MLB Draft: Mock Draft Monday, version 6.2

Casey Mize. 1. player. 63. This has been a significant lack of drama all spring, but that’s a good thing as well, as Mize has continued to show himself as worthy of the #1 overall selection. Mize has a collection of pitches led by a fastball that works in the mid-90s, a split-finger that is incredible in the upper 80s, a mid-80s slider that can run to upper-80s, a cutter that comes in right around 90, and a change that works in the low 80s. He knows how to vary his grips and his body pacing to get different break and disrupt hitters’ timing. Multiple places have mentioned former Tigers starter <strong><a rel=. RHP. Auburn

Georgia Tech. Joey Bart. 2. player. 31. This is where things could first get interesting. The Giants are about 95% locked into Bart, but they could still lean a few ways, with high school righty Cole Winn being a favorite if they choose to go away from Bart here. Bart has hit on top of already-present defensive skills this spring, and that combination should allow him to move quickly through the Giants system.. C

6. The Phillies are very strongly linked to Bohm here, but they are looking hard at money as they would like to maximize their ability to get top value that may fall to them at their next selection, which won’t be until the 4th round. There has been discussion on the other top college options and some rumors on a possible jump on a high school arm if the price was just too good to pass up here – akin to the <strong><a rel=. 3B. Wichita State. Alec Bohm. 3. player

Basically, whomever the White Sox do not choose will be the Reds choice, provided one of Bart/Bohm doesn’t get passed over for some reason. The Reds have been doing plenty of checking in with high school arms and bats to check on price, but it’s doubtful they could push anyone to their second pick enough to make a high school pick worth it here.. SS/2B. Oregon State. Nick Madrigal. 5. player. 61

player. 3. This is coming down to India or Kelenic.for the Mets, and it’s hard to imagine that the Mets would end up choosing Kelenic if the money was the same. Most likely India’s bonus demands won’t be crazy, making him the pick here, and if he doesn’t go here, the Braves have been rumored to be ready to snatch him up with his high-floor defensive ability and developing bat.. 3B. Florida. Jonathan India. 6

Loretto HS (TN). Ryan Weathers. 7. player. 127. The Padres acquired a bit more money in picking up the CBB pick from Minnesota, and that will allow them to attack both of their picks before the first round with who they want to get, but it sounds like they are going hard after high school arm here, with a big push for the right number. A late name here has been Logan Gilbert.. LHP

3B. Sandra Day O'Connor HS (AZ). Nolan Gorman. 8. player. 17. I had a Braves fan on Twitter ask me this weekend if I would take the Braves picking Gorman or the field. Well, that would ALWAYS be the field, simply because you just never know who comes back late on Monday with a low signing bonus number or something to throw things out of whack, but if I had to pick one player right now to put with the Braves, it’s Gorman, who they like a lot and is definitely high on their board.

OF. Waukesha West HS (WI). Jarred Kelenic. 9. player. 96. The A’s are one of a few teams that have seemed to back off on Swaggerty recently, which could leave this pick with Kelenic, a college arm, or possibly an early landing spot for Travis Larnach. Kelenic would give the A’s back-to-back seasons with incredibly talented young outfielders with their first picks after grabbing <strong><a rel=

Stetson. Logan Gilbert. 10. player. 4. A very good finish to the season has Gilbert in the discussion for a few spots ahead of here, but the Pirates would seem to be a very good destination for Gilbert where he could move very quickly and get the type of system to maximize his skills.. RHP

South Alabama. Travis Swaggerty. 11. player. 11. The Orioles have been doing plenty of flirting with high school arms of late, but to have Swaggerty land in their laps may be too much to pass up. He’d become very interesting once he got to this spot, akin to <strong><a rel=. OF

OF. Plant HS (FL). Connor Scott. 13. player. 82. One of the biggest helium high school bats this spring, Scott has a world of talent with a lot more polish than the other guy with a similar amount of talent (Jordyn Adams). He’s a very talented defensive outfielder with plus speed along with the frame to project at least average power if not better.

With Gilbert off the board, the Mariners would be looking hard at Rolison or Larnach in this spot as they have strongly focused on college prospects, though there is no reason that they couldn’t surprise and bring forward someone like Steele Walker.. LHP. Mississippi. Ryan Rolison. 14. player. 62

player. 95. Winn seems to be a low-money target for a number of early teams, so he could be long-gone by this selection, but if he’s here, he will be off the board in a hurry, and teams will be very excited to see his name when he was projecting inside the top 10 recently.. RHP. Orange Lutheran HS (CA). Cole Winn. 15

RHP. Heritage HS (GA). Cole Wilcox. 27. player. 90. Wilcox has the Nationals attention for sure as one of the top arms in the draft, and with the Nationals penchant for injured arms early, a guy like Wilcox who has had some injury worries this spring would be intriguing for sure.

OF. Roncalli HS (IN). Nick Schnell. 28. player. 135. Schnell will factor in much earlier than this, but if he’s on the board for the Astros, he will be a definite player of interest for the Astros, fitting a desire for sabremetric-friendly high school players.

71. Denaburg was one of the top 10-15 talents in the draft coming into the spring, but some injury concern had him falling down the draft. With a commitment to Florida, he won’t come cheap, but the Dodgers would love to bring in his talent.. RHP/C. Merritt Island HS (FL). Mason Denaburg. 30. player

21. Naylor will be a guy who draws interest as high as the top 10 due to his impressive hitting skills. It will all depend on where a team projects him to fall on the defensive spectrum. Many feel Naylor has the athleticism to be a 3B, but others feel he could be a catcher if he works to keep up the body, especially after seeing his brother really trim up his body this season.. C. St. Joan of Arc Catholic SS (Canada). Noah Naylor. 31. player

player. 21. Conine opened the season as one of the better collegiate bats, and a rough start to the season saw him fall down draft boards. He has finished strong, hitting nearly the same line as Nick Madrigal since Madrigal’s return from injury. He’s got the ability to play quality defense, and his raw power is real as long as he can make consistent contact.. OF. Duke. Griffin Conine. 32

33. player. 7. Another player that the Royals have been tied heavily to, Jackson has surprising power in his bat and profiles as a middle infield defender, though his fringe-plus arm could even play at third if he can’t stick at shortstop.. SS. St. Luke's Episcopal School (AL). Jeremiah Jackson

7. Hankins was a guy considered a feasible 1-1 selection coming into the spring before injury hampered his spring season. He has a clean bill of health, but lack of views could drive him down the board some, and he will be a guy that will need a good number to sign, so he might not make it this far, but if he did, the Royals would be a definite stopping spot.. RHP. Forsyth Central HS (GA). Ethan Hankins. 34. player

Xavier Edwards. 36. player. 4. Edwards will be a guy who could end up being one of the biggest steals of the draft with a body that doesn’t scream superstar, he is overlooked by scouts at times, but his 70+ grade speed will definitely impact and his hands are very good up the middle defensively. He’s put together well to project at least average power down the road as well, which could lead to one of the most valuable players overall in the draft when all is said and done.. SS. North Broward Prep (FL)

Magnolia HS (TX). Adam Kloffenstein. 37. player. 11. Kloffenstein has seemingly been lost in a sea of high school talent this spring, but as bonus numbers come in, he’s back near the top of the class where he belongs as he seems to have a number that makes it clear he wants to be a pro. That should allow him to be a factor at the back of the first round and into the comp picks.. RHP

player. 127. Walker will be of interest as high as the Mariners due to his consistent bat. Not a guy with a ton of tools across the board, Walker brings a fringe-plus contact ability with a lot of average to above-average tools otherwise, and that can be very valuable in its own right.. OF. Oklahoma. Steele Walker. 38

39. player. 8. The Diamondbacks and McLain are such a match that if there were a risk that they could miss out on him by waiting to this pick, they very well may make him the selection at 25th overall.. SS/2B. Arnold O. Beckman HS (CA). Matt McLain

7. The Royals will be looking to save some money with a college pick, and though he was the Cape Cod MVP last summer, he has not flashed the same power this season, which could allow Jenista to be grabbed on a discount. Interestingly, many compare his swing to former Royals DH <strong><a rel=. OF/1B. Wichita State. Greyson Jenista. 40. player

The Rockies will be looking to make an impact with their first two picks. Getting Seigler with their first pick should allow them to go strong after their choice of HS arm with their second pick, and Torres has been getting plenty of love as the draft closes in.. RHP. Beacon School (NY). Lineras Torres, Jr.. 42. player. 108

32. The Cardinals are local to Hjelle, and he would seem to be the type of pitcher that would thrive in their farm system with his raw stuff, exceptional downward angle from his huge frame, and improved overall pitch mix this spring.. RHP. Kentucky. Sean Hjelle. 43. player

RHP. Brandon HS (MS). J.T. Ginn. 44. player. 63. After going for a polished arm with their first selection, the Tigers may choose to pursue a bat, but with the best values being in HS arms, it would not surprise if the Tigers came out of their first two picks with Mize and a HS arm.

31. Hoglund has been a guy getting lots of love at the back end of the first round and beginning of the second round due to a surprisingly reasonable number for signing bonus demands.. RHP. Fivay HS (FL). Gunnar Hoglund. 45. player

61. White has some late helium into the back of the first round at times, but his athletic build could allow him to project even higher than this.. RHP. Carson HS (NC). Owen White. 47. player

Daniel Lynch. 48. player. 3. A big lefty, you’d expect Lynch to offer more than he does in raw stuff, but he has shown flashes of playing up his control and movement to be a quick mover to the major league rotation.. LHP. Virginia

OF. Dallas Baptist. Jameson Hannah. 49. player. 17. Hannah has a ton of raw talent for a college player, and the Braves have been in on him, though they likely didn’t feel he’d make it to them in the second, so this would be an ideal situation.

96. Beer finished the season on an absolute tear, and he very well could have hit himself into the first round. He’ll definitely factor in the first 5-10 picks of the second round, even without a defensive position and concerns about previous struggles with wood bats.. 1B/OF. Clemson. Seth Beer. 50. player

player. 4. Hoerner has been very consistent in his performance with a definite ability to stick up the middle Hoerner compares to <strong><a rel=. SS/2B. Stanford. Nico Hoerner. 51

OF. Seneca HS (NJ). Nick Decker. 53. player. 82. Decker has very good plate discipline, though his defense is rough in the outfield, likely sticking him into the corner with fringe-plus power and plus contact in raw grades on the bat.

SS. Encinal HS (CA). Osiris Johnson. 54. player. 62. An incredibly athletic player, Osiris will work up the middle, whether that’s at shortstop or center field. He has the hands to work in the infield, but some of his movements are still raw. Johnson is extremely young for the class and has some projection left on his offensive skills, but his ceiling is intriguing for certain.

The Texas guy staying home would be a great story. If Baker had been able to stay healthy even one season of his college career, he likely would have been a top-10 pick, but he has seen a rash of injuries hit him – none really related to the others. The Rangers could be looking for a college pick here to afford a high impact high schooler in the first.. 1B. Texas Christian. Luken Baker. 55. player. 95

player. 21. Though they grabbed Naylor already, the Rays likely will be moving him off catcher while Banfield’s primary value is behind the plate with some raw power at the plate that hasn’t shown up a ton in game yet.. C. Brookwood HS (GA). Will Banfield. 56

Beck would have been a first-round pick in 2017 had his back not given him issues. The Angels gambled on a consistent Pac-12 college starter last season with <strong><a rel=. RHP. Stanford. Tristan Beck. 57. player. 102

58. player. 7. Dodson will likely have his future on the mound, but he has enough skill with the bat to have some teams considering him as an outfielder. He’s polished his ability on the mound this season in 2018 and could use a couple years in the minors to hone his craft on the mound, but there’s a solid #2 starter upside once he does.. OF/RHP. California. Tanner Dodson

player. 2. De Sedas was highly regarded coming into the summer, but he really didn’t show out at any point, which has dropped him down as many scouts were waiting for his frame to produce more power, but it just never came. Pro instruction could do wonders for him.. SS. Montverde Academy (FL). Nander De Sedas. 59

RHP. Robinson HS (TX). Braxton Ashcraft. 60. player. 76. A big, athletic pitcher, Ashcraft is a bit of projection over present stuff, but his current stuff is still pretty good, and with his elite athleticism, he should be able to grow into more velocity in pro ball.

Blaine Knight. 61. player. 43. The Yankees would end up coming out of the first two rounds with two college pitchers, but they’d be two arms that could both respond very well to Yankees development system as Knight’s lean frame has always worried scouts, but the Yankees have worked with plenty like him before.. RHP. Arkansas

RHP. Wake Forest. Griffin Roberts. 62. player. 9. Roberts worked in the bullpen prior to this season, and he’s shown well in the rotation this year. He could move quickly as a bullpen piece with arguably the best slider in the entire draft, or the Cubs could take their time and see how he handles continuing as a starter.

8. More balanced in his approach than dominating, Pilkington didn’t have the best finish to his college career, but he has an excellent frame, quality control, and is left-handed.. LHP. Mississippi State. Konnor Pilkington. 63. player

Hailing back to the Nationals interest in guys with some injury rubs, Cate easily has the best lefty curveball int he class, high school or college, but cold weather plus injury issues this spring kept him from showing that curve often. He projects akin to current Nationals starter <strong><a rel=. LHP. Connecticut. Tim Cate. 65. player. 90

Logan Junior College. Trey Riley. 66. player. 135. Riley is the top-rated JuCo pitcher this season, as he has impressive athelticism and raw stuff with a mid-90s fastball, upper 80s slider, and a change and curve that are still in development.. RHP

71. Gray is incredibly talented, but he’s also got an incredibly low floor, which could make him an intriguiing gamble at this point in the second.. OF. Hattiesburg HS (MS). Joe Gray. 68. player

82. The Marlins and Alexander in the 2nd is a seeming match made so perfect that it has to get screwed up somewhere, doesn’t it?. SS. IMG Academy. Blaze Alexander. 69. player

An incredibly versatile player, Frank has played all over the field, even behind the plate, during his collegiate career. He could play up the middle defensively, which is where he’ll probably work, but his bat will keep him working as a utility guy even if he isn’t starting material defensively at any one position.. SS/2B. Florida Atlantic. Tyler Frank. 70. player. 96

RHP. Cal State Fullerton. Colton Eastman. 71. player. 21. Eastman is a control freak on the mound, though he has stuff that is better than a pure college control guy, working in the low-90s with a high-spin curve and a change that he can manipulate multiple ways while still controlling well.

Cal Raleigh. 72. player. 61. Raleigh showed average defensive skills behind the plate over his college career, but his potential plus bat could give him plenty of chances to develop the glove in the right org.. C. Florida State

76. Schroeder has a ton of projection in his stuff as he’s still really learning to pitch as he’s been a 3-sport athlete throughout high school. He added a second breaking pitch to go with his heavy fastball this spring, and many feel he could have three plus pitches with the sinker and breaking pitches.. RHP. Juanita HS (WA). Jayson Schroeder. 73. player

Cadyn Grenier. 74. player. 127. Playing alongside Nick Madrigal, Grenier has been out of the spotlight, but he’s been arguably the best defensive middle infielder in college baseball for two seasons now, and he’ll draw plenty of interest just because of that!. SS/2B. Oregon State

South Carolina. Adam Hill. 75. player. 32. South Carolina has produced top starters the last couple years with Clarke Schmidt and <strong><a rel=. RHP

RHP. Oregon. Matt Mercer. 76. player. 108. Mercer will be an intriguing follow on draft day as he has an unorthodox delivery, but he’s been able to generate elite velocity from it while also getting more consistent break on his low-80s hard curve. The delivery will scare off some teams, but he has the stuff to be a mid-rotation starter if a team believes in him.

Mike Siani. 77. player. 9. This could be a huge fall for Siani, who could factor into the back of the first round, but he also has some decent signing bonus demands, and getting down to a team that can afford them could be difficult until this point.. OF. William Penn Carter (PA)

78. player. 9. Sands ended his collegiate career in disappointment, but he has been a consistent performer throughout college and should come into play around here after some injury issues this season bumped him from likely late first round consideration.. RHP. Florida State. Cole Sands