MLB Mock Draft Monday, Version 7.9

The 2019 MLB draft will take place June 3-5, incredibly just two weeks away. This is the seventh of the mock drafts that I will put out, looking to put out one per week all the way up to the draft.

Before we get into the picks, let’s start with a quick look at the bonus pools for each team:

Arizona $16.09M
Baltimore $13.82M
Kansas City $13.11M
Miami $13.05M
Chicago (A) $11.57M
Atlanta $11.53M
Texas $11.02M
San Diego $10.76M
Detroit $10.40M
Tampa Bay $10.33M
Pittsburgh $9.94M
Minnesota $9.91M
Cincinnati $9.53M
San Francisco $8.71M
Toronto $8.46M
New York (N) $8.22M
Los Angeles (N) $8.07M
Los Angeles (A) $7.61M
Seattle $7.56M
New York (A) $7.46M
Colorado $7.09M
St. Louis $6.90M
Philadelphia $6.48M
Cleveland $6.15M
Washington $5.98M
Chicago (N) $5.83M
Oakland $5.61M
Houston $5.36M
Milwaukee $5.15M
Boston $4.79M

Now to the draft! We will make picks for every selection through the first collective bargaining picks, which means every team but Boston will have a selection…

1. Baltimore Orioles – Adley Rutschman, C, Oregon State

There are some attempts to put doubt into the Orioles selecting the best player on the board. Don’t buy into them. It’s Rutschman for the Orioles, and he’ll end up in Baltimore very quickly.

2. Kansas City Royals – Bobby Witt, Jr., SS, Texas HS

This was once Vaughn or Witt, and it’s now much more Witt with Bleday/Vaughn splitting the other consideration, with some giving the odds at roughly 2/3 Witt, 1/3 Bleday/Vaughn. Witt would give an immediate boost of talent into the Royals system.

3. Chicago White Sox – C.J. Abrams, SS, Georgia HS

Abrams and the White Sox are beginning to become more of a “write it in pen” sort of pairing at this point. Bleday and Bishop seem to be the more likely ones to supplant Abrams on draft night over Vaughn as the White Sox seek out production with some level of defensive value as well. However, based on the way the team is tracking Abrams, it would be an upset if this wasn’t nearly a lock at this point.

4. Miami Marlins – J.J. Bleday, OF, Vanderbilt

Bleday is really in play from #1 on, per reports, as he’s on the Orioles short list if they go somewhere other than Rutschman. He’ll be a guy that draws plenty of interest after he had the type of season that he really needed to in order to show scouts that he was everything that his tools said he should be. There is a divide in the Marlins decision room between a prep shortstop (Witt or Abrams) or a top college bat, but with Witt and Abrams both off the board, I’ll go with the guy the Marlins have been sending some of their top guys on lately.

5. Detroit Tigers – Andrew Vaughn, 1B, Cal

The Tigers and Riley Greene have been a strong pairing for most of draft season, but getting the chance to draft a bat like Vaughn is not something that comes along very often, and the Tigers would almost certainly jump on Vaughn the second the Marlins passed on him.

6. San Diego Padres – Riley Greene, OF, Florida HS

With the top 5 players beginning to be more locked into place, the Padres seem to be the spot where there is still some question. Taking Greene as the top prep player on the board at this point makes sense, but the Padres could look to spread some cash through their draft if they’re not in love with any particular player here and grab a college bat that might have to wait for 5-10 more picks to come off the board otherwise, like Shae Langeliers or Josh Jung.

7. Cincinnati Reds – Hunter Bishop, OF, Arizona State

The Reds seem to be headed one of three directions – Bishop, UNLV SS Stott, or TCU LHP Lodolo. Asking around, it’s hard to get a real read on any one of the trio that has a leg up on any of the others in the Reds front office right now. Bishop would seemingly be a great fit offensively in Great American Ballpark, and his athleticism would allow him to be either a solid center fielder or an elite defensive corner outfielder.

8. Texas Rangers – Brett Baty, 3B, Texas HS

The discussion on the Rangers looking to cut a deal here has become so loud that it’s impossible to ignore. Moving up a player that likely would take a deal is not difficult as the Rangers have put out their feelers on a number of good candidates, with Baty, West Virginia RHP Alex Manoah, or JuCo RHP Jackson Rutledge all being strong considerations here. Baty would give the Rangers one of the best bats in the class that should move quicker than an average high school bat.

9. Atlanta Braves – Jackson Rutledge, RHP, San Jacinto JC

With the ability to take more risks at this pick, the Braves seem to be looking hard at pitching, and they haven’t locked in hard on any specific prep arm, though they could end up pushing one here for the right price if they could get a guy like Espino or Malone to sign for between $3-$3.5 million here (slot value is $4,949,100), they could be convinced quickly to bump a prep arm up. Alex Anthopoulos certainly doesn’t shy away from prep arms over his career, either, but Rutledge’s raw tools and size make him a very intriguing pick here.

10. San Francisco Giants – Bryson Stott, SS, UNLV

Stott could be in play starting at pick 7, and he seems to have a few good landing spots between 7 and 15. The Giants would certainly value his bat and glove combination that Stott offers, and with Brandon Crawford’s contract up after 2021, he could move quickly to the big leagues and take over at short for the Giants.

11. Toronto Blue Jays – Nick Lodolo, LHP, TCU

This would really be ideal for the Blue Jays, who have been known to be high on Corbin Carroll and also pursuing the college arm class pretty strong. With all of them still here to choose from, they can choose to pick the guy who is widely considered the top arm in the college class. After going through a bit of a rough patch, Lodolo righted the ship against a very good Texas Tech lineup, going 8 innings and striking out 13 in his last start.

12. New York Mets – Zack Thompson, LHP, Kentucky

The Mets are certainly in need of a talent win as their season continues to spiral. They would love to see a big name fall into their lap, but this would be a very good talent decision between the lefty Thompson and the righty Manoah.

13. Minnesota Twins – Alek Manoah, RHP, West Virginia

The Twins have actually been in on a lot of bats this year with more attention seemingly to the second tier of the college arm class, but Manoah landing in their lap would be tough to pass up.

14. Philadelphia Phillies – Gunnar Henderson, 3B, Alabama HS

The Phillies are enamored with Henderson the way they were a number of years ago with Cornelius Randolph, often far outpacing other teams in their representation at his games. They could bargain for an underslot deal here as well with a limited overall draft pool to work with.

15. Los Angeles Angels – Corbin Carroll, OF, Washington HS

Even though they’ve added Jo Adell, Brandon Marsh, and Jordyn Adams in the last few years in the draft, the Angels would not be shy about Carroll’s raw athleticism. He could be in play much earlier, but he also could be a guy that drops on draft night as well.

16. Arizona Diamondbacks – Shea Langeliers, C, Baylor

With four picks before the second round, the Diamondbacks could make a big play for talent, and this scenario has them pushing their chips primarily into the first round picks. Langeliers would be an excellent choice this late as a premium defender who continues to hit with more and more power as he gets farther from his early spring hamate injury.

17. Washington Nationals – Hunter Barco, LHP, Florida HS

The Nationals are definitely not a team that shies away from injured arms. Barco is the top left-handed prep arm in this year’s draft, and many felt he had a legit argument for the top prep arm overall in the draft before being shut down early in the season. He could be too expensive to go here, but if they can make the financials work, this would be an excellent pick for Washington.

18. Pittsburgh Pirates – Josh Jung, 3B, Texas Tech

I put Jung here last week, and I got some odd comments from Pirates fans who were wanting a shortstop instead – specifically, North Carolina State shortstop Will Wilson. While he’d be in consideration here and an excellent choice if the Pirates went that direction, Jung is showing incredible power right now and very well may be answering the one question that he hasn’t answered yet this season.

19. St. Louis Cardinals – Quinn Priester, RHP, Illinois HS

The Cardinals specialize in grabbing a guy who really shouldn’t still be on the board or a guy whose talent isn’t yet fully appreciated. Priester likely falls into the latter category as a guy who has never really had high-level coaching and is primarily self-taught on the mound. Making those kinds of strides on his own could lead to a huge explosion once he gets quality pro coaching.

20. Seattle Mariners – Will Wilson, SS, North Carolina State

The Mariners have been checking on Kameron Misner lately, but they’re still expected to be looking strongest at the deep college middle infield class and the college arms. If one of the top 3-4 college arms would land here, the Mariners very well could grab him. Otherwise, they’ll take their preference among the top shortstops in the college class, and Wilson has been gaining some steam as he’s closed the year strong.

21. Atlanta Braves – Logan Davidson, SS, Clemson

The Braves could look at the lack of prep arms off the board and go with two arms with their first two picks, but they’ve also been heavily scouting college infielders, specifically ACC shortstops as of late, and Davidson is reported to be one of their favorites. With no international money to use in the 2019/2020 class, the Braves will likely want to maximize their return on the draft year.

22. Tampa Bay Rays – Keoni Cavaco, 3B, California HS

Cavaco has been jumping up boards this spring due to his smooth work around the third base bag and his bat is showing much more potential than thought coming into the season. The Rays are also in on a number of prep arms and could try to get one here, but grabbing Cavaco while he’s still on the board would be a good get.

23. Colorado Rockies – Michael Busch, OF, North Carolina

While Busch has played primarily first base for the Tar Heels, his athleticism is much more than a plodder stuck at the first sack. The Rockies could take advantage of that and use his athleticism in a corner outfield spot while letting his big bat play.

24. Cleveland Indians – Kameron Misner, OF, Missouri

The Indians would likely be upset to see Busch go just ahead of them, but Misner as the consolation prize would be quite alright. Misner struggled mightily once the SEC season opened. He’s gotten back on track with his batting average and on base, but he’s not showing near the power he did to open, though his athleticism will have plenty of teams interested.

25. Los Angeles Dodgers – Seth Johnson, RHP, Campbell

While the Dodgers are looking for upside with two picks in the first round, they could go to a well that they’ve had success with for the last few years – working with talented college pitching that is either injured or in need of coaching adjustment and developing excellent arms that way. Johnson is in his first full year on the mound and truly fits that profile well.

26. Arizona Diamondbacks – Matthew Allan, RHP, Florida HS

Continuing to use their extra picks to get high-end talent, the Diamondbacks grab the top-rated high school arm on many boards here with Allan. He may have a fairly high number to sign, but the Diamondbacks have the resources to make it happen.

27. Chicago Cubs – George Kirby, RHP, Elon

The Cubs have very little money to spend this year and need as much talent as possible in a very thin system. Kirby gives them the college arm with the best control in this draft along with present stuff enough to consider as a mid-rotation possibility now with a bit of upside still left.

28. Milwaukee Brewers – Kody Hoese, 3B, Tulane

I honestly don’t think Hoese makes it this far, but I just couldn’t pull the trigger before here, and if he’s on the board when the Brewers and their second-worst bonus pool are on the clock, Milwaukee should sprint to the podium with his name on the card.

29. Oakland Athletics – Maurice Hampton, OF, Tennessee HS

The A’s love athletic (no pun intended) outfielders and they simply missed on one last year. They might be too gun shy to go after another one that could choose football over them, but Hampton’s reported number isn’t so crazy that it’d bankrupt the rest of the A’s draft, and his athleticism is really unmatched in this draft.

30. New York Yankees – Anthony Volpe, SS, New Jersey HS

Volpe has great raw skills, but he’s also been putting out that he would prefer to stay in the Northeast and has a fairly high signing number. The Yankees meet the Northeast criteria and with two early picks, they could pony up the cash to sign him as well.

31. Los Angeles Dodgers – Tyler Callihan, 3B, Florida HS

Callihan’s work behind the plate or at least willingness to try such could end up making him a perfect fit for the Dodgers, who love athletic catchers who can play other positions. Callihan may be more hit over power, but being able to handle the tools of ignorance and the hot corner while providing any offense would provide a big league future.

32. Houston Astros – Davis Wendzel, 3B, Baylor

With a very limited budget, the Astros will be looking to get the best possible return on their money, and in this draft, that will come from the college crop. Grabbing a guy from the in-state school with tremendous defensive versatility and an improving bat would be an excellent choice.

The Diamondbacks have the only two free agent compensation picks this year, selections #33 and #34.

33. Arizona Diamondbacks – Brennan Malone, RHP, Florida HS

In the prep pitching class this year, there are 3-4 guys considered candidates for the top pitcher in the class, with no real consensus guy at the top. In getting both Allan and Malone, the Diamondbacks would lock down two of those 3-4 arms, an impressive haul for sure.

34. Arizona Diamondbacks – Carter Stewart, RHP, Eastern Florida JC

While the 2019 class doesn’t have a consensus top arm, by the time the draft came along last year, the top right-handed arm in the 2018 class was Stewart. Then he didn’t sign with the Braves, and many have him going much later than this, which the Diamondbacks could leverage into a decent signing number.

The rest of the selections (outside of the Pirates pick at #37) are the Competitive Balance, Round A picks. Interestingly, three of six CBA picks were traded this offseason.

35. Miami Marlins – Kyren Paris, SS, California HS

One part of the Marlins brass wins out with their pick of Bleday early on, but in Paris, the other part gets their type of guy with one of the youngest players in the draft. Paris has an impressive skill set that could develop into a fan favorite and one of the best players on the team as well.

36. Tampa Bay Rays – Braden Shewmake, SS, Texas A&M

He’s not sexy, but Shewmake’s the type of guy that every org wants in their system and every manager wants on his team. He’s an all-effort guy, and though he may not be loaded with raw tools, he gets the most of what he has, allowing him to play excellent defense around the dirt and provide enough offense to keep him on the field.

37. Pittsburgh Pirates – J.J. Goss, RHP, Texas HS

The Pirates have been hitting the high school pitching market fairly heavy to close out pre-draft scouting, and they seem to be concentrating on a host of arms that should be available around #37. Goss has taken over as the top arm in Texas, and taking a top Texas high school arm worked out quite well with Jameson Taillon!

38. New York Yankees – Jack Kochanowicz, RHP, Pennsylvania HS

Many have the Yankees scouting plenty of college arms, but Kochanowicz really fits the Yankees mold very well, standing 6’6″ with a very projectable frame. He reaches the mid-90s now with tremendous extension and angle on his pitches. He’s the type of guy that the Yankees system could turn into an elite prospect in a couple years’ time.

39. Minnesota Twins – Daniel Espino, RHP, Georgia HS

Espino very well may have the best raw stuff on the mound in this year’s high school class. A delivery that some consider less than ideal and his size could get Espino this far down the board, and if it does, the Twins should absolutely jump on the chance, even after taking a college arm with their first pick.

40. Tampa Bay Rays – Tommy Henry, LHP, Michigan

Henry has been getting plenty of attention as Michigan’s season winds to a close, and many feel that he could be firmly entrenched in the 30-50 range of the draft at this point. With a number of solid lefties also expected to go around this range, Henry will be a choice that the Rays could get for a deal in this spot.

41. Texas Rangers – Brooks Lee, IF, California HS

Lee has been shooting up boards late in the process. Multiple quality prep shortstops could fit here as part of the Rangers shift money from #8 down into the rest of their draft. Lee should stick on the dirt, though he may end up at second base over shortstop, his bat and high baseball smarts will more than make up for it.

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