MLB Amateur Draft: The Top Three Pitchers in the 2019 Draft
With the MLB amateur draft just under a month away, teams across the league are gearing up for another year of trying to select the top talent at the high school and collegiate level.
Teams are built from the draft, whether it in from the MLB amateur draft or from the international draft later in the year.
By adding depth to the farm system, young players can get the first-hand experience of professional ball and really start to develop as full-time players. There is also the flip side, where drafted players start playing against better competition and never find that level of success they had during the high school and college days.
Each MLB team puts a significant amount of resources into their scouting department to be prepared for the draft. While players may progress or drop through the rankings over the year, each team usually has a set group of players in mind and will draft who they have spent the most time watching, and who they think will contribute to the team.
Not every player who gets drafted is guaranteed to sign with their new team. Of the 1400 hundred young adults drafted, there is a good amount who choose to forego signing with a team that drafted him. This is usually because of the signing bonus not being agreed upon or high school kids drafted choose to go to school rather than play professional ball, in order to gain more experience and increase their draft pick selection (which means more money).
This year, the top ten ranked guys from MLB Pipeline for the MLB amateur draft are dominated by position players, with only two pitchers rounding out the group.
Depending on the needs of the MLB team, this ranking list may not have an impact on draft day if a team decides it needs a pitcher over a catcher/infielder/outfielder.
Without further ado, let’s take a look at 3 of the top-ranked pitchers for the MLB amateur draft in 2019.
The Top Three Pitchers in the 2019 MLB Amateur Draft
Nick Lodolo, Texas Christian University
Nick Lodolo is no stranger to the MLB amateur draft, as he was selected by the Pittsburgh Pirates in the second round in 2016. The high school senior (at the time) decided not to sign with the team and chose to honor his commitment to Texas Christian University instead.
Considering he was drafted within the first 5 rounds, it is a bit surprising that he chose college over professional ball. The only reasons I could think of for not signing with the Pirates was that the money must not have been there, or he realllllly wanted to go play college ball.
Whatever the reason, he has surely boosted his draft stock since 2016.
As the #8 ranked prospect by MLB pipeline, Lodolo had a bit of a rough start to his college career.
Through his freshman and sophomore seasons, the 6’6 left-hander would throw for 4.35 and 4.32 ERAs respectively. While his strikeout numbers were solid at 72 and 93, but his walks really hurt the ERA with 28 (both seasons) in 17 and 16 games each season.
It is in 2019, during his Junior season, that Lodolo really turned things around.
He is currently pitching a 2.39 ERA and already has 100 strikeouts with approximately 3-4 games left in the season for him.
Combined with a decrease in his walks at 19, Lodolo has just been dominating on the mound this season, leaving hitters with a .205 batting average.
Lodolo’s sophomore season also saw him pitch more innings already than his two previous college campaigns, with games still left in the season.
Where will he sign?
It is a bit tough to predict where Nick Lodolo will be drafted as each team picking within the first 14 spots can arguably sign and could use a pitcher.
If I had to guess, Lodolo may get selected a bit earlier than his ranking with either the #5 Detroit Tigers, #6 San Diego Padres or possibly slide to the #9 Atlanta Braves. He is a left-handed pitcher which could make him more desirable to MLB teams.
The Braves used their top pick in 2018 on pitcher Carter Stewart, but the two sides could not come to an agreement and Atlanta still needs a pitcher.
Nick Lodolo is making good on his draft year, and he could see his name selected higher than his #8 ranking may suggest. Whatever the case, he took a gamble not signing with the Pirates and it looks like he may just cash in.
The Top Three Pitchers in the 2019 MLB Amateur Draft
Alek Manoah, West Virginia University
At #10 rank, Alek Manoah had a lot to prove when he went undrafted as a senior in high school. He would go on to enroll at West Virginia University, where he has seen different roles over his three college seasons with the Mountaineers.
In his freshman season, the 6’6 right-hander would appear in 19 games, 10 of which he started. In his first season, Manoah would throw a 3.07 ERA with a 1-1 record and 2 saves. He would hold batters to a .219 AVG with 45 strikeouts and 33 BB.
Manoah’s sophomore season saw him start one less game and see his ERA rise to 4.00, with 23 appearances and 9 games started with 2 saves. His strikeouts would increase to 60 and his walks would decrease by 5 to 28, but he gave up 5 more earned runs (24) which inflated his ERA. He would finish the season with a 3-5 record.
A bit of a step back in his college career considering how his freshman year was quite successful. It was also apparent that his team was a bit of a liability in the field, considering he is charged with 36 runs, with only 24 earned.
His junior year in 2019 was considered the breakout season, as he has only been used as a starter in his 13 games this season. He is currently pitching a 1.89 ERA with a 7-3 record, with 121 strikeouts and 22 walks. These are very good numbers considering this is the most innings he has pitched in his college career, as well as the most games he has started (and will continue to start).
Manoah has just been simply dominating teams this season and has pitched 2 complete games this season, both being shutouts.
He would also play in the Cape Cod league in 2018 with the Chatham Anglers, and would again show flashes of brilliance during his short time. He would pitch to a 3-2 record in 7 games started with a 2.70 ERA.
Where will be drafted?
It is again a bit difficult to conclude where Manoah might be taken, as the teams mentioned earlier in the article could easily use their picks on the WVU right-hander. If I had to narrow down a guess, I would say it could be the San Diego Padres or the Cincinnati Reds, as both teams could use a right-handed pitcher.
Considered the face of the WVU Mountaineers, Manoah could easily see his name called before his #10 rank based on the pitching needs to teams prior. Manoah will easily see his name called in the first round and should command a good deal to become a professional ballplayer.
The Top Three Pitchers in the 2019 MLB Amateur Draft
Matthew Allan, High School
The only high school pitcher on this list, Matthew Allan has been an interesting name on the radar of MLB teams.
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Committed to the Florida Gators, Allan has participated and has wowed at multiple nationwide high school events such as the National Showcase and the Perfect Game All American Classic.
There are a few things that separate Allan from the rest of the high school arms in this year’s MLB amateur draft.
The first is his fastball, which consistently sits at 94-95 MPH, which can be attributed to his mechanics and his 6’3 frame. He has been touching 97 MPH this year, which could get even higher if he continues to fill out when playing professional ball.
The next is his off-speed pitches, with his curveball being considered one of the best pitches in his repertoire. He compliments his fastball and curveball with his changeup, which has improved since the National Showcase in 2018. With a high-velocity fastball, these off-speed pitches will really make Allan a starting pitcher to keep an eye on.
Watching Matthew Allan pitch, he has the typical right-handed pitcher throw to the plate you would pick to use in MLB the Show. He has a bit of high leg raise and he drives the ball toward home, torquing his body and using his legs to get more power.
He has the exact mechanics that pitching coaches would bring up and use as an example for younger pitchers.
The only downside that has been noted with Allan is that his fastball command can waiver throughout his starts, which can lead to more hits and walks against established hitters.
Where will get drafted?
All signs are pointing for the San Francisco Giants to draft the young right-hander at the #10 slot through various mock drafts. This makes sense given the Giants are in need of some pitching prospects with Bumgarner possible leaving at the end of the year.
The Giants would have to offer Allan a significant amount of money just because he does have a verbal commitment to the University of Florida. The slot value for the Giants #10 slot is approximately $4.79 million, which could be used in its entirety to take Allan away from college ball (I personally couldn’t turn away that much money).
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No matter what Matthew Allan chooses to do, he does have the potential for quite a future in baseball with how he is developing and throwing his fastball and secondary pitches. If he does get bigger and fills out while in pro ball or college, he could throw even harder and maybe reach 100 MPH, which would make him deadlier than he already is.