The 2018 MLB Draft wrap up – every pick, every team
The 2018 MLB draft is now complete. Who did your favorite team select, and was it a good choice at the time? Let’s take a look!
We at Call to the Pen have covered the MLB draft from many angles during the draft process, from team previews to previews of the high school and college classes for the draft to multiple mock drafts and much, much more. Now we cap that off with our coup de grace, a review of every pick made by every team!
First, a review of CTTP mock drafts along the way:
Mock Draft, Version 1.0
Mock Draft, Version 2.0
Mock Draft, Version 3.0
Mock Draft, Version 4.0
Mock Draft, Version 5.1
Mock Draft, Version 6.2
We’ll start with the #1 overall drafting team, the Detroit Tigers!
Detroit Tigers
Day One
Round 1, Overall 1 – Casey Mize, RHP, Auburn
Round 2, Overall 44 – Parker Meadows, OF, Georgia HS
Mize has the best balance of upside and floor in the entire draft. He has the upside of being one of the top aces in the entire league, in the mold of Max Scherzer with his elite pitch mix, premier control, and funky delivery. Meadows has tremendous bloodlines, and he will get the chance to develop in a Tigers system with some young outfielders at the big league level and upper minors that should allow for him to develop at his pace rather than being rushed.
Day Two
Round 3, Overall 79 – Kody Clemens, 2B, Texas
Round 4, Overall 105 – Kingston Liniak, OF, California HS
Round 5, Overall 135 – Adam Wolf, LHP, Louisville
Round 6, Overall 165 – Hugh Smith, RHP, Whitworth College
Round 7, Overall 195 – Eric De La Rosa, OF, Grossmont College
Round 8, Overall 225 – Jeremiah Burks, SS, Fresno State
Round 9, Overall 255 – Tarik Skubal, LHP, Seattle
Round 10, Overall 285 – Brock Deatherage, OF, North Carolina State
Knowing they were sinking some heavy money into Mize and Meadows, the Tigers only picked one high school player in the entire 2nd day, but they still got some very intriguing players, highlighted by Hugh Smith, who went from a gawky 6’3 high school senior with a mid-80s fastball to a 6’10, muscular righty with a mid-90s fastball and very good feel for working around the zone.
Day Three
Round 11, Overall 315 – Kacey Murphy, LHP, Arkansas-Fayetteville
Round 12, Overall 345 – Reece Hampton, OF, UNC-Charlotte
Round 13, Overall 375 – Christopher Proctor, C, Duke
Round 14, Overall 405 – Luke Sherley, SS, Texas State
Round 15, Overall 435 – Nick Ames, 1B, UNLV
Round 16, Overall 465 – Dayton Dugas, OF, Wichita State
Round 17, Overall 495 – Avery Tuck, OF, New Mexico JuCo
Round 18, Overall 525 – Ethan DeCaster, RHP, Duke
Round 19, Overall 555 – Angel Reyes, RHP, Oklahoma Science & Arts
Round 20, Overall 585 – Kelvin Smith, 3B, Georgia HS
Round 21, Overall 615 – John Valente, 3B, St. Johns
Round 22, Overall 645 – Mark Conger, RHP, Vanderbilt
Round 23, Overall 675 – Jordan Verdon, 3B, San Diego State
Round 24, Overall 705 – Zach Malis, 3B, Grand Canyon
Round 25, Overall 735 – Chance Kirby, RHP, Texas-San Antonio
Round 26, Overall 765 – Garrett Hill, RHP, San Diego State
Round 27, Overall 795 – Stevie Ledesma, RHP, UC-Santa Barbara
Round 28, Overall 825 – Daniel Reyes, OF, Miami
Round 29, Overall 855 – Jeb Bargfeldt, LHP, Miami
Round 30, Overall 885 – Jared Tobey, LHP, Wayne State
Round 31, Overall 915 – Jayce Vancena, RHP, Michigan
Round 32, Overall 945 – Clark Brinkman, OF, Creighton
Round 33, Overall 975 – Justin Childers, 1B, Ohio Dominican
Round 34, Overall 1005 – Vinny Esposito, OF, Cal State-Sacramento
Round 35, Overall 1035 – Chavez Fernandez, RHP, Polk State
Round 36, Overall 1065 – Yasin Chentouf, OF, Pittsburgh
Round 37, Overall 1095 – Matthew jarecki, OF, Benedictine
Round 38, Overall 1125 – Cole Henry, RHP, Alabama HS
Round 39, Overall 1155 – Cory Action, 2B, Florida HS
Round 40, Overall 1185 – Kevynn Arias, C, Montreat College
The gem of day 3 could be Smith, a Missouri commit who has the defensive chops to stick at shortstop with raw power, but he has a flair for the dramatic and ends up making errors on some routine stuff along the way because he’s trying to do too much with it. Also keep an eye on Daniel Reyes, who was a big-time prep player and ended up playing for three schools in his three years of college. He has some big pop in his bat, but his outfield defense is a bit shaky.
Overall Outlook
The focus was heavily on Mize and Meadows in this draft, but there’s plenty enough upside play along the way for this to be a big piece of the future for the Tigers as they aim to return to the top!
San Francisco Giants
Day One
Round 1, Overall 2 – Joey Bart, C, Georgia Tech
Round 2, Overall 45 – Sean Hjelle, RHP, Kentucky
Two of the more fun players to track in the Southeast this spring, Bart went from a defensive-first catcher with some raw offense to one of the best prospects in the draft with a breakout offensive season this year, and he should be able to move quickly through the Giants system.
Hjelle is going to an apt team, as he is a “giant” of a man at 6’11” who gets excellent angle on his stuff but is surprisingly good at repeating his delivery for a guy at his height.
Day Two
Round 3, Overall 80 – Jake Wong, RHP, Grand Canyon
Round 4, Overall 106 – Blake Rivera, RHP, Wallace State JuCo
Round 5, Overall 136 – Keaton Winn, RHP, Iowa Western JuCo
Round 6, Overall 166 – P.J. Hilson, OF, Arkansas HS
Round 7, Overall 196 – Edison Mora, SS, Puerto Rico HS
Round 8, Overall 226 – Solomon Bates, RHP, Southern California
Round 9, Overall 256 – Ben Madison, RHP, Central Baptist
Round 10, Overall 286 – Alex DuBord, RHP, Faulkner
The Giants have always drafted heavy into the college crop, so it was no surprise that after picking two collegians in Day One, they’d dip into the college pool for their first three picks of Day Two, but then in the 6th round, they went off the board in grabbing Hilson, a very talented two-way player with mid-90s stuff off the mound but an impressive combination of plus defense and speed in center with some projection for power as well. They followed that with Mora, who has some big-time upside defensively, but his offensive upside is still very much in question.
Day Three
Round 11, Overall 316 – David Villar, 3B, South Florida
Round 12, Overall 346 – Sean Roby, 3B, Arizona Western JuCo
Round 13, Overall 376 – George Bell, OF, Connors State JuCo
Round 14, Overall 406 – Bryce Tucker, LHP, Central Florida
Round 15, Overall 436 – Matt Frisbee, RHP, UNC-Greensboro
Round 16, Overall 466 – Trenton Toplikar, RHP, UC-Riverside
Round 17, Overall 496 – Ryan Olenek, OF, Mississippi
Round 18, Overall 526 – Byran Hernandez, OF, Puerto Rico HS
Round 19, Overall 556 – Randy Norris, OF, Winston-Salem State
Round 20, Overall 586 – Jeff Manning, SS, Alabama
Round 21, Overall 616 – Angel Guzman, C, Puerto Rico HS
Round 22, Overall 646 – Clay Helvey, RHP, Tampa
Round 23, Overall 676 – Ben Strahm, RHP, Northeastern State
Round 24, Overall 706 – Preston White, RHP, The Master’s
Round 25, Overall 736 – Fabian Pena, C, Manhattan
Round 26, Overall 766 – Jacob Lopez, LHP, JC of the Canyons
Round 27, Overall 796 – Dylan Dusek, LHP, Texas Tech
Round 28, Overall 826 – Travis Perry, RHP, Indian River State JuCo
Round 29, Overall 856 – Marcos Campos, SS, Siena
Round 30, Overall 886 – Kwan Adkins, OF, Northwestern State
Round 31, Overall 916 – Ryan Walker, RHP, Washington State
Round 32, Overall 946 – Brandon Frankfort, C, Fresno Pacific
Round 33, Overall 976 – Austin Edgette, OF, Bloomsburg
Round 34, Overall 1006 – Lucas Krull, LHP, Jefferson JuCo
Round 35, Overall 1036 – Chris Roberts, RHP, San Jacinto JuCo
Round 36, Overall 1066 – Bryan Hoeing, RHP, Loisville
Round 37, Overall 1096 – Ryan McDonald, RHP, JC of Southern Nevada
Round 38, Overall 1126 – Brett Hansen, LHP, California HS
Round 39, Overall 1156 – Trevor Horn, RHP, UNLV
Round 40, Overall 1186 – Abdiel Layer, 3B, Miami Dade JuCo
The name that sticks out immediately on Day Three is Hansen, but he’s almost certainly not going to sign, so we’ll focus on those who likely will. Olenek would be an intriguing player with excellent gap power that hit .350 in the SEC this season. Grabbing another pair of players from Puerto Rico high schools, even if they don’t sign, shows a different focus that likely began with 2017 first-rounder Heliot Ramos.
Overall Outlook
The focus on college players early also should allow the Giants to sign a few intriguing players from day 3 that could have gone to college otherwise, but the biggest thing to watch from this draft will be how quickly Bart moves and how the Giants work he and Buster Posey together once he gets to San Fran.
Philadelphia Phillies
Day One
Round 1, Overall 3 – Alec Bohm, 3B, Wichita State
The entirety of the first day rests on Bohm’s shoulders, as the Phillies did not have a selection in the 2nd or the 3rd round due to signing Carlos Santana and Jake Arrieta. Bohm’s raw power is a huge draw, but there are plenty of concerns that he might not work at 3B and be forced into a 1B/LF role, which could limit his overall value.
Day Two
Round 4, Overall 107 – Colton Eastman, RHP, Cal State Fullerton
Round 5, Overall 137 – Matt Vierling, OF, Notre Dame
Round 6, Overall 167 – Logan Simmons, SS, Georgia HS
Round 7, Overall 197 – Gabriel Cotto, LHP, Puerto Rico HS
Round 8, Overall 227 – Seth Lancaster, SS, Coastal Carolina
Round 9, Overall 257 – Dominic Pipkin, RHP, California HS
Round 10, Overall 287 – Madison Stokes, 3B, South Carolina
Very, very intriguing second day with a mix of high schoolers that would indicate that the Phillies think they’ll have some money to use on those players, or that they’ll be fairly signable. Pipkin was a guy who was very highly regarded coming into the spring before command issues and a lack in development of his offspeed stuff really saw him fall down draft boards, but he still can pump out upper 90s fastballs. Simmons likely moves over to third, but he has impressive raw power that could translate well there.
Day Three
Round 11, Overall 317 – Jack Perkins, RHP, Stetson
Round 12, Overall 347 – James McArthur, RHP, Mississippi
Round 13, Overall 377 – Jose Mercado, SS, Puerto Rico HS
Round 14, Overall 407 – Jesse Wilkening, C, Nebraska
Round 15, Overall 437 – Daniel Carpenter, RHP, California HS
Round 16, Overall 467 – Tyler McKay, RHP, Howard JuCo
Round 17, Overall 497 – Keylan Kilgore, LHP, Wichita State
Round 18, Overall 527 – Matt Kroon, 3B, Oklahoma State
Round 19, Overall 557 – Mark Potter, RHP, JC of Central Florida
Round 20, Overall 587 – Connor Litton, 3B, East Carolina
Round 21, Overall 617 – Jake Smith, RHP, North Carolina HS
Round 22, Overall 647 – Luke Miller, OF, Indiana
Round 23, Overall 677 – Logan O’Hoppe, C, New York HS
Round 24, Overall 707 – Corbin Williams, OF, JC of the Canyons
Round 25, Overall 737 – Adam Cox, RHP, Montana State
Round 26, Overall 767 – Eric White, RHP, Southern Arkansas
Round 27, Overall 797 – Jack Conley, C, North Carolina State
Round 28, Overall 827 – Jonathan Jones, RHP, Texas HS
Round 29, Overall 857 – Jaylen Smith, LHP, Texas HS
Round 30, Overall 887 – Brandon Ramey, RHP, California HS
Round 31, Overall 917 – Tyler Carr, RHP, South Alabama
Round 32, Overall 947 – Ben Aklinski, OF, Kentucky
Round 33, Overall 977 – Jake Kinney, RHP, Tallahassee JuCo
Round 34, Overall 1007 – Nick Matera, C, Rutgers
Round 35, Overall 1037 – Austin Ross, RHP, Radford
Round 36, Overall 1067 – Trent Bowles, OF, Texas-San Antonio
Round 37, Overall 1097 – Ryan Rijo, 1B, New Mexico JuCo
Round 38, Overall 1127 – Stephen Jones, RHP, Samford
Round 39, Overall 1157 – Mat Nelson, C, Florida HS
Round 40, Overall 1187 – Waylon Richardson, RHP, Kankakee JuCo
By far my favorite player in the Day Three haul for the Phillies won’t likely be signing, catcher Mat Nelson, a Florida State commit who has excellent defensive skills and the type of bat that could end up being a high-average, ton of doubles sort of bat to go along with his D. The Phillies did scatter in quite a bit of upside into the third day with big Daniel Carpenter probably the most well-known high schooler with his 6’7″ frame popping out big fastballs but still finding coordination after going through a massive growth spurt over the last couple of years. I’m also a fan of Matt Kroon, who may not ever be a first-division regular at 3B, but he’s a solid player that could surprise folks.
Overall Outlook
Because of the lack of signing money available in losing the 2nd and 3rd round picks, this draft rests heavily on Bohm’s broad shoulders. There is some very interesting upside mixed in, though, so if it can be developed, this draft could produce quite a few nice pieces down the road for the Phils.
Cincinnati Reds
Day One
Round 1, Overall 5 – Jonathan India, 3B, Florida
Round 2, Overall 47 – Lyon Richardson, RHP, Florida HS
Round 2S, Overall 72 – Josiah Gray, RHP, Le Moyne
The Reds went a bit off board for many when they went for India over his teammate Singer. India would seem a luxury pick in a system that already has Eugenio Suarez at the MLB level and Nick Senzel knocking at the door, but like both of them, he could work around the infield some to get himself on the field. Richardson is a whole lot of raw, but his velocity is incredible when it’s on, reaching upper 90s.
Day Two
Round 3, Overall 82 – Bren Spillane, OF, Illinois
Round 4, Overall 109 – Mike Siani, OF, Pennsylvania HS
Round 5, Overall 139 – Ryan Campbell, RHP, Illinois-Chicago
Round 6, Overall 169 – Yomil Maysonet, RHP, Puerto Rico HS
Round 7, Overall 199 – Jay Schuyler, C, San Diego
Round 8, Overall 229 – Matt Pidich, RHP, Pittsburgh
Round 9, Overall 259 – Andrew McDonald, RHP, Virginia Tech
Round 10, Overall 289 – A.J. Moore, RHP, Kennesaw State
The Reds went after plenty of collegiate players, but the gem here is Siani, a player who was projected in the first round in a number of mocks, so to grab him in the 4th is a big deal. With the way they managed their first 10 picks, there is a very good chance the Reds can sign him, which would be a definite coup to come out of the first two days with India, Siani, upside guys like Richardson and Maysonet, and college performers like Gray and Spillane.
Day Three
Round 11, Overall 319 – Noah Davis, RHP, UC Santa Barbara
Round 12, Overall 349 – Josiah Sightler, LHP, South Carolina HS
Round 13, Overall 379 – Brian Rey, OF, Miami Dade JuCo
Round 14, Overall 409 – Michael Byrne, RHP, Florida
Round 15, Overall 439 – Chris Williams, OF, Georgia HS
Round 16, Overall 469 – Drew Mount, OF, Kansas State
Round 17, Overall 499 – Noah Dickerson, OF, Florida HS
Round 18, Overall 529 – Alberto Gonzalez, RHP, Texas HS
Round 19, Overall 559 – Nick Starr, RHP, Southern Arkansas
Round 20, Overall 589 – Evan Marquardt, RHP, Ball State
Round 21, Overall 619 – Hunter Oliver, C, Cleveland State JuCo
Round 22, Overall 649 – Peter Serruto, C, New Jersey HS
Round 23, Overall 679 – A.J. Curtis, 1B, Ohlone JuCo
Round 24, Overall 709 – Connor Curlis, LHP, Ohio State
Round 25, Overall 739 – Ricky Salinas, RHP, Rice
Round 26, Overall 769 – Rylan Thomas, 1B, Central Florida
Round 27, Overall 799 – Eddy Demurias, RHP, South Carolina
Round 28, Overall 829 – Brandt Stallings, OF, Georgia College & State
Round 29, Overall 859 – John Schneider, RHP, Palm Beach Atlantic
Round 30, Overall 889 – Jake Wyrick, LHP, Middle Tennessee State
Round 31, Overall 919 – Justin McGregor, RHP, Oral Roberts
Round 32, Overall 949 – Edward Guzman, C, Puerto Rico HS
Round 33, Overall 979 – Luis Lopez, SS, Puerto Rico HS
Round 34, Overall 1009 – Cory Heitler, RRHP, Ramapo
Round 35, Overall 1039 – Max Dineen, OF, New Jersey HS
Round 36, Overall 1069 – Zaid Walker, OF, Illinois HS
Round 37, Overall 1099 – Robert Boselli, C, St. John’s
Round 38, Overall 1129 – Adam Jacques, 2B, Washington HS
Round 39, Overall 1159 – Sam Knowlton, RHP, Alabama HS
Round 40, Overall 1189 – Ryan Cusick, RHP, Connecticut HS
Very intriguing strategy on the 3rd day of the MLB draft for the Reds, as they called the name of a dozen high school players and four JuCo players over the course of their third day, very feasibly preparing for the possibility that they don’t sign Siani, which could mean a lot of these guys go unsigned.
Overall Outlook
India is a high-floor collegiate bat with very good defensive skills that could have a high ceiling as well if his offensive surge this year was real long-term. Add in a big talent like Siani to this class, and the Reds would be very happy with their haul.
New York Mets
Day One
Round 1, Overall 6 – Jarred Kelenic, OF, Wisconsin HS
Round 2, Overall 48 – Simeon Woods-Richardson, RHP, Texas HS
This is a swing-for-the-fences first day for the Mets. They took the first high school player off the board, the guy who was rated as likely the top high school bat in the entire draft in Kelenic. His blend of skills reminds many of 2016 Twins draftee Alex Kirilloff. Woods-Richardson is one of the youngest players in the entire draft, with an incredible upside on the mound.
Day Two
Round 3, Overall 83 – Carlos Cortes, 2B, South Carolina
Round 4, Overall 110 – Adam Hill, RHP, South Carolina
Round 5, Overall 140 – Ryley Gilliam, RHP, Clemson
Round 6, Overall 170 – Nick Meyer, C, Cal Poly
Round 7, Overall 200 – Kevin Smith, LHP, Georgia
Round 8, Overall 230 – Tylor Megill, RHP, Arizona
Round 9, Overall 260 – Bryce Montes de Oca, RHP, Missouri
Round 10, Overall 290 – Manny Rodriguez, SS, Cincinnati
Even though the Mets went all college on the second day of the MLB draft, that doesn’t mean that they didn’t grab some true gems. Hill was a consistent force in the Gamecock rotation that has sent Wil Crowe and Clarke Schmidt to pro ball, and while he doesn’t have their raw stuff, he has a load more pitchability. The guy who could be a prize here, especially in the modern bullpen, is Montes de Oca, who has some of the most explosive stuff of any pitcher in the draft, but his ability to be consistent and control that stuff, especially a second time through the lineup, was lacking. In a multi-inning relief role, however, he could be dominant.
Day Three
Round 11, Overall 320 – Franklin Parra, LHP, New York HS
Round 12, Overall 350 – Ross Adolph, OF, Toledo
Round 13, Overall 380 – Christian Tripp, RHP, New Mexico
Round 14, Overall 410 – Andrew Mitchell, LHP, Auburn
Round 15, Overall 440 – Phil Capra, C, Wagner
Round 16, Overall 470 – L.A. Woodard, SS, Middle Tennessee State
Round 17, Overall 500 – Allan Winans, RHP, Campbell
Round 18, Overall 530 – Chase Chambers, 1B, Tennessee Tech
Round 19, Overall 560 – Tommy Wilson, RHP, Cal State Fullerton
Round 20, Overall 590 – Brooks Warren, LHP, East Central JuCo
Round 21, Overall 620 – Zachary Hammer, RHP, North Carolina HS
Round 22, Overall 650 – Jaylen Palmer, SS, New York HS
Round 23, Overall 680 – Saul Gonzalez, RHP, Florida HS
Round 24, Overall 710 – Hayden Senger, C, Miami (OH)
Round 25, Overall 740 – David Miranda, OF, Florida Atlantic
Round 26, Overall 770 – Brian Sharp, 3B, Missouri
Round 27, Overall 800 – Zach Rheams, OF, Texas Tech
Round 28, Overall 830 – Mitch Hickey, RHP, UC San Diego
Round 29, Overall 860 – Nelson Mompierre, C, St. Thomas
Round 30, Overall 890 – Chandler Avant, SS, Alabama
Round 31, Overall 920 – Brendan Hardy, RHP, Mississippi HS
Round 32, Overall 950 – Jake Mangum, OF, Mississippi State
Round 33, Overall 980 – Mike Picollo, RHP, Kansas HS
Round 34, Overall 1010 – Duke Kinamon, 2B, Stanford
Round 35, Overall 1040 – Ian Mejia, RHP, Arizona HS
Round 36, Overall 1070 – Denzel Clarke, OF, Canada HS
Round 37, Overall 1100 – Zachary Fascia, C, Indian Hills JuCo
Round 38, Overall 1130 – Nick Zona, SS, Virginia HS
Round 39, Overall 1160 – Kody Darcy, SS, Washington HS
Round 40, Overall 1190 – Brian Metoyer, RHP, Louisiana State-Alexandria
The curious pick here is Mangum, who got all the way to the 32nd round before someone snagged him in the 2018 MLB draft. He’s already announced that he will return to Mississippi State and enter the draft for his third time. Local lefty Parra will be an interesting follow as he added velocity in his senior year and could be a surprising player down the road.
Overall Outlook
The Mets grabbed a pair of top high school talents on the first day and followed that up with solid college players on the second day of the MLB draft. Who they can get to sign from the third day will really be interesting overall and determine a lot on how this class looks down the road.
San Diego Padres
Day One
Round 1, Overall 7 – Ryan Weathers, LHP, Tennessee HS
Round 1s, Overall 38 – Xavier Edwards, SS, Florida HS
Round 2s, Overall 74 – Grant Little, OF, Texas Tech
Picking up the 74th selection in a trade with the Minnesota Twins allowed the Padres to be very aggressive with their first two selections, and they grabbed two top-notch high school selections in Weathers and Edwards. I’m personally a big fan of Edwards and think he could be an elite offensive shortstop if he can stick there or one of the better offensive second basemen or center fielders if he ends up moving off of short.
Day Two
Round 3, Overall 84 – Owen Miller, SS, Illinois State
Round 4, Overall 111 – Dylan Coleman, RHP, Missouri State
Round 5, Overall 141 – Dwanya Williams-Sutton, OF, East Carolina
Round 6, Overall 171 – Alexuan Vega, LHP, Puerto Rico HS
Round 7, Overall 201 – Jawuan Harris, OF, Rutgers
Round 8, Overall 231 – Steven Wilson, RHP, Santa Clara
Round 9, Overall 261 – Luke Becker, 2B, Kentucky
Round 10, Overall 291 – Jose Quezada, RHP, Texas Tech
Rather than go for typical senior sign types, the Padres worked the MLB draft by going for small school college guys well in Miller and Coleman and could have two contributors down the road. Vega has just recently made the move to the mound, and he is very intriguing with a fresh arm but already showing feel for a breaker and easy low-90s velocity.
Day Three
Round 11, Overall 321 – Nick Gatewood, C, Georgia State
Round 12, Overall 351 – Sean Guilbe, 2B, Pennsylvania HS
Round 13, Overall 381 – Antoine Kelly, LHP, Illinois HS
Round 14, Overall 411 – Erik Sobrowski, LHP, Cloud County JuCo
Round 15, Overall 441 – Nick Thwaits, RHP, Ohio HS
Round 16, Overall 471 – Michael Curry, OF, Georgia
Round 17, Overall 501 – Hazahel Quijada, LHP, UC Riverside
Round 18, Overall 531 – Dylan Smith, RHP, Texas HS
Round 19, Overall 561 – Ian Villers, RHP, California HS
Round 20, Overall 591 – Reiss Kneirr, RHP, Fordham
Round 21, Overall 621 – Mason Fox, RHP, Gardner-Webb
Round 22, Overall 651 – Payton Smith, OF, South Carolina HS
Round 23, Overall 681 – Nelson Alvarez, RHP, Miami Dade JuCo
Round 24, Overall 711 – Pavin Parks, 3B, Kent State
Round 25, Overall 741 – Lee Solomon, 2B, Lipscomb
Round 26, Overall 771 – Tyler Mortensen, LHP, California HS
Round 27, Overall 801 – Gabe Mosser, RHP, Shippensburg
Round 28, Overall 831 – Jake Plastiak, 3B, Illinois HS
Round 29, Overall 861 – William Duncan, RHP, Texas HS
Round 30, Overall 891 – Cullen Dana, LHP, Seton Hall
Round 31, Overall 921 – Jake Sims, RHP, St. Leo
Round 32, Overall 951 – Cody Tyler, LHP, Wichita State
Round 33, Overall 981 – Rainier Aguilar, C, Redlands
Round 34, Overall 1011 – George Arias, RHP, Arizona HS
Round 35, Overall 1041 – Jake Pfennigs, RHP, Idaho HS
Round 36, Overall 1071 – Will Freeman, RHP, Jones County JuCo
Round 37, Overall 1101 – Ben Abram, RHP, Canada HS
Round 38, Overall 1131 – Michael Suarez, 1B, Florida HS
Round 39, Overall 1161 – Seth Mayberry, RHP, Virginia HS
Round 40, Overall 1191 – Michael Knorr, RHP, California HS
The Padres have depth all over their impressive farm system, and while many teams are finding filler players in the later rounds, the Padres can take flyers on guys to see who will sign and bring in high-end talent. They worked the third day of the 2018 MLB draft exactly that way, starting with Guilbe, who is likely going to move to a corner infield spot, but should be a fun one to watch with impressive raw power.
One player I’m a personal fan of (and not just because of his name) is Ben Abram, a big 6’8 pitcher from Canada. While Abram works in the upper 80s with his fastball, he has such good feel of his four-pitch mix and control as well that he is able to attack hitters with good downward plane. If he could develop another tick on the fastball, he could really be something special. He’s going to be tough to sign as a 37th rounder with a strong commitment to Oklahoma.
Overall Outlook
The Padres were able to be more aggressive early with the extra pick, and it allowed them to set up the draft that really helps get a targeted few into the system rather than brings in a whole slew of players to fill out rosters. Weathers and Edwards at the top is a very potent 1-2 combination.
Atlanta Braves
Day One
Round 1, Overall 8 – Carter Stewart, RHP, Florida HS
Round 2, Overall 49 – Greyson Jenista, OF, Wichita State
The Braves were hard after Stewart, but his number simply didn’t work as late as Sunday night, but noon on Monday, they had an agreement – provided Stewart was there, and he was, bringing the lifelong Braves fan into the organization. Jenista will offer a very high-ceiling bat with a fairly high floor as well, one many had projected mid-first in the early spring.
Day Two
Round 4, Overall 112 – Tristan Beck, RHP, Stanford
Round 5, Overall 142 – Trey Riley, RHP, John A. Logan JuCo
Round 6, Overall 172 – Andrew Moriz, OF, UNC Greensboro
Round 7, Overall 202 – Brooks Wilson, RHP, Stetson
Round 8, Overall 232 – A.J. Graffanino, SS, Washington
Round 9, Overall 262 – Ryan Shetter, RHP Texas Tech
Round 10, Overall 292 – Brett Langhorne, 3B, Carson-Newman
The Braves have a relationship with Beck dating back to high school. If it were not for Kyle Wright falling in their laps last year, Beck was a 2nd round target for the team, and with a late first round grade on him, for him to make it to the Braves in the 4th round seems pre-ordained. Riley has an impressive fastball/slider combo, but he will need refinement of his location along with development on his change to be a starter.
Day Three
Round 11, Overall 322 – Jake Higginbotham, LHP, Clemson
Round 12, Overall 352 – Nolan Kingham, RHP, Texas
Round 13, Overall 382 – Brendan Venter, 3B, Auburn
Round 14, Overall 412 – Victor Vodnik, RHP, California HS
Round 15, Overall 442 – Greg Cullen, 2B, Niagara
Round 16, Overall 472 – Ty Harpenau, RHP, Texas Tech
Round 17, Overall 502 – Justin Dean, OF, Lenoir-Rhyne
Round 18, Overall 532 – Cameron Kurz, RHP, UC San Diego
Round 19, Overall 562 – Zach Daniels, RHP, Iowa
Round 20, Overall 592 – C.J. Alexander, 3B, State JC of Florida
Round 21, Overall 622 – Tanner Lawson, LHP, St. Edward’s
Round 22, Overall 652 – Ray Soderman, C, Oregon
Round 23, Overall 682 – William Woods, RHP, Dyersburg State JuCo
Round 24, Overall 712 – Rusber Estrada, C, Faulkner
Round 25, Overall 742 – Michael Mateja, 3B, North Central
Round 26, Overall 772 – Zach Guth, LHP, Hartford JuCo
Round 27, Overall 802 – Zach Seipel, RHP, Minnesota-Crookston
Round 28, Overall 832 – Derek West, RHP, Pittsburgh
Round 29, Overall 862 – Ray Hernandez, 3B, Alabama State
Round 30, Overall 892 – Mitch Stallings, LHP, Duke
Round 31, Overall 922 – Gabriel Rodriguez, LHP, Miami Dade JuCo
Round 32, Overall 952 – Tre Harris, OF, Missouri
Round 33, Overall 982 – Mason Berne, 1B, UNC Wilmington
Round 34, Overall 1012 – Zack Hess, RHP, LSU
Round 35, Overall 1042 – Logan Brown, C, Southern Indiana
Round 36, Overall 1072 – Victor Cavalieri, LHP, Houghton
Round 37, Overall 1102 – Alex Camacho, RHP, Vanguard
Round 38, Overall 1132 – Franco Aleman, RHP, Florida HS
Round 39, Overall 1162 – Jack Perkins, RHP, Indiana HS
Round 40, Overall 1192 – Micky Mangan, C, Georgia HS
Even with the pick of Stewart and grabbing Beck on Day Two, the Braves continued to be aggressive in the MLB Draft. The 3rd day saw Nolan Kingham, the brother of the Pirates’ Nick, come off the board. Kingham had injury issues in college, but he has legit stuff when healthy. They plucked Rodriguez in the 31st round after the Twins picked him in the 11th round last year as an outfielder. Rodriguez was announced by the Braves as a pitcher, in spite of pitching just 2 innings for Miami Dade this year.
Overall Outlook
Without a 3rd round selection and no comp picks, this is about as well as the Braves could have possibly hoped to come out of the 2018 MLB draft. Stewart, Jenista, and Beck will be a tremendous trio to head the draft with plenty of upside throughout the draft.
Oakland Athletics
Day One
Round 1, Overall 9 – Kyler Murray, OF, Oklahoma
Round 2, Overall 50 – Jameson Hannah, OF, Dallas Baptist
Round 2s, Overall 70 – Jeremy Eierman, SS, Missouri State
All college players, but huge upside on the first day of the MLB draft for the Athletics. This could be my favorite first day overall, as I’m a big fan of both Hannah and Eierman, and if Murray does stick with baseball, then the A’s have one of the biggest upside players in the entire draft to go along with those two.
That all said, there is some significant risk in allowing Murray to continue playing football this fall that the A’s are taking on, including the risk that he follows his teammate in being the #1 overall selection in the NFL draft next spring and ends up having a very tough decision between sports. The obvious injury risk is there as well.
Day Two
Round 3, Overall 85 – Hogan Harris, LHP, Louisiana-Lafayette
Round 4, Overall 113 – Alfonso Rivas, 1B, Arizona
Round 5, Overall 143 – Brady Feigl, RHP, Mississippi
Round 6, Overall 173 – Lawrence Butler, OF, Georgia HS
Round 7, Overall 203 – Charlie Cerny, RHP, Illinois-Chicago
Round 8, Overall 233 – J.J. Schwarz, C, Florida
Round 9, Overall 263 – Chase Cohen, RHP, Georgia Southern
Round 10, Overall 293 – Clark Cota, RHP, UNC Wilmington
The A’s selected just one high school player in the first two days of the 2018 MLB draft, and they found a possible gem in Butler, who has tremendous raw power along with present above-average speed. The big question has been his hit tool, but if he’s given enough time to develop, he could pay big dividends. The big college name to follow here will be Schwarz, who was an impressive hitter in his freshman season, but hadn’t again hit the same way since until this spring and has some questionable tools behind the plate. If he can handle pro pitching and makes the move to first base, he could be a very good value in the 8th round.
Day Three
Round 11, Overall 323 – Joe DeMers, RHP, Washington
Round 12, Overall 353 – Noah Vaughan, OF, Texas-Arlington
Round 13, Overall 383 – Dallas Woolfork, RHP, Mississippi
Round 14, Overall 413 – Gus Varland, RHP, Concordia
Round 15, Overall 443 – Calvin Coker, RHP, Auburn
Round 16, Overall 473 – Bryce Nightengale, RHP, George Mason
Round 17, Overall 503 – Devin Foyle, OF, Kansas
Round 18, Overall 533 – Coble Vance, 2B, Alabama
Round 19, Overall 563 – Matt Cross, C, Niagara County JuCo
Round 20, Overall 593 – Max Schuemann, 2B, Eastern Michigan
Round 21, Overall 623 – Daniel Martinez, RHP, Riverside JuCo
Round 22, Overall 653 – Aiden McIntyre, RHP, Holy Names
Round 23, Overall 683 – Jonah Bride, 3B, South Carolian
Round 24, Overall 713 – Dakota Mills, RHP, Sam Houston State
Round 25, Overall 743 – Alonzo Jones, OF, Vanderbilt
Round 26, Overall 773 – Leudeny Pineda, RHP, Advanced Software Analysis-Miami
Round 27, Overall 803 – Chase Calabuig, OF, San Diego State
Round 28, Overall 833 – Reid Birlingmair, RHP, Illinois-Chicago
Round 29, Overall 863 – Austin Briggs, LHP, McNeese State
Round 30, Overall 893 – Gio Dincong, 1B, St. Thomas Aquinas
Round 31, Overall 923 – Alex Pantuso, RHP, Slippery Rock
Round 32, Overall 953 – John Jones, C, North Greenville
Round 33, Overall 983 – Joseph Pena, SS, St. Thomas Aquinas
Round 34, Overall 1013 – Nick Ward, 2B, West Chester
Round 35, Overall 1043 – Brandon White, RHP, Connecticut HS
Round 36, Overall 1073 – Chad Bryant, RHP, Pensacola State JuCo
Round 37, Overall 1103 – Andrew Miller, OF, California HS
Round 38, Overall 1133 – Austin Piscotty, OF, St. Mary’s
Round 39, Overall 1163 – Hudson Haskin, OF, Connecticut HS
Round 40, Overall 1193 – Lyndon Weaver, OF, Georgia HS
The Athletics continued to stick tight to their budget, staying away from high school players on the day until the 35th round. They still found an impressive collection of players, including a personal favorite in Gus Varland, a D-II with a big fastball and a very solid slider that could work as a bullpen, very feasibly one that’d work well for multiple innings.
Overall Outlook
Hannah and Eierman are two of my favorite players in this year’s class. Hannah and Murray will likely take time to develop, in spite of being college players, while Eierman could be quick to the majors, perhaps even pushing for an opening day job next season. He’ll be flexible where he plays defensively, and he could be a powerful hitter in the middle infield.
The A’s would likely have one of the 5 best drafts if I were to grade them, and their fans should be very excited, even with the college-heavy approach of the draft.
Pittsburgh Pirates
Day One
Round 1, Overall 10 – Travis Swaggerty, OF, South Alabama
Round 1s, Overall 36 – Gunnar Hugland, RHP, Florida HS
Round 2, Overall 51 – Braxton Ashcraft, RHP, Texas HS
As they do seemingly every year, the Pirates put a strong focus on their first day, bringing in Swaggerty, who was considered the top college bat by many coming into the season and still had a solid season on the year, just not to the level of a few others that pushed ahead of him. Hoglund and Ashcraft were both excellent arms that some may have argued were taken ahead of more talented arms, but both fit what has been a model of Pirate pitcher that seems to do well in their development system.
Day Two
Round 3, Overall 86 – Connor Kaiser, SS, Vanderbilt
Round 4, Overall 114 – Aaron Shortridge, RHP, California
Round 5, Overall 144 – Grant Koch, C, Arkansas
Round 6, Overall 174 – Michael Flynn, RHP, Arizona
Round 7, Overall 204 – Brett Kinneman, OF, North Carolina State
Round 8, Overall 234 – Zach Spears, LHP, Miami Ohio
Round 9, Overall 264 – Logan Stoelke, RHP, Louisiana Lafayette
Round 10, Overall 294 – Mike Gretler, 3B, Oregon State
After getting some higher-priced guys on day one, the Pirates used the second day of the MLB draft to get all college players. Koch is a favorite with his excellent eye and big power and a chance to stick behind the plate. Spears is a guy to watch that could be very interesting at 6’7″ with a low 3/4, nearly-sidearm slot that gives his low-90s fastball a different look and movement than most see along with different break on his breaking stuff than most are used to as well.
Day Three
Round 11, Overall 324 – Michael Burrows, RHP, Connecticut HS
Round 12, Overall 354 – Zac Susi, C, Connecticut
Round 13, Overall 384 – Zack Kone, SS, Duke
Round 14, Overall 414 – Daniel Amaral, OF, UCLA
Round 15, Overall 444 – Jonah Davis, OF, California
Round 16, Overall 474 – Colin Selby, RHP, Randolph-Macon
Round 17, Overall 504 – Brad Case, RHP, Rollins
Round 18, Overall 534 – Michael Lopresti, RHP, St. John’s
Round 19, Overall 564 – Will Kobos, RHP, George Washington
Round 20, Overall 594 – Conner Loeprich, RHP, St. Mary’s
Round 21, Overall 624 – Will Gardner, RHP, Carson-Newman
Round 22, Overall 654 – Jason Brandow, OF, California HS
Round 23, Overall 684 – Tyler Miller, SS, Alabama HS
Round 24, Overall 714 – Cam Alldred, LHP, Cincinnati
Round 25, Overall 744 – Luke Mangieri, OF, Bradley
Round 26, Overall 774 – Ethan Paul, 2B, Venderbilt
Round 27, Overall 804 – Ryan Haug, C, Arizona
Round 28, Overall 834 – Nick Patten, 1B, Delaware
Round 29, Overall 864 – Giovanni DiGiacomo, OF, Florida HS
Round 30, Overall 894 – Jack Herman, OF, New Jersey HS
Round 31, Overall 924 – Chase Lambert, SS, Pepperdine
Round 32, Overall 954 – Dean Lockery, 2B, Central Connecticut State
Round 33, Overall 984 – Joe Jacques, LHP, Manhattan
Round 34, Overall 1014 – Davis Sharpe, RHP, Georgia HS
Round 35, Overall 1044 – Justin Harrer, OF, Washington State
Round 36, Overall 1074 – Emanuel Andrews, OF, California HS
Round 37, Overall 1104 – Lavoisier Fisher, OF, Georgia HS
Round 38, Overall 1134 – Brendt Citta, OF, Kansas
Round 39, Overall 1164 – Cody Smith, RHP, Charleston Southern
Round 40, Overall 1194 – Jake Mielock, RHP, Colorado Mesa
The Pirates third day of the 2018 MLB draft was filled with a lot of college filler type of players, but they could have a gem even in that group in Davis, who has tremendous raw power but needs to calm down his swing some to make enough consistent contact to access that power.
Overall Outlook
The Pirates struck hard in the first day, as is their typical nature, and their focus heavy on college in the next two days of the MLB draft should give them some future pieces of a roster, but it likely doesn’t lead to high-upside guys breaking through. That isn’t the Pirates’ strategy, however, as they look to invest in that upside early in the draft.
Miami Marlins
Day One
Round 1, Overall 13 – Connor Scott, OF, Florida HS
Round 2, Overall 53 – Osiris Johnson, SS, California HS
Round 2s, Overall 69 – Will Banfield, C, Georgia HS
The Marlins got a trio of big upside guys on the first day of the 2018 MLB draft. Scott has a tremendous amount of speed and defense now with a chance to develop average power to go along with it. Johnson is a very exciting player with a ton of ceiling. Banfield is tremendously advanced behind the plate with raw power at the plate, but some worry about how he’ll get to that power.
Day Two
Round 3, Overall 89 – Tristan Pompey, OF, Kentucky
Round 4, Overall 117 – Nick Fortes, C, Mississippi
Round 5, Overall 147 – Chris Vallimont, RHP, Mercyhurst
Round 6, Overall 177 – Cameron Barstad, C, California HS
Round 7, Overall 207 – Cason Sherrod, RHP, Texas A&M
Round 8, Overall 237 – Peyton Culbertson, RHP, Arkansas State
Round 9, Overall 267 – Jake Walters, RHP, Alabama
Round 10, Overall 297 – Tanner Andrews, RHP, Purdue
The Marlins grabbed one of the better contact hitters in college in Pompey, who struggled in the second half of the season and really never saw his power tick up to match his contact skills. Culbertson is an impressive arm that can touch triple digits in short bursts and has struggled with control as a starter. He could become a very useful reliever.
Day Three
Round 11, Overall 327 – Davis Bradshaw, OF Meridian JuCo
Round 12, Overall 357 – Zack Leban, RHP, Kansas
Round 13, Overall 387 – Keegan Fish, C, Ohio HS
Round 14, Overall 417 – Eli Villalobos, RHP, Long Beach State
Round 15, Overall 447 – Zach Greene, RHP, South Alabama
Round 16, Overall 477 – Sam Bordner, RHP, Louisville
Round 17, Overall 507 – Alex Vesia, LHP, Cal State East Bay
Round 18, Overall 537 – Zach Wolf, RHP, Seattle
Round 19, Overall 567 – Justin Evans, RHP, Columbus State
Round 20, Overall 597 – Cam Baird, RHP, Texas State
Round 21, Overall 627 – Connor Grant, OF, North Greenville
Round 22, Overall 657 – Milton Smith, OF, Meridian JuCo
Round 23, Overall 687 – Giovanni Lopez, RHP, Missouri
Round 24, Overall 717 – Nathan Alexander, RHP, Texas-San Antonio
Round 25, Overall 747 – Luke Jarvis, SS, Auburn
Round 26, Overall 777 – Tyler Jones, RHP, Wichita State
Round 27, Overall 807 – Harrison DiNicola, OF, Texas A&M-Corpus Christi
Round 28, Overall 837 – Gunnar Schubert, SS, Gonzaga
Round 29, Overall 867 – C.J. Carter, RHP, Troy
Round 30, Overall 897 – Garrett McDaniels, LHP, South Carolina HS
Round 31, Overall 927 – Steve Scott, OF, Vanderbilt
Round 32, Overall 957 – Jake Norton, RHP, Stephen F. Austin State
Round 33, Overall 987 – Andrew Martinez, SS, UC Santa Barbara
Round 34, Overall 1017 – Joe Strzelecki, RHP, Nova Southeastern
Round 35, Overall 1047 – Jackson Rose, RHP, Minnesota
Round 36, Overall 1077 – Riley Egloff, RHP, Colorado HS
Round 37, Overall 1107 – Robby Martin, OF, Florida HS
Round 38, Overall 1137 – Bryce Miller, RHP, Blinn JuCo
Round 39, Overall 1167 – Andrew Turner, 3B, Long Island
Round 40, Overall 1197 – Andrew Miller, LHP, Kentucky
The Marlins went after relievers heavy on day 3, headlined by Kansas fireballer Leban, who can pump out upper 90s with a big frame to back it up. Interestingly, the Marlins selected Andrew Turner out of Long Island in the 40th round in 2017. A year later, they took him just one round earlier.
Overall Outlook
The Marlins went big with upside on day one, and that really set the tone for the rest of their 2018 MLB draft. They should see a few of the pitchers picked later on make an impact at some point in a bullpen, though.
Texas Rangers
Day One
Round 1, overall 15 – Cole Winn, RHP, California HS
Round 2, overall 55 – Owen White, RHP, North Carolina HS
While the Rangers have become known in the MLB draft for going for major upside, when the choice of the majority of the talented high school pitching class at their disposal with the 15th pick presented itself, the Rangers actually went for the guy who has arguably the highest floor of the first tier of the high school arms. Winn has an excellent balance of pitches that allow him to project well as a mid-rotation starter, but he has the ability to tick up with those pitches to become a frontline starter.
Day Two
Round 3, overall 91 – Jonathan Ornelas, SS, Arizona HS
Round 4, overall 119 – Mason Englert, RHP, Texas HS
Round 5, overall 149 – Jayce Easley, SS, Arizona HS
Round 6, overall 179 – Sean Chandler, RHP, Iowa Western JuCo
Round 7, overall 209 – Tim Brennan, RHP, St. Joseph’s
Round 8, overall 239 – Jax Biggers, SS, Arkansas
Round 9, overall 269 – Chandler Sanburn, RHP, Wichita State
Round 10, overall 299 – Leury Tejada, RHP, New York HS
The Rangers continued to push hard after upside guys, and it’s very feasible that they don’t bring all of these guys on board. The combination of Ornelas and Easley is very interesting, as Ornelas has the size to move to third and projects to have some impressive power if he sticks at short. Easley, from the same state, has plus power and a smaller frame, likely moving to second base if he doesn’t stick at short.
Day Three
Round 11, overall 329 – Billy Layne, RHP, Seton Hall
Round 12, overall 359 – Destin Dotson, LHP, Louisiana HS
Round 13, overall 389 – Kenen Irizarry, SS, Puerto Rico HS
Round 14, overall 419 – Theo McDowell, RHP, Connecticut HS
Round 15, overall 449 – Cameron Simmons, OF, Virginia
Round 16, overall 479 – Jonathan Edwards, RHP, Georgia HS
Round 17, overall 509 – Scott Kapers, C, Valparaiso
Round 18, overall 539 – Grant Wolfram, LHP, Davenport
Round 19, overall 569 – Xavier Valentin, C, Puerto Rico HS
Round 20, overall 599 – Nic Laio, RHP, Western Michigan
Round 21, overall 629 – Cody Hawthorne, LHP, Parkland JuCo
Round 22, overall 659 – Frainyer Chavez, SS, Midland JuCo
Round 23, overall 689 – Wyatt Sparks, RHP, Missouri HS
Round 24, overall 719 – Troy Dixon, OF, Samford
Round 25, overall 749 – Josh Smith, LHP, Grand Valley State
Round 26, overall 779 – David Lebron, RHP, Tampa
Round 27, overall 809 – Antonio Knowles, RHP, Florida HS
Round 28, overall 839 – Renton Poole, RHP, Indiana-Kokomo
Round 29, overall 869 – Glen Richardson, RHP, Sinclair JuCo
Round 30, overall 899 – Evan Reifert, RHP, North Iowa Area JuCo
Round 31, overall 929 – Ryan Anderson, OF, UC Davis
Round 32, overall 959 – Owen Sharts, RHP, California HS
Round 33, overall 989 – Reynaldo Pichardo, C, Dawson JuCo
Round 34, overall 1019 – Noah Burkholder, RHP, Waubonsee JuCo
Round 35, overall 1049 – Tyler Depreta Johnson, SS, Houston Baptist
Round 36, overall 1079 – William Corcoran, RHP, Pennsylvania HS
Round 37, overall 1109 – Austin Becker, RHP, Ohio HS
Round 38, overall 1139 – Reggie Meyer, RHP, Minnesota
Round 39, overall 1169 – Shea Patterson, 3B, Michigan
Round 40, overall 1199 – Cole Uvila, RHP, Georgia Gwinnett
The Rangers’ 3rd day of the MLB draft was highly focused on upside plays. The breakdown showed exactly that – 10 HS, 6 JuCo out of 30 selections. Of the guys who are going to be more signable, one that I’m a big fan of is Valentin, the son of former big league catcher Javier Valentin, who has a very good maturity behind the plate, though his feel for the game allows him to play well around the diamond defensively. He has a contact-oriented offensive approach, but there’s some projection in his body that could lead to average or better power as well.
Overall Outlook
This is an incredible upside draft, even by the standards of a team that typically focuses on upside like the Rangers. It would not surprise if the Rangers end up with roughly half of their picks actually signing, but they could still do very well even with only half of the picks signing due to the extreme upside of the picks made here.
Tampa Bay Rays
Day One
Round 1, Overall 16 – Matthew Liberatore, LHP, Arizona HS
Round 1s, Overall 31 – Shane McClanahan, LHP, South Florida
Round 1s, Overall 32 – Nick Schnell, OF, Indiana HS
Round 2, Overall 56 – Tyler Frank, IF, Florida Atlantic
Round 2s, Overall 71 – Tanner Dodson, RHP/OF, California
This is an incredible first day in upside, but it also has some very good future contributors at the major league level and another example of the Rays taking a chance that other teams really aren’t. Dodson’s ability on both sides of the ball really made him difficult to project as many teams were unsure whether to project him as a hitter or pitcher, but the Rays reportedly intend to let him do both, at least initially.
The big haul happened in the first three picks, with the top-rated lefty arm in the high school class in Liberatore, one of the best all-around players in the draft in Schnell, and in between arguably the most electric arm in the 2018 MLB draft in McClanahan.
Day Two
Round 3, Overall 92 – Ford Proctor, SS, Rice
Round 4, Overall 120 – Grant Witherspoon, OF, Tulane
Round 5, Overall 150 – Taj Bradley, RHP, Georgia HS
Round 6, Overall 180 – Miller Hogan, RHP, Saint Louis
Round 7, Overall 210 – Joe Ryan, RHP, Cal State Stanislaus
Round 8, Overall 240 – Michael Berglund, C, Midland JuCo
Round 9, Overall 270 – Nick Lee, RHP, Louisiana-Lafayette
Round 10, Overall 300 – Alan Strong, RHP, UNLV
The Rays went after some high upside guys from smaller schools and lower-profile schools, but there are some great guys tthat could come out of this group. One of my personal favorites is Ryan, a righty with a very good 3-pitch mix with a feel to alter his slider and fastball to give multiple looks off each pitch with real #2 upside.
Day Three
Round 11, Overall 330 – Jacson McGowan, 1B, Purdue
Round 12, Overall 360 – Kevin Melendez, C, Puerto Rico HS
Round 13, Overall 390 – Trey Cumbie, LHP, Houston
Round 14, Overall 420 – Chris Gau, RHP, Jacksonville
Round 15, Overall 450 – Nick Sprengel, LHP, San Diego
Round 16, Overall 480 – Marvin Malone, OF, Southeastern
Round 17, Overall 510 – Justin Montgomery, RHP, California Baptist
Round 18, Overall 540 – Jake Palomaki, SS, Boston College
Round 19, Overall 570 – Simon Rosenblum-Larson, RHP, Harvard
Round 20, Overall 600 – Stephen Yancey, RHP, Texas Wesleyan
Round 21, Overall 630 – Kerry Wright, RHP, Florida HS
Round 22, Overall 660 – Jack Labosky, RHP, Duke
Round 23, Overall 690 – Dalveyon Whittle, RHP, Fresno JuCo
Round 24, Overall 720 – Keegan McCarville, RHP, South Mountain JuCo
Round 25, Overall 750 – Jordan Qsar, OF, Pepperdine
Round 26, Overall 780 – Steffan Moore, LHP, West Alabama
Round 27, Overall 810 – Heath Renz, RHP, Wisconsin-Whitewater
Round 28, Overall 840 – Tanner Brubaker, RHP, Saddleback JuCo
Round 29, Overall 870 – Russ Olive, 1B, Massachusetts-Lowell
Round 30, Overall 900 – Eric Cerantola, RHP, Canada HS
Round 31, Overall 930 – Michael Costanzo, LHP, Austin Peay State
Round 32, Overall 960 – Kaleo Johnson, 3B, Montana State
Round 33, Overall 990 – Beau Brundage, OF, Portland
Round 34, Overall 1020 – Dawson Dimon, C, California HS
Round 35, Overall 1050 – B.J. Myers, RHP, West Virginia
Round 36, Overall 1080 – K.V. Edwards, SS, Cowley County JuCo
Round 37, Overall 1110 – John Rodriguez, SS, Florida HS
Round 38, Overall 1140 – Garrett Wade, LHP, Alabama HS
Round 39, Overall 1170 – C.J. Willis, C, Louisianna HS
Round 40, Overall 1200 – David Luethje, RHP, Florida HS
The third day was a collection of junior college picks, college relievers, and a few scattered high schoolers before the very end, when the Rays included a group of high schoolers they knew would not sign. One guy to watch will be Nick Sprangel, who was an elite guy coming into the season but suddenly developed the “yips” specifically with his fastball, where he can no longer throw the fastball for strikes, but he can locate his above-average breaking pitches very well. If he can get his fastball feel back, he could be a huge steal here, and even if not, he could turn into a solid LOOGY.
Overall Outlook
The Rays had an incredible first day and have the money to bring home a few of their “tough-sign” 3rd day picks for one of the most impressive hauls of the 2018 MLB draft.
Los Angeles Angels
Day One
Round 1, Overall 17 – Jordyn Adams, OF, North Carolina HS
Round 2, Overall 57 – Jeremiah Jackson, SS, Alabama HS
In the final days before the draft, the Angels emerged as a real player in the Adams market as he was rumored heavily to be going to those who had extra picks on the first day before the Angels emerged, and they must have felt they could get a deal done in order to make the selection. Adams’ incredible athleticism will carry him while he builds up his baseball skills to match. Jackson is rangy with good future power projection that could play very well at third or be at least average a short.
Day Two
Round 3, Overall 93 – Aaron Hernandez, RHP, Texas A&M-Corpus Christi
Round 4, Overall 121 – Kyle Bradish, RHP, New Mexico State
Round 5, Overall 151 – William English, RHP, Michigan HS
Round 6, Overall 181 – Austin Warren, RHP, UNC Wilmington
Round 7, Overall 211 – Andrew Wantz, RHP, UNC Greensboro
Round 8, Overall 241 – Tyler Smith, RHP, Canisius
Round 9, Overall 271 – Jake Lee, RHP, Oakland
Round 10, Overall 301 – Ben Morrison, RHP, Western Kentucky
Hernandez has a ton of velocity, but he might be a reliever due to his lack of movement on the heater. After grabbing English in the 5th round, the Angels focused heavily on college relievers, grabbing some excellent arms that should provide immediate help in full-season leagues and could move quickly, with Jake Lee being a personal favorite for his combination of intimidating size on the mound, velocity on his fastball, and crazy movement on his breaker when he’s at his best.
Day Three
Round 11, Overall 331 – Connor Van Scoyoc, RHP, Iowa HS
Round 12, Overall 361 – Daniel Nunan, LHP, New Jersey HS
Round 13, Overall 391 – Connor Criswell, RHP, North Carolina
Round 14, Overall 421 – Drevian Nelson, OF, Texas HS
Round 15, Overall 451 – Nick Frank, RHP, St. Mary’s
Round 16, Overall 481 – Chase Chaney, RHP, Georgia HS
Round 17, Overall 511 – Luis Alvarado, RHP, Nebraska
Round 18, Overall 541 – Dylan King, RHP, Belmont
Round 19, Overall 571 – Datren Bray, OF, Gordon State JuCo
Round 20, Overall 601 – Kyle Tyler, RHP, Oklahoma
Round 21, Overall 631 – Christian Reyes, RHP, no school
Round 22, Overall 661 – Hunter Milam, LHP, Alabama HS
Round 23, Overall 691 – William Rivera, OF, Puerto Rico HS
Round 24, Overall 721 – Isaiah Campbell, RHP, Arkansas
Round 25, Overall 751 – Dazon Cole, RHP, Central Michigan
Round 26, Overall 781 – Darrien Williams, RHP, Prairie View A&M
Round 27, Overall 811 – Jacob Voss, RHP, Creighton
Round 28, Overall 841 – Mitch Spires, SS, Winthrop
Round 29, Overall 871 – Seth Caldwell, RHP, Tennessee HS
Round 30, Overall 901 – Connor Higgins, LHP, Arizona State
Round 31, Overall 931 – Mitchell Miller, LHP, Clemson
Round 32, Overall 961 – Jared Janczak, RHP, TCU
Round 33, Overall 991 – Wade Bailey, 2B, Georgia Tech
Round 34, Overall 1021 – Paul McIntosh, C, Motlow State JuCo
Round 35, Overall 1051 – Tim Millard, 3B, Dallas Baptist
Round 36, Overall 1081 – Hueston Morrill, RHP, Florida HS
Round 37, Overall 1111 – D.C. Clawson, C, Brigham Young
Round 38, Overall 1141 – Chandler Champlain, RHP, California HS
Round 39, Overall 1171 – Max Alba, RHP, Wisconsin HS
Round 40, Overall 1201 – Sam Stoutenborough, RHP, California HS
While there were plenty of intriguing picks on the third day of the 2018 MLB draft for the Angels, two definitely stick out. In the 21st round, the Angels selected Christian Reyes by scouting him at a “Sunday league”, which could be one of the best stories of the draft. Three rounds later, they picked a guy who some had as a definite day 1 guy in Campbell. If they can get him to sign, he’s got an excellent pitch mix and good control that could project to a very good mid-rotation arm, which is tremendous value that late in the draft.
Overall Outlook
The Angels swung big on the first day of the 2018 MLB draft, which led to a load of college relievers on day 2, but they finished out with a good balance of players on the third day that will continue to add to the quickly-improving Angels farm system.
Kansas City Royals
Day One
Round 1, overall 18 – Brady Singer, RHP, Florida
Round 1s, overall 33 – Jackson Kowar, RHP, Florida
Round 1s, overall 34 – Daniel Lynch, LHP, Virginia
Round 1s, overall 40 – Kris Bubic, LHP, Stanford
Round 2, overall 58 – Jonathan Bowlan, RHP, Memphis
Definitely a strategy here for the Royals on the first day of the 2018 MLB draft, and it’s one that could pay off very well for them, as they went heavily after college pitching on the first day, grabbing guys who will likely move quickly and should be able to impact the major league team as soon as the 2019 season in many cases. Singer fell to the 18th spot, but he is a guy that many are not 100% sold will be a starter long-term, though it’s hard to find anyone that doesn’t believe he has a major league career ahead of him in some variety.
Day Two
Round 3, overall 94 – Kyle Isbel, 2B, UNLV
Round 4, overall 122 – Eric Cole, OF, Arkansas
Round 5, overall 152 – Austin Cox, LHP, Mercer
Round 6, overall 182 – Zach Haake, RHP, Kentucky
Round 7, overall 212 – Tyler Gray, RHP, Central Arkansas
Round 8, overall 242 – Jackson Lueck, OF, Florida State
Round 9, overall 272 – Kevon Jackson, OF, Arizona HS
Round 10, overall 302 – Austin Lambright, LHP, Central Oklahoma
The Royals continued their college path, making their first high school pick in the 9th round, when they grabbed Jackson, a tremendous runner with 80-grade speed and an arm that received plus-plus grades as well, leading to him playing mostly right field this year in spite of not a lot of power in his bat. Isbel reminds many of a poor man’s Ian Happ with his ability to handle 2B and CF.
Day Three
Round 11, overall 332 – Michael Emodi, C, Creighton
Round 12, overall 362 – Rylan Kaufman, LHP, San Jacinto JuCo
Round 13, overall 392 – Jon Heasley, RHP, Oklahoma State
Round 14, overall 422 – Christian Cosby, RHP, Chapman
Round 15, overall 452 – Milan Walla, OF, Texas HS
Round 16, overall 482 – Kyle Hinton, RHP, Delaware
Round 17, overall 512 – Noah Bryant, RHP, Georgia Highlands JuCo
Round 18, overall 542 – R.J. Dabovich, RHP, Central Arizona JuCo
Round 19, overall 572 – Hunter Wolfe, SS, Walters State JuCo
Round 20, overall 602 – Josh Hendrickson, LHP, Barton JuCo
Round 21, overall 632 – Nathan Eaton, C, Virginia Military Institute
Round 22, overall 662 – Bryce Hensley, LHP, UNC Greensboro
Round 23, overall 692 – Josh Dye, LHP, Florida Gulf Coast
Round 24, overall 722 – Gage Hughes, SS, Kentucky HS
Round 25, overall 752 – Hunter Strong, OF, Central Arkansas
Round 26, overall 782 – Daniel James, RHP, Texas-Arlington
Round 27, overall 812 – Derrick Adams, LHP, Jacksonville State
Round 28, overall 842 – Rhett Aplin, 1B, Florida State
Round 29, overall 872 – Andres Nunez, RHP, Florida International
Round 30, overall 902 – Kyle Kasser, 2B, Oregon
Round 31, overall 932 – William Hancock, C, Central Arkansas
Round 32, overall 962 – Brhet Bewley, 3B, San Diego
Round 33, overall 992 – Ted Cillis, LHP, Hofstra
Round 34, overall 1022 – Ty Madden, RHP, Texas HS
Round 35, overall 1052 – Kody Hoese, 3B, Tulane
Round 36, overall 1082 – Elijah Pleasants, RHP, Tennessee HS
Round 37, overall 1112 – David Hollie, OF, Georgia HS
Round 38, overall 1142 – Trae Robertson, LHP, Missouri HS
Round 39, overall 1172 – Adam Hackenberg, C, Virginia HS
Round 40, overall 1202 – Ky Bush, LHP, Utah HS
Though not going purely after 4-year college guys, the Royals still mostly avoided high school guys until the very end of day 3 of the 2018 MLB draft. The third day ended up being very strongly focused on junior college selections, as the Royals nabbed five by the end of the 20th round, the most notable of which is 19th rounder Hunter Wolfe, a shortstop with plus speed and a plus arm along with an inate ability to make contact with the ball, even if his swing isn’t exactly textbook.
Overall Outlook
The Royals grabbed high school talent in the 2017 draft that really put a few high-ceiling pieces into the farm system. The 2018 MLB draft was about adding depth into the system and quality depth that could impact the major league club quickly. From the results of how things worked out, the plan worked in the drafting phase. Now it will be up to the players to make the leaps up pro ball to the big leagues.
St. Louis Cardinals
Day One
Round 1, Overall 19 – Nolan Gorman, 3B, Arizona HS
Round 1s, Overall 43 – Griffin Roberts, RHP, Wake Forest
Round 2s, Overall 75 – Luken Baker, 1B, TCU
Gorman had some of the most prodigious power in the high school class in this draft. He will need to work on his body to stay at 3B long-term, but the power is real and could be impactful to a Cardinals lineup (and farm system) currently without a lot of big power. Baker is another that could be a major steal at the 75th pick, as he has been one of the best hitters in college baseball when healthy, but he’s had a number of crazy injuries over his college career that kept him off the field.
Day Two
Round 3, Overall 95 – Mateo Gil, SS, Texas HS
Round 4, Overall 123 – Steven Gingery, LHP, Texas Tech
Round 5, Overall 153 – Nick Dunn, 2B, Maryland
Round 6, Overall 183 – Juan Gonzalez, RHP, Fresno State
Round 7, Overall 213 – Brendan Donovan, 3B, South Alabama
Round 8, Overall 243 – Lars Nootbaar, OF, Southern California
Round 9, Overall 273 – Matt Duce, C, Dallas Baptist
Round 10, Overall 303 – Kevin Woodall, 1B, Coastal Carolina
The Cardinals grabbed some guys who were going to be fairly tough signs on the first day, so they were heavy on the college side on the second day of the 2018 MLB draft. They did grab a potential gem with Gingery, who had Tommy John early in the season and missed most of the year, but he had a good argument among the top lefties in the entire college class before his injury and could be a big piece once he returns healthy.
Day Three
Round 11, Overall 333 – Chris Holba, RHP, East Carolina
Round 12, Overall 363 – Francisco Justo, RHP, Monroe JuCo
Round 13, Overall 393 – Colin Schmid, LHP, Appalachian State
Round 14, Overall 423 – Brandon Riley, 2B, North Carolina
Round 15, Overall 453 – Mike Brettell, RHP, Central Michigan
Round 16, Overall 483 – Evan Sisk, LHP, College of Charleston
Round 17, Overall 513 – Kyle Leahy, RHP, Colorado Mesa
Round 18, Overall 543 – Cole Aker, RHP, Tampa
Round 19, Overall 573 – Josh Shaw, 2B, St. John’s
Round 20, Overall 603 – Parker Kelly, RHP, Oregon
Round 21, Overall 633 – Michael Perri, SS, San Francisco
Round 22, Overall 663 – Kevin Vargas, SS, Puerto Rico HS
Round 23, Overall 693 – Michael Baird, RHP, Southern Illinois
Round 24, Overall 723 – Eli Kraus, LHP, Kent State
Round 25, Overall 753 – Troy Montemayor, RHP, Baylor
Round 26, Overall 783 – Connor Coward, RHP, Virginia Tech
Round 27, Overall 813 – Perry Deliavalle, RHP, Seton Hill
Round 28, Overall 843 – Justin Toerner, OF, Cal State Northridge
Round 29, Overall 873 – Alerick Soularie, OF, San Jacinto JuCo
Round 30, Overall 903 – Kendrick Calilao, OF, Florida HS
Round 31, Overall 933 – Ty Cohen, RHP, Florida Tech
Round 32, Overall 963 – Brandon Purcell, C, Georgia College & State
Round 33, Overall 993 – Chris Rivera, RHP, Long Beach State
Round 34, Overall 1023 – Benito Santiago, C, Tennessee
Round 35, Overall 1053 – Liam Sabino, 3B, Pittsburgh
Round 36, Overall 1083 – Cole Kreuter, 3B, UC Irvine
Round 37, Overall 1113 – Christian Caudle, C, Texas A&M-Kingsville
Round 38, Overall 1143 – Jaden Hill, RHP, Arkansas HS
Round 39, Overall 1173 – Zach Gahagan, 3B, North Carolina
Round 40, Overall 1203 – Andrew Warner, OF, Columbia
The Cardinals stuck primarily with college picks in the third day of the MLB draft, though they do have two very intriguing high school picks if they can get either to sign. Their 22nd round pick, Kevin Vargas from Puerto Rico, was one of the top prospects from the island coming into the spring, but many felt he stagnated in his final season, leading to a fall down draft boards. He could be a very intriguing guy to bring in the system if the Cardinals can sign him away from Florida International. The other intriguing high schooler also is committed in the state of Florida, but to the Gators. Outfielder Kendrick Calilao doesn’t have a standout speed or power tool, but his contact ability is one of the best in the entire class, and if the Cardinals can keep him from Gainesville, he has received comparisons to Mark Kotsay.
Overall Outlook
The Cardinals went for the big bats with two of their three first day picks and also grabbed a very high floor arm with their third selection. Balancing out the next two days to keep money available to sign those first-day guys along with inking a few of the upside plays of day 3 will be a balancing act, but this is a very solid grouping overall.
Minnesota Twins
Day One
Round 1, Overall 20 – Trevor Larnach, OF, Oregon State
Round 2, Overall 59 – Ryan Jeffers, C, UNC Wilmington
Without a 3rd round pick and no supplemental picks after trading theirs away, the Minnesota Twins were really not in the market on the high school pitchers due to bonus amounts. That meant hoping for the right college guy to fall to them, and the 2018 MLB draft obliged with one of the most productive power hitters in the college ranks this year still on the board at #20. Larnach is not an elite defender, but he will hold his own in a corner outfield spot, and he offers a tremendous amount of power in his swing.
Day Two
Round 4, Overall 124 – DaShawn Keirsey, OF, Utah
Round 5, Overall 154 – Cole Sands, RHP, Florida State
Round 6, Overall 184 – Charles Mack, 3B, New York HS
Round 7, Overall 214 – Josh Winder, RHP, Virginia Military Institute
Round 8, Overall 244 – Chris Williams, C, Clemson
Round 9, Overall 274 – Joe Garry, OF, Mississippi HS
Round 10, Overall 304 – Regi Grace, RHP, Mississippi HS
After ensuring they had signability handled, the Twins attacked the second day with fervor, grabbing three high school players and a pair of very good college players as well. Keirsey is a very athletic outfielder that should show well with the bat, though a hip injury last spring could hinder what was once plus speed as well. Williams joins Jeffers as two bat-first catchers drafted by the Twins that may never work behind the plate. Sands has been dinged up this season, but he’s been a consistent performer for a big-time program the last few seasons, and he has the stuff to back that up. He could move quickly.
Day Three
Round 11, Overall 334 – Michael Helman, 2B, Texas A&M
Round 12, Overall 364 – Jon Olsen, RHP, UCLA
Round 13, Overall 394 – Trevor Casanova, C, Cal State Northridge
Round 14, Overall 424 – Erick Rivera, OF, Puerto Rico HS
Round 15, Overall 454 – Kody Funderburk, LHP, Dallas Baptist
Round 16, Overall 484 – Anthony Tuionetoa, RHP, Hawaii HS
Round 17, Overall 514 – Erik Cha, LHP, Cal State Fullerton
Round 18, Overall 544 – Andrew Cabezas, RHP, Miami
Round 19, Overall 574 – Austin Schulfer, RHP, Wisconsin-Milwaukee
Round 20, Overall 604 – Seth Pinkerton, RHP, Hartford
Round 21, Overall 634 – Gabe Snyder, 1B, Wright State
Round 22, Overall 664 – Jacob Blank, RHP, Augustana
Round 23, Overall 694 – Albee Weiss, C, Cal State Northridge
Round 24, Overall 724 – Michael Davis, 3B, Texas Tech
Round 25, Overall 754 – Laron Smith, C, Canada HS
Round 26, Overall 784 – Brian Rapp, RHP, Boston College
Round 27, Overall 814 – Hunter Lee, RHP, High Point
Round 28, Overall 844 – Austin Hale, C, Stetson
Round 29, Overall 874 – J.T. Perez, LHP, Cincinnati
Round 30, Overall 904 – Seth Halvorsen, RHP, Minnesota HS
Round 31, Overall 934 – Zach Neff, LHP, Mississippi State
Round 32, Overall 964 – Ryan Holgate, OF, California HS
Round 33, Overall 994 – Denny Bentley, LHP, Howard JuCo
Round 34, Overall 1024 – Dylan Stowell, RHP, California Baptist
Round 35, Overall 1054 – Tanner Howell, RHP, Dixie State
Round 36, Overall 1084 – Zac Taylor, OF, Illinois
Round 37, Overall 1114 – Luke Ritter, OF, Wichita State
Round 38, Overall 1144 – Dylan Thomas, RHP, Hawaii
Round 39, Overall 1174 – Bryce Collins, RHP, California HS
Round 40, Overall 1204 – Tyler Webb, OF, Memphis
The Twins continued to pursue plenty of catchers, drafting four more on the third day after two on the first two days of the 2018 MLB draft. Casanova is the guy who could be the best of the bunch, though nothing he really does stands out. He is just steady behind the plate and at it as well.
Overall Outlook
The Twins were able to bring in a big time power hitter in the first round along with grabbing a very good collection of players on the second day. All in all, this is a very good draft considering they likely had to change strategy very quickly near the end when they traded away the supplemental pick.
Milwaukee Brewers
Day One
Round 1, Overall 21 – Brice Turang, SS, California HS
Round 2, Overall 60 – Joe Gray, OF, Mississippi HS
Round 2s, Overall 73 – Micah Bello, OF, Hawaii HS
The Brewers weren’t playing around in the first day of the 2018 MLB draft. They grabbed Turang and Gray, two of the top high school prospects coming into last summer’s showcase season who had fallen off somewhat for one reason or another but still had the talent to be more than worthy picks where they were grabbed. Bello was the best player in Hawaii this season with a balance of tools that are average to above-average, but he has tremendous baseball “feel” that allows him to get the most out of his raw tools.
Day Two
Round 4, Overall 125 – Aaron Ashby, LHP, Crowder JuCo
Round 5, Overall 155 – Justin Jarvis, RHP, North Carolina HS
Round 6, Overall 185 – Drew Rasmussen, RHP, Oregon State
Round 7, Overall 215 – David Fry, C, Northwestern State
Round 8, Overall 245 – Luis Gonzalez, RHP, Puerto Rico HS
Round 9, Overall 275 – Arbert Ciplon, OF, New Jersey HS
Round 10, Overall 305 – J.T. Hintzen, RHP, Florida Southern
With no 3rd round pick, the assumption was that the Brewers would be college-heavy and conservative in the second day of the MLB draft. Instead, they went the exact opposite, with a high school heavy Day Two that also included a tough sign 4-year collegian and a junior college arm. The guy to keep an eye on is Fry, who had Tommy John in 2017 and hasn’t played behind the plate this year, but he has a reputation as an excellent framer and being very good in blocking behind the plate when his arm is healthy enough to play there.
Day Three
Round 11, Overall 335 – Davis Daniel, RHP, Auburn
Round 12, Overall 365 – Korry Howell, SS, Kirkwood JuCo
Round 13, Overall 395 – Reese Olson, RHP, Georgia HS
Round 14, Overall 425 – Elijah Cabell, OF, Florida HS
Round 15, Overall 455 – Nick Trogrlic-Iverson, RHP, Central Arizona JuCo
Round 16, Overall 485 – Alec Barger, RHP, Polk State JuCo
Round 17, Overall 515 – Clayton Andrews, LHP, Long Beach State
Round 18, Overall 545 – Scotty Sunitsch, LHP, Washington State
Round 19, Overall 575 – Peyton Zabel, RHP, South Dakota HS
Round 20, Overall 605 – Joey Matulovich, RHP, California
Round 21, Overall 635 – Steve Hajjar, LHP, Massachusetts HS
Round 22, Overall 665 – Joey Baran, LHP, Lackawanna JuCo
Round 23, Overall 695 – Jared Platero, RHP, California HS
Round 24, Overall 725 – Wade Beasley, RHP, Arkansas HS
Round 25, Overall 755 – Pablo Garabitos, OF, Florida HS
Round 26, Overall 785 – Connor Sparks, RHP, Canada HS
Round 27, Overall 815 – Brady Schanuel, RHP, Iowa
Round 28, Overall 845 – Kekai Rios, C, Hawaii
Round 29, Overall 875 – Nander De Sedas, SS, Florida HS
Round 30, Overall 905 – Basilio Pacheco, LHP, California HS
Round 31, Overall 935 – Matt Dillard, LHP, Texas HS
Round 32, Overall 965 – Johnny Cuevas, 3B, California HS
Round 33, Overall 995 – Brandon Hylton, 1B, New Jersey HS
Round 34, Overall 1025 – Michael Mediavilia, LHP, Miami
Round 35, Overall 1055 – Josh Watson, OF, TCU
Round 36, Overall 1085 – Brandon Williamson, LHP, North Iowa Area JuCo
Round 37, Overall 1115 – Franklin Hernandez, RHP, JC of Central Florida
Round 38, Overall 1145 – Aidan Maldonado, RHP, Minnesota HS
Round 39, Overall 1175 – Caleb Marquez, C, Missouri HS
Round 40, Overall 1205 – Wes Clarke, C, Virginia HS
It became notable about the 15th round that the Brewers could be going hard after their first 15-20 picks and may be willing to sacrifice plenty of players going unsigned after that. Lo and behold, they ended up drafting mostly high school players from the 20th round on, and many of them were known to be extremely difficult signs coming into day 3. The guy that could end up being a big win for their entire draft is outfielder Elijah Cabell, who brings plus speed, plus power, and a plus arm to the mix, needing refinement in his hit tool and defensive routes to truly become a full five-tool talent.
Overall Outlook
The Brewers came out in the 2018 MLB draft strong, but rather than backing into college picks for safe signings, the Brewers instead kept picking high-upside players, looking to re-load their system with top talent over depth in this draft.
Colorado Rockies
Day One
Round 1, Overall 22 – Ryan Rolison, LHP, Mississippi
Round 1s, Overall 42 – Grant Lavigne, 1B, New Hampshire HS
Round 2s, Overall 76 – Mitchel Kilkenny, RHP, Texas A&M
Colorado surprised many when a favorite target was on the board and they bypassed him to select Rolison, but the Rockies did not expect to be able to have a shot at Rolison at 22, so getting him here was definitely not something they planned on being able to make work. Rolison’s balanced arsenal from the left side should give him a chance to move fast, but he still has the upside of a solid #2 pitcher. Lavigne is an interesting bat that could thrive in the Rockies system, so he might not get his first challenge until he gets to the upper minors.
Day Two
Round 3, Overall 96 – Terrin Vavra, SS, Minnesota
Round 4, Overall 126 – Ryan Feltner, RHP, Ohio State
Round 5, Overall 156 – Jake Bird, RHP, UCLA
Round 6, Overall 186 – Niko Decolati, OF, Loyola Marymount
Round 7, Overall 216 – Andrew Quezada, RHP, Cal State Fullerton
Round 8, Overall 246 – Nick Bush, LHP, LSU
Round 9, Overall 276 – Willie MacIver, C, Washington
Round 10, Overall 306 – Cade Harris, OF, Oklahoma
I have personal interest in Vavra as a Minnesota alum, and he is going to a very good organization for his skillset, as he fits the mold that the Rockies have worked so well with recently with guys who can play around the infield and offer offensive production. Harris was less heralded in a very talented Oklahoma outfield, but he has a tremendous eye at the plate and could be a solid fourth/fifth outfield type.
Day Three
Round 11, Overall 336 – P.J. Poulin, LHP, Connecticut
Round 12, Overall 366 – Kyle Datres, 3B, North Carolina
Round 13, Overall 396 – Rayne Supple, RHP, Wake Forest
Round 14, Overall 426 – Will Tribucher, LHP, Michigan
Round 15, Overall 456 – Coco Montes, SS, South Florida
Round 16, Overall 486 – Boby Johnson, RHP, Bradley
Round 17, Overall 516 – Reese Berberet, 3B, Long Beach JuCo
Round 18, Overall 546 – Shelby Lackey, RHP, Pacific
Round 19, Overall 576 – Zach Hall, OF, Colorado-Colorado Springs
Round 20, Overall 606 – Luke Morgan, OF, College of Charleston
Round 21, Overall 636 – Hunter Stovall, 2B, Mississippi State
Round 22, Overall 666 – Jacob Barnwell, C, Ohio State
Round 23, Overall 696 – Colten Schmidt, LHP, Louisiana-Lafayette
Round 24, Overall 726 – Trent Fennell, RHP, Barton
Round 25, Overall 756 – Robert Mertz, 2B, George Washington
Round 26, Overall 786 – Will Golsan, OF, Mississippi
Round 27, Overall 816 – Eric Hepple, RHP, Central Florida
Round 28, Overall 846 – John Cresto, 3B, Santa Clara
Round 29, Overall 876 – Miguel Ausua, LHP, Oral Roberts
Round 30, Overall 906 – Colton Harlow, LHP, James Madison
Round 31, Overall 936 – Joel Condreay, RHP, Whitworth
Round 32, Overall 966 – Reagan Todd, LHP, Colorado Mesa
Round 33, Overall 996 – Nick Pogue, RHP, Florida HS
Round 34, Overall 1026 – Jake Moberg, SS, California HS
Round 35, Overall 1056 – Sean Mullen, RHP, California HS
Round 36, Overall 1086 – Cayden Zimmerman, SS, Colorado HS
Round 37, Overall 1116 – Easton McMurray, LHP, California HS
Round 38, Overall 1146 – Kumar Rocker, RHP, Georgia HS
Round 39, Overall 1176 – Isaiah Thomas, OF, Florida HS
Round 40, Overall 1206 – Brett Auerbach, C, Saddleback JuCo
After going after primarily college players in the second day of the 2018 MLB draft, the Rockies again pursued mostly 4-year college players, though they found some gems in other places. Reese Berberet has a ton of power and could end up having to move to first base, but his power should definitely play. Another 3B that may need to move, though likely to an OF spot, Datres has a very good feel for the bat and is a contact-over-power hitter currently in game, but he can put on a show in BP.
Overall Outlook
The Rockies got a steady, quick-moving pitcher in Rolison then seemed to get a lot of good chips from that point on, with a seeming focus on power evident in their offensive selections. There’s enough here to have the class develop well, but at first blush, this is a class that underwhelms versus what it could have been.
New York Yankees
Day One
Round 1, Overall 23 – Anthony Seigler, C, Georgia HS
Round 2, Overall 62 – Josh Breaux, C, McLennan JuCo
What drafting two catchers on the first day means for the Yankees and their belief in Gary Sanchez behind the plate long-term may be ominous, but the players that they selected are great picks, with Seigler being impressive in his ability to switch-hit and switch-pitch! Breaux is very raw behind the plate, but he was a legit prospect as an outfielder a year ago with good raw power. He’ll be an interesting player to track where the Yankees put him defensively.
Day Two
Round 3, Overall 97 – Ryder Green, OF, Tennessee HS
Round 4, Overall 127 – Frank German, RHP, North Florida
Round 5, Overall 157 – Brandon Lockridge, OF, Troy
Round 6, Overall 187 – Rodney Hutchison, RHP, North Carolina
Round 7, Overall 217 – Daniel Bies, RHP, Gonzaga
Round 8, Overall 247 – Connor Van Hoose, RHP, Bucknell
Round 9, Overall 277 – Mick Vorhof, RHP, Grand Canyon
Round 10, Overall 307 – Josh Maciejewski, LHP, Charlotte
The Yankees grabbed some upside college players on the second day of the MLB draft to help offset their likely signing bonuses on day 1. German in particular seems exactly like the type of guy that will benefit greatly from the Yankees pitching development system. The Yankees are also big fans of the athleticism of Lockridge, who was a second baseman until this year and offers plus speed and showed good natural instincts in center field this year, giving him defensive flexibility and offensive tools across the board that could make him a valuable bench piece at the least.
Day Three
Round 11, Overall 337 – Tanner Myatt, RHP, Florence-Darlington Tech JuCo
Round 12, Overall 367 – Matt Pita, OF, Virginia Military Institute
Round 13, Overall 397 – Isaiah Pasteur, OF, George Washington
Round 14, Overall 427 – Kyle Gray, 2B, West Virginia
Round 15, Overall 457 – Nick Ernst, RHP, Miami (OH)
Round 16, Overall 487 – Derek Craft, RHP, Texas-San Antonio
Round 17, Overall 517 – Barrett Loseke, RHP, Arkansas
Round 18, Overall 547 – Alex Guerrero, C, Idaho HS
Round 19, Overall 577 – Alex Junior, OF, Tennessee Tech
Round 20, Overall 607 – Marcus Evey, RHP, Tennessee Tech
Round 21, Overall 637 – Mitch Robinson, 3B, British Columbia
Round 22, Overall 667 – Keegan Curtis, RHP, Louisiana-Monroe
Round 23, Overall 697 – Justin Wilson, RHP, Vanderbilt
Round 24, Overall 727 – Blakely Brown, RHP, Georgia Southern
Round 25, Overall 757 – Sean Boyle, RHP, Dallas Baptist
Round 26, Overall 787 – Jack Thoreson, C, St. Mary’s
Round 27, Overall 817 – Mickey Gasper, 1B, Bryant
Round 28, Overall 847 – Max Burt, 3B, Northeastern
Round 29, Overall 877 – Jackson Bertsch, RHP, Liberty
Round 30, Overall 907 – Tyler Johnson, RHP, Gardner-Webb
Round 31, Overall 937 – Patrick Winkel, C, Connecticut HS
Round 32, Overall 967 – Sincere Smith, SS, North Carolina HS
Round 33, Overall 997 – Charlie Ruegger, RHP, New Jersey HS
Round 34, Overall 1027 – Matt McGarry, 2B, Belmont Abbey
Round 35, Overall 1057 – Austin Wells, C, Nevada HS
Round 36, Overall 1087 – Jack Anderson, RHP, Florida HS
Round 37, Overall 1117 – Landon Marceaux, RHP, Louisiana HS
Round 38, Overall 1147 – Dan Metzdorf, LHP, Boston College
Round 39, Overall 1177 – Brady Allen, OF, Florida HS
Round 40, Overall 1207 – Reid Anderson, RHP, Brown
The Yankees mixed in plenty of upside with signability for the first 20 picks of the third day before grabbing mostly unsignable high school guys. Their first choice of the day, Tanner Myatt, had some of the best velocity in all of JuCo ball this spring, while Nick Ernst was on his way to a big year before Tommy John cut it short.
Overall Outlook
The Yankees got two of the most intriguing talents behind the plate in Seiger and Breaux, and they continued seeking out big-time arms that they can mold as they’ve been able to do so well over recent years.
Boston Red Sox
Day One
Round 1, Overall 26 – Triston Casas, 3B, Florida HS
Round 2, Overall 64 – Nick Decker, OF, New Jersey HS
This is a huge upside play for the Red Sox, getting one of the best hitters in the high school class in Casas. He may have to move to first base in the end, but his power ability comes with a high-level ability to make contact as well. Decker is tremendously talented from a cold weather state. He’ll be fun to track as he builds his raw tools in the lower levels, but should explode up the minors once he can consistently access his tools in game.
Day Two
Round 3, Overall 100 – Durbin Feltman, RHP, TCU
Round 4, Overall 130 – Kole Cottam, C, Kentucky
Round 5, Overall 160 – Thad Ward, RHP, Central Florida
Round 6, Overall 190 – Devlin Granberg, OF, Dallas Baptist
Round 7, Overall 220 – Jarren Duran, OF, Long Beach State
Round 8, Overall 250 – Elih Marrero, C, St. Thomas
Round 9, Overall 280 – Brian Brown, LHP, North Carolina State
Round 10, Overall 310 – Grant Williams, 2B, Kennesaw State
Going after two big high school players in the first day of the 2018 MLB draft necessitated this second day of all college players, though it’s not without talent. Feltman and Ward both have major league caliber bullpen stuff that should move quickly through the farm system. Granberg has a very good balance of offensive skills, though no real defensive home, and Duran is a speed demon that can get on base and shows plenty of outfield range.
Day Three
Round 11, Overall 340 – Nick Northcut, 3B, Ohio HS
Round 12, Overall 370 – Chase Shugart, RHP, Texas
Round 13, Overall 400 – Dylan Hardy, OF, South Alabama
Round 14, Overall 430 – Nick Lucky, 2B, Pennsylvania HS
Round 15, Overall 460 – Andrew Politi, RHP, Seton Hall
Round 16, Overall 490 – Chris Machamer, RHP, Kentucky
Round 17, Overall 520 – Lane Milligan, C, Oklahoma City
Round 18, Overall 550 – Eddie Jimenez, RHP, Southeastern
Round 19, Overall 580 – Jonathan Ortega, 2B, Texas State
Round 20, Overall 610 – Kason Howell, OF, Texas HS
Round 21, Overall 640 – Brandon Howlett, 3B, Florida HS
Round 22, Overall 670 – Yusniel Padron, Miami Dade JuCo
Round 23, Overall 700 – Ryan Fernandez, RHP, Hillsborough JuCo
Round 24, Overall 730 – Logan Browning, LHP, Florida Southern
Round 25, Overall 760 – Caleb Ramsey, OF, Georgia HS
Round 26, Overall 790 – Korby Batesole, SS, Fresno State
Round 27, Overall 820 – Gregorio Reyes, LHP, Puerto Rico (no school)
Round 28, Overall 850 – Kris Jackson, RHP, Corban
Round 29, Overall 880 – Mason Ronan, LHP, Pennsylvania HS
Round 30, Overall 910 – Ryan Bliss, SS, Georgia HS
Round 31, Overall 940 – Connor Berry, RHP, Oklahoma
Round 32, Overall 970 – Brandon Perez, OF, Florida HS
Round 33, Overall 1000 – Adrian Torres, OF, Texas HS
Round 34, Overall 1030 – Jared Poland, 2B, Indiana HS
Round 35, Overall 1060 – Jeremiah Boyd, C, North Carolina HS
Round 36, Overall 1090 – Jake Dukart, SS, Oregon HS
Round 37, Overall 1120 – David Wentzel, SS, Baylor
Round 38, Overall 1150 – Art Joven, LHP, JC of the Sequoias
Round 39, Overall 1180 – Shane Selman, OF, McNeese State
Round 40, Overall 1210 – Zach Watson, OF, LSU
Bookending the third day were two players considered first day talents, so getting one of the two would be a very good thing for the Red Sox. Most likely, that would be Northcut, the 11th round selection. The rest of the third round was surprisingly high school focused, meaning that many of these selections will not be signing.
Overall Outlook
The Red Sox have used international signings to build up their farm system depth rather than the draft, instead focusing more on high upside in the MLB draft. This means that there will likely be as many as 15 players here that will not be signing with the Red Sox, but their first day picks and 11th round pick should give plenty of high upside.
Washington Nationals
Day One
Round 1, Overall 27 – Mason Denaburg, RHP, Florida HS
Round 2, Overall 65 – Tim Cate, LHP, Connecticut
Both of these selections make a lot of sense for the Nationals, who tend to focus on pitchers with some injury history in order to get better players for a discount in the draft process. Denaburg certainly fits that, with stuff that profiles right alongside the top of the high school class when he’s 100%, but he had some health issues this season. Cate’s curveball is one of the best in the entire draft, but he struggled late in the season with shoulder issues, dropping him from a borderline first round selection to the back of the 2nd round.
Day Two
Round 3, Overall 101 – Reid Schaller, RHP, Vanderbilt
Round 4, Overall 131 – Jake Irvin, RHP, Oklahoma
Round 5, Overall 161 – Gage Canning, OF, Arizona State
Round 6, Overall 191 – Andrew Karp, RHP, Florida State
Round 7, Overall 221 – Chandler Day, RHP, Vanderbilt
Round 8, Overall 251 – Tyler Cropley, C, Iowa
Round 9, Overall 281 – Tanner Driskill, RHP, Lamar
Round 10, Overall 311 – Carson Shaddy, 2B, Arkansas
The Nationals focused hard on impact arms, many of whom profile for the bullpen, in the 2018 MLB draft’s second day. The real “get” here is Canning, a guy many saw as a possible first day selection that the Nationals were able to pick up in the 5th round in this draft, a guy who could move quickly with a fairly high floor and the upside of a second-division regular.
Day Three
Round 11, Overall 341 – Frankie Bartow, RHP, Miami
Round 12, Overall 371 – Graham Lawson, RHP, South Carolina
Round 13, Overall 401 – Cody Wilson, OF, Florida Atlantic
Round 14, Overall 431 – Aaron Fletcher, LHP, Houston
Round 15, Overall 461 – Evan Lee, LHP, Arkansas
Round 16, Overall 491 – Carson Teel, LHP, Oklahoma State
Round 17, Overall 521 – Ridge Chapman, RHP, South Carolina
Round 18, Overall 551 – Jacob Rhinesmith, OF, Western Kentucky
Round 19, Overall 581 – Zach Linginfelter, RHP, Tennessee
Round 20, Overall 611 – Onix Vega, C, Broward JuCo
Round 21, Overall 641 – Ryan Tapani, RHP, Creighton
Round 22, Overall 671 – Cole Daily, SS, Notre Dame
Round 23, Overall 701 – Cole Hamilton, C, Linn-Benton JuCo
Round 24, Overall 731 – Kyle Marinconz, SS, Cal Poly
Round 25, Overall 761 – Chris Vann, LHP, Mercer
Round 26, Overall 791 – Colin Morse, RHP, Shenandoa
Round 27, Overall 821 – Pablo O’Connor, OF, Azusa Pacific
Round 28, Overall 851 – Blake Chisolm, 1B, Sam Houston State
Round 29, Overall 881 – Colton Pogue, SS, Pittsburg State
Round 30, Overall 911 – Trey Vickers, SS, Wichita State
Round 31, Overall 941 – Jonathan Quintana, OF, Barry
Round 32, Overall 971 – Alec Maley, RHP, Kentucky
Round 33, Overall 1001 – Jack Haney, C, Georgia HS
Round 34, Overall 1031 – Tyler Baca, OF, California HS
Round 35, Overall 1061 – Alex Binelas, 1B, Wisconsin HS
Round 36, Overall 1091 – Bo Blessie, RHP, Texas HS
Round 37, Overall 1121 – Cole Wilcox, RHP, Georgia HS
Round 38, Overall 1151 – Bobby Milacki, RHP, Arizona Christian
Round 39, Overall 1181 – Andrew Nardi, LHP, Moorpark JuCo
Round 40, Overall 1211 – Mike Menhart, RHP, Georgia HS
The Nationals selected a college-heavy assortment of players on day 3 of the 2018 MLB draft. Lee is a very intriguing pick as a guy who is a corner outfielder and pitcher both with a chance to succeed at either at the pro level. He’s also a draft-eligible sophomore, so he could choose to return to school as well.
Overall Outlook
The pitching picks on day one made perfect sense for the Washington Nationals’ typical approach to the MLB draft, grabbing two high-ceiling arms that both have some injury questions right now.
Houston Astros
Day One
Round 1, overall 28 – Seth Beer, 1B/OF, Clemson
Round 2, overall 66 – Jayson Schroeder, RHP, Washington HS
Beer has been an impressive college performer throughout his time with Clemson, but his defensive questions and his struggled over the summer with wood bats makes his pro prospects questionable. The Astros also grabbed a great high school arm in Washington’s Jayson Schroeder, a pitcher with good polish but also plenty of upside in his stuff.
Day Two
Round 3, overall 102 – Jeremy Pena, SS, Maine
Round 4, overall 132 – Alex McKenna, OF, Cal Poly
Round 5, overall 162 – Cody Deason, RHP, Arizona
Round 6, overall 192 – P.J. Freure, RHP, Pittsburgh
Round 7, overall 222 – Cesar Salazar, C, Arizona
Round 8, overall 252 – Austin Hansen, RHP, Oklahoma
Round 9, overall 282 – Scott Schreiber, OF, Nebraska
Round 10, overall 312 – Chandler Taylor, OF, Alabama
While all college players, the Astros definitely had their analytical imprint on their selections on day 2. McKenna is a hitter with a very high contact rate and good exit velocity. Deason moved to the rotation this season after spending the first two seasons on campus in the bullpen. His fastball sits low-90s and can touch mid-90s, but his curve has tremendous spin rate.
Day Three
Round 11, overall 342 – Brett Conine, RHP, Cal State Fullerton
Round 12, overall 372 – Mark Moclair, RHP, Tampa
Round 13, overall 402 – Shawn Dubin, RHP, Georgetown
Round 14, overall 432 – J.P. France, RHP, Mississippi State
Round 15, overall 462 – Trey Dawon, SS, Kentucky
Round 16, overall 492 – Alex Holderbach, C, Eastern Kentucky
Round 17, overall 522 – Brett Daniels, RHP, North Carolina
Round 18, overall 552 – Michael Wielansky, SS, Wooster
Round 19, overall 582 – Devin Conn, RHP, Nova Southeastern
Round 20, overall 612 – Austin Dennis, OF, Middle Tennessee
Round 21, overall 642 – Dalton Roach, RHP, Minnesota State
Round 22, overall 672 – Marty Costes, OF, Maryland
Round 23, overall 702 – Jonathan Bermudez, LHP, Southeastern Louisiana
Round 24, overall 732 – Michael Figueroa, RHP, Oklahoma City
Round 25, overall 762 – Logan Mattix, OF, Georgia College & State
Round 26, overall 792 – David Hensley, SS, San Diego State
Round 27, overall 822 – Juan Paulino, C, Western Oklahoma State JuCo
Round 28, overall 852 – Joseph Gonzalez, RHP, Stetson
Round 29, overall 882 – Lyle Lin, C, Arizona State
Round 30, overall 912 – Layne Henderson, RHP, Azusa Pacific
Round 31, overall 942 – Riley Cabral, RHP, Memphis
Round 32, overall 972 – Jacob Billingsley, RHP, Mississippi State
Round 33, overall 1002 – J.C. Correa, 2B, Alvin JuCo
Round 34, overall 1032 – Ben Gross, RHP, Princeton
Round 35, overall 1062 – A.J. Bregman, LHP, New Mexico HS
Round 36, overall 1092 – Cole Ayers, RHP, Ohio HS
Round 37, overall 1122 – Antonio Cruz, OF, Texas HS
Round 38, overall 1152 – Cole Stilwell, C, Texas HS
Round 39, overall 1182 – Brandon Birdsell, RHP, Texas HS
Round 40, overall 1212 – Nathan Duarte, SS, California HS
The Astros stayed off of high school picks until the final few picks, knowing that they would not sign. The two notable picks on the Astros’ third day of the MLB draft were siblings of the young starters on the left side of the Astros infield as Correa and Bregman were picked.
Overall Outlook
The Astros made a big focus on players that fit their analytical bent, specifically college players who did that. This could portend a future trade to come that could use up a good chunk of the system depth, requiring more depth like the Astros drafted during the 2018 MLB draft.
Cleveland Indians
Day One
Round 1, Overall 29 – Noah Naylor, C, Canada HS
Round 1s, Overall 35 – Ethan Hankins, RHP, Georgia HS
Round 1s, Overall 41 – Lenny Torres, RHP, New York HS
Round 2, Overall 67 – Nick Sandlin, RHP, Southern Mississippi
The Indians were able to get a very high-quality hitter in Naylor, though his future defensive position is in question. They then nabbed two of the best arms in the draft in Hankins and Torres. Just those three picks alone would make this an incredible first day.
Day Two
Round 3, Overall 103 – Richie Palacios, 2B, Towson
Round 4, Overall 133 – Adam Scott, LHP, Wofford
Round 5, Overall 163 – Steven Kwan, OF, Oregon State
Round 6, Overall 193 – Raynel Delgado, SS, Florida HS
Round 7, Overall 223 – Cody Morris, RHP, South Carolina
Round 8, Overall 253 – Alex Royalty, RHP, UNC Wilmington
Round 9, Overall 283 – Brian Eichhorn, RHP, Georgia Southern
Round 10, Overall 313 – Robert Broom, RHP, Mercer
The Indians forcused on college players in the second day of the MLB draft, primarily to aid in affording to sign their first day selections, but they did get a very good player in Palacios, one with excellent baseball instincts, improving power, and the ability to stick up the middle.
Day Three
Round 11, Overall 343 – Jack DeGroat, RHP, Liberty
Round 12, Overall 373 – Thomas Ponticelli, RHP, San Francisco
Round 13, Overall 403 – Kyle Marman, RHP, Florida Atlantic
Round 14, Overall 433 – Korey Holland, OF, Texas HS
Round 15, Overall 463 – Bryan Lavastida, C, Hillsborough JuCo
Round 16, Overall 493 – Ruben Cardenas, OF, Cal State Fullerton
Round 17, Overall 523 – Liam Jenkins, RHP, Louisville
Round 18, Overall 553 – Shane McCarthy, RHP, Seton Hall
Round 19, Overall 583 – Antoine Duplantis, OF, LSU
Round 20, Overall 613 – Jake Miednik, LHP, Florida Atlantic
Round 21, Overall 643 – Eric Rodriguez, C, Wallace JuCo
Round 22, Overall 673 – Eli Lingos, LHP, Arizona State
Round 23, Overall 703 – Cody Farhat, OF, Texas Tech
Round 24, Overall 733 – Aaron Pinto, RHP, Stony Brook
Round 25, Overall 763 – Kellen Rholl, LHP, Angelo State
Round 26, Overall 793 – Gunnar Halter, SS, Seminole State JuCo
Round 27, Overall 823 – Gionti Turner, SS, Arkansas HS
Round 28, Overall 853 – Billy Wilson, OF, Loyola Marymount
Round 29, Overall 883 – Tim Herrin, LHP, Indiana
Round 30, Overall 913 – Connor Smith, 2B, Western Michigan
Round 31, Overall 943 – Jonathan Engelmann, OF, Michigan
Round 32, Overall 973 – Andrew Eyster, OF, Santa Fe JuCo
Round 33, Overall 1003 – Daniel Schneemann, SS, Brigham Young
Round 34, Overall 1033 – Spencer Schwellenbach, RHP, Michigan HS
Round 35, Overall 1063 – Casey Legumina, RHP, Gonzaga
Round 36, Overall 1093 – Jose Gutierrez, 1B, Texas HS
Round 37, Overall 1123 – Tim Borden, SS, Indiana HS
Round 38, Overall 1153 – Zack Gelof, SS, Delaware HS
Round 39, Overall 1183 – Kaleb Hill, LHP, Arkansas HS
Round 40, Overall 1213 – Braxton Cottongame, LHP, Kentucky HS
The Indians mixed in a few high school names early on day 3, but the primary focus was on college and junior college players. Even in those markets, the Indians found some potential gems in Ruben Cardenas, who has plenty of tools, but struggles to put them all together consistently, enormous 6’8″, 240-pound Liam Jenkins, who has plenty of raw stuff but struggled with control this season, and Duplantis, who may fit best as a 4th/5th outfielder long-term, but has a very good feel for the game and works well at the top of a lineup.
Overall Outlook
The Indians used extra picks on the first day to perfection, picking up one of the most talent-laden first days in the entire 2018 MLB draft. How their college players develop will determine a lot about the depth and long-term impact of this draft.