy in the outfield, but his contact and defensive skills cause some question.
Nander De Sedas – Florida shortstop will be in high demand by teams picking near the top of the 2nd round with his polish, but a so-so spring has knocked him out of first-round consideration most likely.
Raynel Delgado – Florida infielder that likely will slide over to third, but has excellent contact skills from both sides of the plate.
Joe Gray – One of the highest ceilings in the draft, but a huge difference between that ceiling and his floor for the Mississippi outfielder.
Brett Hansen – California lefty with a Vandy commitment, Hansen will be a tough sign but has a pair of elite offspeed pitches to go with a mid-90s fastball at its top end.
Adam Kloffenstein – Teammate of Jordan Groshans, Koffenstein’s easy ability to generate velocity could elevate him into the back end of the first round.
Parker Meadows – Younger brother of Austin Meadows, Parker isn’t the same type of player, but he does have tools across the board and could be a guy to go in the back of the first round.
Nick Northcut – An Ohio prospect, Northcut reminds many of Austin Riley due to his excellent arm off the mound but his likely destination at 3B with a big, powerful bat and a body that will need to be conditioned well.
Jayson Schroeder – Righty from Washington hasn’t had the elite competition of a Florida or California prep, but his three-pitch mix will be attractive in the second or third round.
Lineras Torres, Jr. – One of the more dynanic high school arms in the draft, Torres didn’t get a ton of eyes because of his New York location, but he will have plenty of interest starting late in the first round.
Owen White – A long-watched North Carolina righty, White saw his stuff tick up this spring, and he could factor into teams’ decisions early in the 2nd round.
Simeon Woods-Richardson – Extremely young for the class, yet filled out very well at 6’4″ and 205-220, “SWR” has impressed both on the mound and with a powerful bat, though most believe his future is off the mound.
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Best available: college
Luken Baker – When healthy, the TCU 1B/DH has been incredibly productive, but he’s suffered a laundry list of freak injuries over his college career.
Tristan Beck – A back injury bumped Beck from the first round last year, and he chose to return to school. While doing nothing to hurt his stock in 2018, the back issue could drop him into the 2nd.
Kris Bubic – Beck’s lefty rotation mate could go off the board before him due to throwing lefty, but he has a solid mid-rotation projection.
Tim Cate – Arguably the best collegiate curveball, the small lefty from Connecticut was a consideration at the back of the first round before a late injury, which could drop him more to the third.
Griffin Conine – Conine could fall victim to his poor start as he has finished the year very well, but the back half of the first round will be plenty of teams looking more toward high school.
Tanner Dodson – A Two-way star with Cal, Dodson has been elite this season as a closer, and he could move quickly in that role. He’s a switch-hitting outfielder with excellent contact skills with the bat.
Tyler Frank – Frank has played around the diamond, but his maturity and baseball moxy projects him up the middle with elite contact and raw power.
Cadyn Grenier – The best defensive shortstop in the class, Grenier’s lack of offensive upside likely drops him to the second round, but his defense will give him a high floor.
Sean Hjelle – The towering 6’11” righty has shown very well this spring and impressed plenty of scouts, which should put him in play starting in the compensatory first-round picks.
Nico Hoerner – While Grenier is the best defensive shortstop, it’s his Pac-12 competitor Hoerner who is arguably the most well-rounded shortstop in the college class, and that should allow him to go early in the 2nd round.
Blaine Knight – While Knight has never added much to his skinny 6’3″ frame, he’s been durable for 3 years in the SEC, and that should play up on draft day.
Matt Mercer – Mercer has high effort in his delivery, but the Oregon righty has been productive for the past two seasons in the weekend rotation in the Pac-12.
Kyler Murray – An incredible athlete, Murray could be the starting quarterback at Oklahoma in 2018, so it’s unlikely he would end up signing if he was drafted, but a team could take the chance on him.
Konnor Pilkington – The sturdy Mississippi State lefty works around 90 MPH with his fastball, but he repeats his delivery well and locates his pitches well.
Tristan Pompey – Younger brother of Dalton Pompey, Tristan has hit tremendously well, but his lack of athleticism leads to a divide among scouts as to his future projection.
Griffin Roberts – Roberts has been in the Wake Forest bullpen. His slider is arguably the best in the class, and he’s shown an ability to transition to the rotation long-term possibly as well.
Cole Sands – One of the top college starters from day 1 of his college career, Sands has been more durable than elite this season.
Zach Watson – LSU’s diminuitive center fielder can jet and produces raw power, but his swing has some significant issues that could have him falling even beyond the first day.
Next: How the Red Sox can keep Swihart
That’s all for this week’s mock MLB draft. Who looks too high? Too low? Just right? Comment below!