We are T-minus seven days until the MLB draft kicks off and as the days get closer the more draft happy I get. So why not put out another mock. Here I have gone through all 30 1st round picks with the majority of the picks being changed from my previous mock of the 1st 10 picks. It was reported earlier that the number one pick is still up in the air for Detroit as they don’t believe that Casey Mize is the slam dunk pick he appears to be. They are reported to like Joey Bart, the catcher from Georgia Tech. I still believe that Mize is the number one player in this draft which is why he will be my top pick until the Tigers come out and say they are no longer considering him.
- Detroit Tigers- Casey Mize, RHP, Auburn- This pick being one that does not change. Mize is the favorite to be the number 1 pick. He currently holds a 9-4 record with a sub-3.00 ERA. Mize has 133 punchouts to only 10 walks on the year in just 95 innings. If the Tigers went with Mize at #1, he would then join the plethora of young arms the Tigers possess in their system.
- San Francisco Giants- Joey Bart, C, Georgia Tech- Bart is as highly regarded a catching prospect since 2012 when the Mariners took Mike Zunino at No. 3 overall. Bart is a truly great hitter, which is shown by his .361 batting average while clubbing 16 long balls. The only downside to his hitting approach is his strikeout numbers. He gets overly aggressive and likes to swing that bat a lot. But at the same time, he has increased his walk rate this year which is a sign of good to come. What makes Bart such an attractive pick for the Giants is his defensive ability behind the plate and the ability to call his own games. Bart would be a great fit in San Fran a few years down the road as the heir apparent to Buster Posey.
- Philadelphia Phillies- Nick Madrigal, 2B, Oregon State- After a wrist injury sidelined Madrigal for a few months, he has then come back to have a .435/.496/.620 slash line in his 26 games back. Madrigal will never be much of a power hitter but boy does the kid know how to hit the ball to all parts of the field. He also has a good eye at the plate, only striking out 4 times in his 108 at-bats this year.
- Chicago White Sox- Alec Bohm, 3B, Wichita St- In my last mock I had the Chi-Sox taking lefty Shane McClanahan from USF. Personally, I think the Sox should take McClanahan but most rumors say that the White Sox are in the market for a college bat, and with Bart and Madrigal off the board Alec Bohm makes the most sense. In his 3rd year at Wichita St. Bohm has a .332 BA and 15 home runs. He is considered one of the best pure hitters in the draft and also has more walks (38) than Strikeouts (24). He could fit it quite nicely with the White Sox and could be part of the team in 2020 when they try and make their run for the playoffs.
- Cincinnati Reds- Brady Singer, RHP, Florida- Before the season started Singer was the favorite to go 1st overall. After a spring that got off to a shaky start, he has managed to even out his numbers quite nicely. In his 13 starts, he’s posted a 2.25 ERA while recording 92 strikeouts in 88 innings. Singer has the upside to be a solid part of the Reds Future in the next few years. His talents could potentially see him make the big leagues this season depending on what team drafts him. If the Reds grab him at No. 5 then I could see Singer in Cincinnati at this point next season
- New York Mets- Nolan Gorman, O’Connor HS- Gorman possesses some of the best power in the class. The left-handed hitter has power grades ranging from 60 to 70 on the 20-80 scale. There are some kinks that need to be worked on with his swing but with the right amount of development, the Mets could have their 3rd basemen of the future.
- San Diego Padres- Matthew Liberatore, LHP, Mountain Ridge HS- Liberatore is the top prep lefty in the class. He has a good four-pitch mix with a fastball that sits in the 90-93 mph range which he mixes well with his curve, slider, and change. The Padres took a prep lefty in MacKenzie Gore at No. 3 last year and could go that route again giving them the best prep left handed pitchers in back-to-back years.
- Atlanta Braves- Carter Stewart, RHP, Eau Gallie HS- The 6-foot-6 righty has a fastball that sits in the 92-94 mph range and can touch up to 97 mph. He also mixes in a power curve in the mid 80s and a changeup that is still developing. Atlanta has been a team that focuses primarily on pitching in the 1st round so why stop now. Stewart has a high ceiling and at pick No. 8 he could be a steal for the Braves.
- Oakland Athletics- Jonathan India, 3B, Florida- India has been one of the quickest risers in the draft since the beginning of the season. At the plate, India is batting .365 with a .506 OBP to go along with his 16 home runs. He walks roughly as much as he strikes out, but that is not a glaring concern at the moment. In the field, he is an above average defender and should have no problem staying at the hot corner throughout his career.
- Pittsburgh Pirates- Grayson Rodriguez, Central Heights HS- The Pirates have been connected to most of the high school pitchers. With the two big names likely coming off the board early Pittsburgh would happily take Rodriguez. He has a fastball that sits in the 92-94 mph range. He also has a slider and a curveball that look promising. The last time Pittsburgh took a high school pitcher was Jameson Taillon and we know how well that has worked out so far.
- Baltimore Orioles- Logan Gilbert, RHP, Stetson- Stetson has produced some successful players, most notably Jacob deGrom and Corey Kluber. However, neither of those guys was taken in the 1st round. That is where Stetson will come in and be the 1st Stetson pitcher to be drafted in the 1st round. He’s got your standard fastball, curveball, changeup and the change being his best of the 3. Baltimore is always searching for pitching and Gilbert would be a nice addition.
- Toronto Blue Jays- Travis Swaggerty, OF, South Alabama- Not only does Swaggerty have what could be the best name in the draft but he does a good job of combining top-end speed with raw power. Although he is only batting .295 he does have a .450 OBP. In his 53 games this year he has sent 13 over the fence and has 9 stolen bases on the year. At the next level, Swaggerty should be able to stick in center field and hit leadoff for the Blue Jays when we gets the call up. Imagining a potential lineup of Swaggerty, Bichette, Guerrero Jr, and Biggio for the 2020 season is already giving chills to our friends up north.
- Miami Marlins- Jarred Kelenic, OF, Waukesha HS- Since Miami started the fire sale that took place last year the direction of the team is uncertain. With this pick, I think they take upside and the outfielder from wisconsin is just that. Kelenic is one of the best pure hitters in this class. He has a great feel for the barrel and with his solid raw power, he can contribute to any lineup he is put into.
- Seattle Mariners- Trevor Larnach, OF, Oregon State- Something that has become a trend with Seattle is when in doubt, mock them a college bat. At this point, they miss out on all of the big name guys but Larnach is the next best available. In his Junior season at Oregon State, he has a .328/.450/.656 slash line. He has also accumulated 17 home runs which is a large increase from his total from last year. A few years down the road you could see Larnach joining Mitch Haniger in the Seattle outfield.
- Texas Rangers- Jordyn Adams, OF, Green Hope HS- The Rangers are to be rumored to want a high school bat. If Kelenic were to fall here they would certainly take him, but since he is not Jordyn Adams is a close 2nd. He looks to be a plus hitter that can hit 15-20 home runs each year. His best tool would be his speed which is graded as highly as 75 on the 20-80 scale. It will Likely take an above slot signing bonus to land Adams but that should not be a problem for the Rangers.
- Tampa Bay Rays- Connor Scott, OF, Plant HS- Tampa has one of the highest bonus pool slots so taking a high school player with upside makes sense at No. 16. Scott is the best Prep bat available at this point in the draft. Scott has the makings of a five-tool player. His best quality coming in the speed department. The 6-foot-4 lefty will add more power once he starts to work more on his swing.
- Los Angeles Angels-Shane McClanahan, LHP, South Florida- McClanahan would be considered a top 10 pick but he has struggled in his past few starts. He holds a 3.53 ERA in 12 starts. But, He has recorded 111 punchouts in 66 ⅓ innings. If the Angels want to take someone that can help them in the next year or two, McClanahan is definitely the guy they should look at in this spot.
- Kansas City Royals- Brice Turang, SS, Santiago HS- Turang was the way-to-early No. 1 pick just under a year ago. A fairly shaky summer caused him to fall down draft boards. He does everything fairly well. Turang looks to be a long term project at SS and is more of an upside pick. That is something the Royals should be alright with taking.
- St. Louis Cardinals- Jackson Kowar, RHP, Florida- If there is any pick that makes the most sense in the 1st round it would be this one. The Cardinals seem to be in the search for a college pitcher and Kowar fits the bill. Meanwhile, everybody’s talking about his teammate Brady Singer, Kowar is quietly right behind him with his 3.01 ERA in 14 starts. He’s averaging just under a strikeout per inning.
- Minnesota Twins- Ethan Hankins, RHP Forsyth Central HS- Personally Hankins is my favorite Prep pitcher in this draft. He was at one point in the discussion for the 1st overall pick, but injury and velocity concerns have had him slip down some draft boards. When he is 100% there is no doubt he has the best fastball in the draft. The kid is 6-foot-6 and when you watch his fastball it is definitely something special. The movement on it is truly unbelievable. If he wants to become a starter he will need to have either his curveball or slider develop more. If Hankins fell to No. 20 he is a great fit for the Minnesota system.
- Milwaukee Brewers- Ryan Weathers, LHP, Loretto HS- Last year Milwaukee took Keston Hiura, who was most likely the best all around bat in the draft. Who knows what route they take this year, but I would presume it is a best available approach which is where Weathers fits in. Weathers does not have a true out pitch but he does do a good job mixing the 3 pitches he does throw well. Weathers changeup is the pitch that has the most promise as it is more developed for a teenager compared to others.
- Colorado Rockies- Anthony Seigler, C, Cartersville HS- It has been rumored that the Rockies have been in heavy contact with Seigler in the recent weeks and he is one of the top risers as the draft approaches. The switch hitting and switch throwing catcher. He shows promise as a receiver and a pitch framer. When at the plate Seigler makes consistent hard contact from both sides and can hit to all fields. With the strong connection between the Rockies and Seigler, I would be surprised if Seigler was still on the board after the Rockies pick.
- New York Yankees- Cole Winn, RHP, Orange Lutheran HS- The Yankees scouting director has a thing for Southern California prospects. Winn from Orange Lutheran HS is considered the best SoCal prospect in the draft. He displays 3 above average pitches with a mid 90s fastball. He has also been able to develop his slider throughout the spring. The Yankees and Winn seem like the right fit on paper, but the Yankees could choose to go with a prep bat if Winn is not available.
- Chicago Cubs- Ryan Rolison, LHP, Ole Miss- Rolison is a draft eligible sophomore and boy is he a fun kid to watch. I’ve been lucky to watch a few of his games when they are on T.V. I think it is fair to say he has one of, if not the best curveballs in this draft. It’s got a sharp break with power and depth. He has a fastball that sits in the low 90s and can locate the fastball well on both sides of the plate. His stuff continues to improve and would be a nice fit for the Cubs if they were lucky enough to get him at No. 24.
- Arizona Diamondbacks- Kumar Rocker, RHP, North Oconee HS- Rocker could easily be picked somewhere in the 10-20 pick range. But the Diamondbacks would not mind if he fell to them at No. 25. He usually sits in the 92-96 mph range, his fastball shows a hard sink and he normally commands it well. He also has a knockout slider that sits in the mid 80s. He has the makeup of a quality starting pitcher and that is something the D-Backs would love.
- Boston Red Sox- Triston Casas, 1B, American Heritage HS- The Red Sox don´t normally go high school or college heavy. So this is more of a best player available approach. Casas is right up there with Gorman as high school players with the most raw power. The only problem with Casas would be trying to convince him to sign out of high school because he has committed to play college ball at Miami.
- Washington Nationals- Noah Naylor, C, St. Joan of Arc HS- Noah is the younger brother of San DIego prospect Josh Naylor, He can hit well from the left side of the late with plenty of power. There would need to be some work to keep him behind the plate but the addition of Naylor could give the Nationals a solid catcher 4 or 5+ years down the road.
- Houston Astros- Seth Beer, 1B, Clemson- Before the season started Beer was a candidate to go in the top 5 picks. He was talked about 2 years ago when he won the Dick Howser Award. What Beer does have going for him is his pure power from the left side. Hes mashed 19 homeruns this season while having a .308 BA. Beer also has a nice eye at the plate drawing 48 walks so far this season.
- Cleveland Indians- Steele Walker, OF, Oklahoma- The trend with the Indians the past few years is they have been taking outfielder from both levels. Oklahoma OF Steele Walker fits the bill. What makes Walker an intriguing prospect is his track record with wood bats. In the summer of 2016, he lead the Northwoods League with a .406 batting average. Walker has a quick left handed swing and can hit to all fields. His ability to hit for average is his best tool but scouts do love his makeup and instincts.
- Los Angeles Dodgers- Tristan Beck, RHP, Stanford- Beck was phenomenal as a freshman at Stanford posting a 2.48 ERA in 14 starts. After sitting out the 2017 season due to a back injury he fell down draft boards due to injury concerns. The Yankees took him in the 29th round but Beck opted to go back to Stanford for another year. Needless to say he made the right choice. In his 13 starts this year he has a 2.79 ERA. Beck is not a big strikeout guy but he does know how to get guys out. The Dodgers have had success with college pitchers in the past, one of them being stand out rookie Walker Buehler. Beck would be a nice addition for the Dodgers and could be part of the rotation 2 or 3 years down the line.