I actually needed to come back in and shake issues up with this week’s mock draft, particularly on the high. Let’s be sincere right here: It would make issues extra fascinating after having the identical 5 gamers within the first 5 spots week after week.
But, ultimately, I simply couldn’t do it.
The high 5 are nonetheless very a lot the highest 5 and nobody is breaking in based mostly on expertise. Sure, one thing may go awry and one of many groups may reduce a deal up high to drive one of many quintet all the way down to No. 6. And sure, we’ve heard the speak in regards to the Pirates doing one thing to save lots of more cash (although it will be with another person within the high 5, with Max Clark’s identify talked about probably the most). But it’s method too early to know something for sure and there’s nonetheless robust perception that the highest 5 will go in these first 5 choices, beginning with protecting the LSU duo of Dylan Crews and Paul Skenes within the high two spots.
After that, it opens up a bit extra. And whereas there nonetheless isn’t agency info, one factor that’s filtered in a bit is which gamers are of curiosity to which groups. With seasons over for all apart from these heading to tremendous regionals this weekend, many gamers are heading to exercises for groups and a few data on these meetups is being delivered to our consideration. As a end result, we are able to at the very least proceed to provide a smattering of possible names in as many spots as doable.
Following Jim Callis’ lead, I’ve included the Mets’ decide at 32 and the Dodgers at 36 to offer all 30 groups’ first choices. Detailed scouting reviews for all gamers talked about beneath could be discovered with our Draft Top 200 (rankings in parentheses).
1. Pirates: Dylan Crews, OF, Louisiana State (No. 1)
The Pirates will undoubtedly go all the way down to the wire in making a selection and have finished due diligence in scouting all the high 5. After his robust regional, Crews is now as much as .432/.573/.736 for the 12 months and nonetheless looks like the very best wager to go within the high spot.
2. Nationals: Paul Skenes, RHP, Louisiana State (No. 2)
Skenes wasn’t as sharp as normal, however nonetheless struck out 12 and walked none in his full sport victory over Tulane in regional play, which really lowered his Ok price to 16.2 per 9 for the 12 months. The Skenes-to-the-Nats connection continues to be the strongest one on the high of the spherical.
3. Tigers: Wyatt Langford, OF, Florida (No. 3)
If the LSU duo goes 1-2, the Tigers can decide the very best bat out there, with a selection of the school bat in Langford and the 2 highschool outfielders in Clark and Walker Jenkins. Most of the excitement is that they’ll favor the superior faculty man and take Langford, who heads into tremendous regional play with the identical OPS (1.310) as Crews.
4. Rangers: Walker Jenkins, OF, South Brunswick HS, Southport, N.C. (No. 4)
There’s curiosity within the two prep outfielders right here, with the sting seemingly belonging to Jenkins in the mean time. Could this be the place the place a non-top 5 deal takes place? This is the crew, in spite of everything, that stunned lots of people by taking Kumar Rocker No. 3 final 12 months.
5. Twins: Max Clark, OF, Franklin (Ind.) HS (No. 5)
Clark is the very best match right here, although the Twins will proceed to ponder quite a lot of the school names within the subsequent set of projected picks, together with high highschool arm Noble Meyer. And, in fact, they may very well be the beneficiary of getting one of many different high 5 if one thing goes sideways above them.
6. Athletics: Kyle Teel, C, Virginia (No. 10)
Teel is hitting .423/.487/.690 coming into tremendous regional play and might stick behind the plate defensively. What’s to not like? The A’s additionally will proceed to discover the school arms up subsequent and the following set of faculty bats with Teel.
7. Reds: Chase Dollander, RHP, Tennessee (No. 6)
There’s curiosity in a university arm right here and it nonetheless appears up within the air if it’s Dollander and his superior pure stuff or Rhett Lowder with the extra constant efficiency this 12 months. I’ll go Dollander this week, whereas that is additionally a spot the place each Meyer and shortstop Arjun Nimmala from the highschool crop are talked about.
8. Royals: Rhett Lowder, RHP, Wake Forest (No. 8)
If the Royals don’t choose to go together with whichever faculty arm the Reds don’t take, it’s believed they’ve curiosity in Meyer on the mound and Nimmala in the event that they wish to go highschool hitter, with Jacob Gonzalez and Jacob Wilson the school bats in play.
9. Rockies: Noble Meyer, RHP, Jesuit HS, Portland, Ore. (No. 11)
The Rockies are all the time looking for arms they’ll develop to pitch in Coors Field, and with each Dollander and Lowder off the board right here, they may flip to the highest arm out there, albeit a highschool one, in Meyer.
10. Marlins: Arjun Nimmala, SS, Strawberry Crest HS, Dover, Fla. (No. 9)
Nimmala’s identify is everywhere in the again half of the highest 10 and the proficient highschool shortstop shouldn’t go an excessive amount of additional than this. Aidan Miller may very well be an excellent consideration right here as effectively.
11. Angels: Jacob Wilson, SS, Grand Canyon (No. 7)
This may very well be a touchdown spot for Nimmala if he makes it out of the highest 10, but when he’s gone, the Angels have some faculty bats to select from, together with Wilson, Gonzalez and Enrique Bradfield.
12. D-backs: Colin Houck, SS, Parkview HS, Lilburn, Ga. (No. 14)
The D-backs definitely don’t draw back from taking highschool bats (Druw Jones, Jordan Lawlar, Corbin Carroll) on the high, so why ought to this 12 months be any totally different? This is one other player-team connection that appears fairly tight proper now.
13. Cubs: Jacob Gonzalez, SS, Mississippi (No. 15)
It’s largely faculty names right here proper now, with Gonzalez, Bradfield and Matt Shaw developing among the many hitters. Florida’s Hursten Waldrep has been pitching higher of late, so don’t be shocked if he begins floating as much as round this half and there was slightly buzz that ought to the Cubs flip to the highschool ranks, they do like Colt Emerson.
14. Red Sox: Aidan Miller, 3B, Mitchell HS, New Port Richey, Fla. (No. 12)
Miller may have very effectively been a Top 10 decide if he hadn’t missed a lot of his senior 12 months with a hamate harm (although he nonetheless may float as much as the again finish of that 10). The Red Sox don’t have any drawback taking highschool hitters, so this checks off that field. Bradfield may land on this spot, as may Shaw ought to they go the school hitter route and whereas I didn’t work Arizona’s Chase Davis into this mock, his identify has come up in the midst of the primary spherical some.
15. White Sox: Matt Shaw, SS, Maryland (No. 18)
It nonetheless looks as if a university hitter is the very best wager right here, and Shaw’s been an excellent one with Maryland. Bradfield and Florida Atlantic’s Nolan Schanuel are potentialities, although the White Sox are wanting on the high prep hitters out there nonetheless.
16. Giants: Tommy Troy, SS, Stanford (No. 19)
This may very well be an excellent touchdown spot for Bradfield, however the Giants may keep in their very own yard and take Troy, who heads into tremendous regional play with a .411/.489/.738 line that features 17 homers and steals. They like highschool slugger Bryce Eldridge as effectively and there was some buzz about Colorado prep shortstop Walker Martin, however they haven’t taken a highschool participant with their high decide since 2017.
17. Orioles: Bryce Eldridge, 1B/RHP, Madison HS, Vienna, Va. (No. 21)
The O’s may very well be arms, with Waldrep maybe being of their sights, although he may soar previous if he continues his postseason resurgence. But they’re good at growing younger hitters and aren’t afraid of taking them from the highschool ranks and an argument may very well be made that with the expertise they’ve amassed on the higher ranges, they may go upside like this and afford to be affected person.
18. Brewers: Enrique Bradfield Jr., OF, Vanderbilt (No. 16)
Bradfield would doubtless high an inventory of faculty bats in play right here, in entrance of Brayden Taylor, Schanuel and Yohandy Morales. Lots of people I reached out to this week felt Bradfield goes sooner than this.
19. Rays: Hurston Waldrep, RHP, Florida (No. 20)
There are bats available right here, with guys like Taylor, who’s trending up, and Schanuel on the school facet, Blake Mitchell and Kevin McGonigle on the highschool facet. But Waldrep’s pure stuff may be laborious to cross up right here, together with his previous few outings maybe giving groups extra confidence he can begin long-term.
20. Blue Jays: Brayden Taylor, 3B, Texas Christian (No. 30)
As talked about above, Taylor’s identify is trending up as he’s swung the bat very effectively in NCAA postseason play. If he goes earlier, somebody like Schanuel may match and somebody like Emerson may come into play in the event that they go the prep bat route.
21. Cardinals: Nolan Schanuel, 1B/OF, Florida Atlantic (No. 29)
Schanuel’s identify will get hotter once you deliver him up on this a part of the Draft. The Cardinals have taken a university pitcher within the first spherical in three of the previous 4 Drafts, but when Waldrep is gone, there isn’t actually a fantastic choice right here.
22. Mariners: Blake Mitchell, C, Sinton (Texas) HS (No. 13)
My intestine says Mitchell and his great instruments go greater than this, however conversations about him additionally deliver up speak over the highschool catcher danger. Emerson may very well be a match ought to he make it to the Mariners on the highschool bat facet they usually may very well be prep lefty Thomas White as effectively. They’d definitely think about the school bats projected to go within the teenagers ought to one get there.
23. Guardians: Colt Emerson, SS/3B, Glenn HS, New Concord, Ohio (No. 27)
Though there’s buzz round Emerson and him going greater than this, having him keep residence in Ohio may work effectively and the Guardians do like guys who actually know the right way to hit. The truth Emerson remains to be 17 definitely doesn’t damage by way of what he appears like in groups’ fashions.
24. Braves: George Lombard Jr., SS, Gulliver Prep, Pinecrest, Fla. (No. 38)
High faculty bats are talked about right here greater than anything and a few evaluators felt there was a powerful hyperlink between the Braves and Lombard. McGonigle, Martin and Sammy Stafura are different prep shortstops who come up right here.
25. Padres: Thomas White, LHP, Phillips Academy, Andover, Mass. (No. 23)
The two names developing loads on this spot are Dillon Head, the speedy highschool outfielder, and White, the highest lefty pitcher (of any form) within the class, because the Padres have by no means shied away from upside.
26. Yankees: Dillon Head, OF, Homewood-Flossmoor HS, Flossmoor, Ill. (No. 22)
The Yankees would possibly love an opportunity to draft White, however Head can be within the combine if he goes forward of the Yankees. So would different highschool bats like Stafura and McGonigle.
27. Phillies: Charlee Soto, RHP, Reborn Christian Academy, Kissimmee, Fla. (No. 25)
There are those that really feel Soto is a powerful candidate right here, and he’s undoubtedly of their combine.
28. Astros: Yohandy Morales, 3B, Miami (No. 17)
It’s virtually all hitters that get introduced up right here, with faculty ones getting extra buzz. Morales is the sort of faculty performer who may match after hitting .408/.475/.713 with 20 homers for the Hurricanes this 12 months.
32. Mets: Walker Martin, SS, Eaton (Col.) HS (No. 28)
There are a number of bats who may very well be round for the Mets to think about and if Martin goes earlier, they could favor somebody like McGonigle over different highschool center infielders like Stafura or Adrian Santana.
36. Dodgers: Brock Wilken, 3B, Wake Forest (No. 24)
Wilken is one other identify that many individuals anticipate to go greater than this, together with his 27 homers and .805 SLG coming into tremendous regional play, so the Dodgers may be thrilled if he’s right here.
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