MLB Mock Draft, Version 8.9 – Full First Day

The 2019 MLB draft will take place June 3-5, next Monday! This is the first of two mock drafts that will cover the entire first day, with the second to come early on Monday, June 3rd.

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 entire first day

Round One

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

Security reigns supreme with the top three selections. The biggest upset on draft night of the top three, however, would still be anyone but Adley going #1. He’s the rare catcher that fantasy owners will want while also being a guy that can be expected to contribute on the defensive side of the ball as well.

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

Witt is nearly locked into the #2 spot in the same way that Rutschman is locked into #1. He’s extremely gifted, has been around the game, has tremendous raw instincts, and anytime you listen to an interview with him, you can tell that Witt is ready for the pressure of being a top pick in an organization rebuilding and likely to focus their attention on him organization-wide.

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

While certainly the lowest floor among the top 3 picks, Abrams very well may have the highest upside with the chance to fill into average or slightly better power to go with his blazing speed. Once he locks down his defensive position (some scouts like him sticking at short, others prefer him in center), Abrams could move quickly with a good feel to hit.

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

This is the first spot where there’s some question still at this point with a week to go before the draft. Bleday, Vaughn, Bishop, and Greene would all be in consideration here, and while the consensus is that it will come down to Bleday or Vaughn, any of the four makes plenty of sense in this spot.

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

The Tigers will essentially take the list the Marlins were considering and remove the #4 pick to make their list. The one thing coming up quite a bit lately is that the Tigers could make a push for TCU lefty Lodolo, who has finished the year strong and should be a fast-mover up the minor league system as their pitching core seems to be strong at the AA level, and mixing Lodolo into that core could be a strong group.

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

Anyone outside the Padres draft room telling you that they know where the Padres are leaning at this point is simply blowing smoke. The team leans heavily toward talent, and they want to continue building their system as deep as feasible, so adding in the top overall bat in many eyes in the prep class in Greene would be an excellent get here, even if he never develops into more than a 35-double, 15-20 home run sort of guy as the contact should allow him to be a high average hitter.

7. Cincinnati Reds – Nick Lodolo, LHP, TCU

The Reds continue to be locked into one of three directions – Bishop, UNLV SS Stott, or Lodolo. They prefer Bishop to Bleday even if Bleday would fall, but with the strong finish to his season and the ability to move quickly, Lodolo is becoming a more likely pick at this point.

8. Texas Rangers – Jackson Rutledge, RHP, San Jacinto JC

The decision to keep money in check here for the Rangers has led to two names getting mentioned strongly – Rutledge and Texas prep 3B Baty. Baty likely would allow for much more cash to be cut, but Rutledge has the intrigue of the big-body, big-talent arm that still has plenty of upside.

9. Atlanta Braves – Hunter Bishop, OF, Arizona State

The Braves are looking to get plenty of talent this year, but they have identified the college classes as the location of the best talent, so in talking with a current Braves scout, the estimation was that the Braves would leave the first day with two college/JuCo players and then begin mixing in prep players throughout the second day and heavily in the third day focus on JuCo and prep players. That could lead to fewer players signing from the third day, but it could mean more overall raw talent coming from those who do sign as well. Bishop would fit the mold of being a guy who could move quickly, and now that his focus can be on baseball after a difficult year of concern for his mother and her battle with Alzheimer’s showed through on the field for him as a sophomore.

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

The Giants will lose Brandon Crawford soon, and he’s losing a few steps as he ages, so getting the guy who can step into the shortstop role when Crawford retires or is let leave via free agency. Pitchers will also come into play here, and with a new front office, there is definitely a consideration that the Giants could go for a high school heavy draft, though Stott’s offense/defense combo at short would still be desirable at this spot even in a “best talent available” outlook.

11. Toronto Blue Jays – Zack Thompson, LHP, Kentucky

The Blue Jays would love to have Bleday or Bishop fall into their lap, but otherwise, they seem set to take a pitcher, with a heavy indication that they will go the collegiate route. Of course, every indication was that they were leaning college last year before picking Jordan Groshans with their first-round pick, so they could certainly be in the mix for prep arms as well. Thompson makes a lot of sense here with his upside.

12. New York Mets – Shea Langeliers, C, Baylor

While many seem to be leaning pitcher here, the Mets have been checking in plenty on college hitters as well. Langeliers could fill a major hole in the Mets system behind the plate, and he should move quickly with elite defensive skills along with impressive power. After an early-season hamate injury, Langeliers has finished very strong.

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

The Twins could definitely be in the mix for college bats here, and Jung, Langeliers, and Stott have all been seen heavily, but to have Manoah land in their lap would be an ideal situation for Minnesota. New pitching coach Wes Johnson would be absolutely drooling over a frame like Manoah’s to work with on the mound, with the chance to potentially develop Manoah into a co-ace with current staff ace Jose Berrios.

14. Philadelphia Phillies – Logan Davidson, SS, Clemson

The Phillies seem to be heavy in two markets – infielders and college pitching. There were some strong indications that the Phillies and Gunnar Henderson were a match, but recent reports about money for Gunnar could scare off the Phillies, who are short on draft pool funds after a busy offseason. With the top college arms off the board at this point, the Phillies would look toward infielders, and Davidson would be a great fit with his potential plus power and plus speed combination.

15. Los Angeles Angels – Josh Jung, 3B, Texas Tech

While Billy Eppler has focused more on top prep bats in drafts since taking over as Angels GM, a bat like Jung’s at this spot could be too good to pass up. Jung has finished the season with a huge run, posting nearly a 1.400 OPS in the final two months of the year while also playing shortstop this season to show his defensive flexibility.

16. Arizona Diamondbacks – Brett Baty, 3B, Texas HS

Baty’s big bat could be in play in the top 10, but he would be a great fit for the Diamondbacks in a draft where they have plenty of picks to work with. Baty’s arm is not in question, but his defense at the hot corner would need plenty of work to stick there. Reports recently have discussed surprising athleticism for Baty, though, indicating that he could potentially move to the outfield. One recent report from a scout compared Baty at draft strongly to Austin Riley when he was selected by the Atlanta Braves.

17. Washington Nationals – Gunnar Henderson, IF, Alabama HS

Henderson has shown the upside to be in play earlier than this, but he should certainly be off the board by the time the 25th selection comes into play, with this (17-25) being the likely range he is picked. The Nationals have done very well developing left-side infielders recently, turning much lesser talents than Henderson into legit prospects, and with Anthony Rendon a potential free agent this offseason, Henderson could be viewed as a potential long-term fit on the left side of the infield.

18. Pittsburgh Pirates – Will Wilson, SS, North Carolina State

The Pirates seem to be focused strongly on arms, both high school and college, and left-side infielders as draft day comes near. Wilson has done everything he needed to this year to put himself behind only Stott in the college shortstop pecking order, but he may go behind Davidson due to some teams more likely to believe he moves off short. His overall skills should definitely play, however, and he would fit well with the Pirates here.

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

The noise on Priester and the Cardinals has started to gain momentum. After matching the two previously, I’ve been getting notes that there is a very strong tie between the team and Priester, and they would love to see him on the board at #19. The Cardinals development system would work well with Priester as well, likely allowing him to maximize his natural gifts.

20. Seattle Mariners – George Kirby, RHP, Elon

No college pitcher comes close to having the control and command that Kirby does in the college class, and there’s still upside here as Kirby has been able to access more velocity deeper into games this year. With four pitches that all can receive above-average grades regularly and even been seen as plus at times, Kirby could move quickly and factor into the middle of a rotation in a hurry in Seattle.

21. Atlanta Braves – Matthew Allan, RHP, Florida HS

The Braves may want to focus on top college options if they’re available, but at this point, the two prep arms the Braves like the most are both available, as is the best prep arm in Georgia, so the team would likely see a pitcher at the top of their board, and Allan is believed to be a hair above Brennan Malone on the Braves board at this point.

22. Tampa Bay Rays – Corbin Carroll, OF, Washington HS

Carroll’s raw talent could have him easily going in the top 10 picks, so this is definitely a steal for the Rays. While Carroll absolutely has the potential to make this work well, many have mentioned top overall pick of the Phillies Mickey Moniak as a potential comparison for Carroll frequently, and that could frighten some teams based on the struggles Moniak had adjusting to pro ball (though Moniak is making his way just fine in 2019).

23. Colorado Rockies – Kameron Misner, OF, Missouri

Misner is the most difficult guy to place. He’d fit between #19 and the end of the first round, and he’s truly in play for nearly every team in that range, but his performance in the SEC is tough to gauge in his overall value as his early-season performance simply fell off once he got into league play. The raw talent is incredible and a team believing they could harness it would be getting a talent “steal” here.

24. Cleveland Indians – Michael Busch, OF, North Carolina

Busch on the board here should mean that Busch is now a member of the Indians. The two have been tied together strongly and for good reason. The Indians have seen Busch plenty, and he fits their organizational philosophy very well.

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

Callihan is finishing his season strong and getting a heavy amount of eyes on his play to finish the year. That could push him even higher on the board, but the Dodgers are definitely interested, and they could strike with their first pick of the round to ensure they lock him in.

26. Arizona Diamondbacks – Maurice Hampton, OF, Tennessee HS

Hampton’s raw talent may be unmatched in the class, and the Diamondbacks would be taking a gamble that he would sign rather than playing football and baseball both in college, but his upside is high enough to risk this. With their deep pool, the Diamondbacks are one team that could pull off convincing Hampton to give up football.

27. Chicago Cubs – Brady McConnell, SS, Florida

McConnell was a top prospect when he was coming out of high school, but bonus demands got him to Florida, where he really struggled in his first exposure to college ball. However, McConnell has been one of the brightest spots in an abnormally mediocre Florida season, consistently performing very well at the plate and flashing athleticism in the field. He may be a better fit long-term in the outfield, but his offensive potential is such that he’s worked his way into the mix for the back of the first round.

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

While he’s not a direct connection to Milwaukee, the Brewers picking Hoese simply makes a lot of sense at this point. Hoese has shown his athleticism by playing shortstop this season while competing for the NCAA home run title all year. He could move quickly to the big leagues and be a contributor with the bat and potentially with the glove as well in the big leagues.

29. Oakland Athletics – Greg Jones, SS, UNC-Wilmington

Jones was absolutely incredible to close out the season, and teams had already taken notice of an improved level of play late in the year. The connection between Oakland and Jones has gotten to the point that it’s hard to imagine that he isn’t the pick here, as long as he does not get picked ahead of this spot.

30. New York Yankees – Keoni Cavaco, 3B, California HS

Cavaco has played very well all season, pushing his way up draft boards ever since the fall, going from an early second day pick to a nearly certain first-rounder. The Yankees would love to see him fall into their lap at this spot.

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

Johnson has all the makings of a top-of-the-rotation arm, but he’s just begun pitching, only pitching one year of college ball. That’s the type of high upside that will definitely intrigue the Dodgers, who would love to develop Johnson into a top-notch starter to work with Kershaw, Buehler, et al.

32. Houston Astros – Michael Toglia, 1B, UCLA

Early in the college season, many figured Toglia would factor in around the 20th pick, but a seeming static year for UCLA at the plate has led to Toglia dropping down the board for many teams. He’s still very athletic and should handle an outfield corner without a problem while being a top-notch defender at first. He has plenty of raw power and the frame at 6’5″ and 200 pounds to be able to crush the ball, albeit with some concerns about his strikeouts at the plate.

First Round Compensatory Selections

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

In a class that doesn’t have a clear #1 prep arm, Malone has the closest frame to the ideal high school arm at 6’4″ and 210 pounds. He also has a tremendous balance of pitches in his four-pitch mix, potentially with 3 plus pitches and certainly all four pitches working as average with what most scouts would rate as a perfect delivery. He’d be an ideal first arm to lock down for the Diamondbacks.

34. Arizona Diamondbacks – Ethan Small, LHP, Mississippi State

With their plethora of picks, the Diamondbacks will need to still be careful not to overload on prep players to the point where they won’t be able to afford them. Small is a pitcher who likely would have been a fringe top-100 player coming into the season in draft rankings (if that), but he’s really moved up now with a tremendous season this year now that he’s finally healthy after battling injuries and control issues the last two seasons.

Competitive Balance Round A

35. Miami Marlins – Hunter Barco, LHP, Florida HS

Recent reports that Barco’s shoulder concern that ended his high school season was a small thing and that he could even pitch this year are very positive indeed, though he’s likely not going to challenge for the first half of the first round like he was flirting with at times before the injury this year. As the top prep lefty, he certainly will get attention, but he may not be signable, even at this spot for the Marlins.

36. Tampa Bay Rays – Daniel Espino, RHP, Georgia HS

Once upon a time, the Rays took on a fire-balling young arm with a frame that many thought was less than ideal and turned him into one of the most well-regarded pitchers in the league in Chris Archer. Now, there are plenty of differences between Archer and Espino, but Espino’s raw ability is as high (or higher) than anyone else in this draft, and the Rays could be a great team to maximize that ability.

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

There have been some fairly strong connections between the Pirates and Goss lately, though, of course, the Pirates have to hope for Goss to get to them to have a chance at him, but they are definitely watching plenty of his recent work. Goss has the profile as the top high school pitcher in Texas this year, which normally is a distinction that makes a player a challenger for a top 10 choice, but this is not a typical year, and the Pirates will enjoy that in getting a very good talent at this point.

38. New York Yankees – Jack Leiter, RHP, New Jersey HS

Leiter has expressed a desire to play for a select group of teams or he will head to college. The Yankees were on that select list, so they have a shot at signing him here, but the money could still be prohibitive. If they can bring him in, they would bring perhaps the most “pro-ready” high school pitcher in the draft this season, a guy that every scout I’ve talked with has mentioned as a guy who could rival college arms in his speed to the majors.

39. Minnesota Twins – Matthew Lugo, SS, Puerto Rico HS

The Twins love Puerto Rican players, and Lugo had a surge mid-spring before recently taking a tumble back to more of the mid-2nd round area that he opened the season. The Twins could get a guy they truly like at this spot and keep costs reasonable, leaving the first round with cash in hand after a college arm and potential underslot prep in the first round.

40. Tampa Bay Rays – Davis Wendzel, 3B, Baylor

Wendzel is tremendously versatile on defense. He attended high school with Royce Lewis and then was a 37th round draft pick by the Red Sox last year as a draft-eligible sophomore at Baylor. This year, he’s adding a .500+ OBP to his defensive versatility around the infield. He may not have elite upside, but his floor is tremendously high.

41. Texas Rangers – Chris Newell, OF, Pennsylvania HS

Newell fits a profile that many Rangers prospects have in the past, with tremendous athletic upside but some questions on his hit tool. If he can even have a 50/55 hit tool, he could be an All-Star as his power and speed combination is tremendously elite. Newell underwent Tommy John this year and hasn’t been able to show off his double-plus arm from the outfield much this year, but that lack of exposure could allow him to be a high level of talent that the Rangers could get for a reasonable price at this spot.

Round Two

42. Baltimore Orioles – Blake Walston, LHP, North Carolina HS

An elite quarterback, Walston didn’t get a ton of views on the typical outlets because he was busy being a multisport athlete, but once baseball season came around this year, the athletic 6’4″-6’5″ lefty blew away scouts with his projection and present stuff. He could be difficult to sign away from NC State, but the Orioles have the financial room to make it work.

43. Boston Red Sox – Braden Shewmake, SS, Texas A&M

After exceeding the luxury tax by enough to trigger the draft pick penalty, the Red Sox get their first crack at the 2019 draft here in the 2nd round. Due to their low first pick, they are the only team in the entire draft with less than $5M in their draft pool. That could lead to intentional picks of college players and underslot high schoolers. Getting Shewmake here would give Boston a guy with a very high floor and consistent offensive performance in college that should get to the majors in a hurry with a shot to start and a floor of a very good backup at the least.

44. Kansas City Royals – Tre Fletcher, OF, Maine HS

Fletcher joined the 2019 class late, reclassifying from a 2020 pick to a member of this year’s class. Luckily, many teams had a chance to see him at showcases last summer as getting to Maine to see him was difficult. He has a host of plus tools as an elite athlete with a plus arm and the potential to be a plus power guy as well that can stick in center field. The Royals would have the cash to sign him away from Vanderbilt, and he and Witt would be an excellent top of the draft class.

45. Chicago White Sox – Drey Jameson, RHP, Ball State

Jameson is a small pitcher at 6′-6’1″ and barely 165 pounds, but he has a tremendous arsenal on the mound, with a mid-90s fastball and wipeout slider. Jameson has the frame to fill in another 20 pounds and be able to be an elite starter. Many felt if he was at an ACC or SEC school, Jameson may have received the sort of bump this season that J.B. Bukauskas received coming out of North Carolina. As it stands, grabbing Jameson here will give the White Sox a high-upside arm with college experience and financial flexibility on day 3.

46. Miami Marlins – Spencer Jones, LHP/1B, California HS

After splitting their decision makers in the first round by going with one college bat and one prep arm, the Marlins have the chance to get arguably the best two-way player in the class in Jones. The 6’7″, 210-215 pound lefty has been dominant on the mound and has been able to show more refinement to his secondaries on the mound this year, giving distinction that his future should be on the mound. Jones very likely would be encouraged to stop hitting as a pro, which could make his number to avoid Vanderbilt fairly high.

47. Detroit Tigers – Josh Wolf, RHP, Texas HS

Wolf put some obvious time in at the gym during the offseason, and he saw the benefits on the mound this spring, with his average velocity ticking up from 90-92 up to 94-95, touching 97-98. He also seemed to be able to use his legs and core better on his curveball and saw better consistency and shape on the pitch as well as better consistency and movement on his change. His signing number may have been high as a mid-2nd to a mid-3rd guy, where he was projected coming into spring, but he should be signable here and provide the Tigers another high-octane arm in their system.

48. San Diego Padres – Nasim Nunez, SS, Georgia HS

The Padres have shown that they really don’t have a huge bias toward “ideal” size that scouting circles would prefer when talent is at stake. Nunez is a perfect example of that this year, as he would be talked about in the top half of the first round if he was even 6′-6’1″, but he’s generously listed at 5’9″. Even at that size, Nunez makes consistent loud contact with plus speed and good hands that could work either side of the keystone or in center field.

49. Cincinnati Reds – Brooks Lee, IF, California HS

The Reds are scouting middle infielders heavily right now, both college and prep. The way things fell in this draft, those players went off the board in bunches. Lee has been one of the top guys in California this year in a surprisingly shallow California prep bat class. Lee is a switch-hitter with good potential to have above-average power and high baseball IQ that allows him to stick up the middle, though he’s probably better suited for third or left field.

50. Texas Rangers – Jimmy Lewis, RHP, Texas HS

Lewis has the ideal frame if you were to draw up a high school draftee, standing 6’6″ with 200 pounds on a frame that could handle more. His father was a pro pitcher that pitched in the minor leagues in the early 1990s. While Lewis hasn’t put together major velocity yet, he has flashed above-average secondaries with his breaker and change while sitting in the upper 80s. That upside would fit well in the current Rangers system with elite high-potential arms they’ve drafted recently.

51. San Francisco Giants – Matt Canterino, RHP, Rice

Canterino has a bit of an odd delivery, but he repeats it very well and his arm has a very consistent release point. The Giants have done well in their past with pitchers with some funk in their delivery, so Canterino should not scare away the long-term brass. His upside with a filled-out frame that shows a ton of movement on all four pitches would be very intriguing at this spot in the draft.

52. Toronto Blue Jays – Rece Hinds, 3B, Florida HS

While Hinds has massive power upside from the right side, it may come from first base or DH rather than third base if he cannot improve his footwork. Hinds has a plus arm, and he could potentially work in the outfield if he’s able to keep his body in shape. Hinds has had some issues with weight creeping on his frame and with adjusting to premier velocity and/or break, so he could be a bat that is a slow burn through the minors, but his eventual payout when he hits the big leagues could be massive.

53. New York Mets – Jack Kochanowicz, RHP, Pennsylvania HS

As he’s filled out over his high school career, Kochanowicz has gone from a long, skinny kid without a lot of idea where things were going to a guy with elite extension on all three pitches and velocity that is inching up already into the mid-90s. With a high 3/4 arm slot, adding just a touch more velocity as he finishes filling into his 6’6″ frame could give the Mets a potential top-rotation pitcher.

54. Minnesota Twins – Isaiah Campbell, RHP, Arkansas

Campbell worked under current Twins pitching coach Wes Johnson at Arkansas, and he’s taken what he learned there last season to another level this year as he’s improved his conditioning to allow him to keep up his stamina all year long. The raw stuff is quite good with a fastball that works 92-94 and has a ton of late movement, a plus mid-80s slider, a split-change that drew a ton of swing and miss, and the ability to spot all three pitches well. Add in the frame to handle heavy pitch counts consistently, and Campbell has the look of a fast-moving mid-rotation arm.

55. Los Angeles Angels – Kyren Paris, SS, California HS

Paris is one of the youngest players in the entire draft, with double-plus speed and plus defense up the middle. He’s still filling into his frame, adding 3 inches of height since the end of his 2018 high school season, with multiple scouts telling me he’s a true 6’2″ now while he started the summer at 5’11”. Paris could be a guy that takes time to fill into his frame, but the talent could be special on the dirt once he fills in.

56. Arizona Diamondbacks – Jake Sanford, OF, Western Kentucky

As a prep player from Canada, Sanford didn’t have a lot of interest from schools to play baseball in college, but after walking on at a Nebraska JuCo and setting slugging records in a wood bat league, Sanford hit over .400 and slugged over .800 in the regular season for Western Kentucky. Potentially underrated in many circles, Sanford is a guy that has been getting a lot more notice and has shown legit plus power and speed with raw power that’s even better than that.

57. Pittsburgh Pirates – Ryne Nelson, RHP, Oregon

Nelson was a shortstop and reliever until this season when he moved into the rotation. He quickly moved back to the bullpen, and from that spot, he has shown to be easily the most impressive relief prospect in the draft class, with a chance to move quickly with a triple-digit fastball, a plus slider, and an average curve, which is a unique combination from the bullpen. Even though he’s seen as a reliever, he’s not even spent a full season as a pitcher-only, so the Pirates could take the gamble, believing that they could harness Nelson’s high-level athleticism and three solid pitches into a starter.

58. St. Louis Cardinals – Dasan Brown, OF, Canada HS

Dipping again into Canadian outfielders, Brown is the top Canadian prep hitter this year, and the Cardinals could be a tremendous fit for him as a team that often gambles on players with exactly Brown’s profile of high-level raw talent and high-level makeup. Brown is an elite runner who easily is an 80-grade speed guy that can track down balls in the outfield with ease. He may never be a 20-homer hitter, but he has good contact skills and uses his speed well to generate extra bases on the basepaths as well.

59. Seattle Mariners – Anthony Volpe, SS, New Jersey HS

A Vanderbilt commit, Volpe is one of those guys who doesn’t jump off a video when you watch him at first glance due to raw tools, but when you look over the course of a few days or a few different videos, you see just how consistently positive all the aspects of Volpe’s game is. He has added speed this spring through workouts, but he’s not translated that quite yet to his baserunning. He has stated that he’d like to remain with a team in the Northeast, but the Mariners could potentially sweeten the deal enough to land one of the higher-floor shortstops in this draft.

60. Atlanta Braves – Tanner Morris, SS, Virginia

A young college player as a draft-eligible sophomore, the Braves have been checking out ACC shortstops this spring, with Morris quite high on their list. Morris is a guy who has tremendous bat-to-ball skills, a frame that leads many to believe there will be above-average power in his profile down the road, and instincts that should allow him to stick around the keystone while he has the arm to move to third or the outfield if he struggles up the middle in the dirt. While Morris won’t steal 50 bases anytime soon, he uses his baseball smarts to swipe a bag now and then and to get excellent jumps on balls. He’s hit very well in the ACC this year after posting a .400 OBP and .850+ OPS in the Cape Cod League last summer.

61. Tampa Bay Rays – Antoine Kelly, LHP, Wabash Valley CC

A big 6’6″ lefty that the Padres tabbed in the 13th round in 2018, Kelly chose to head to JuCo, and he’s on the radar for a host of teams in the second round mix, including the Rays, who would be an excellent organization to work with him. Kelly offers a fastball that can touch 97 and gets there with ease, leading many to believe there’s plenty more velocity potentially in the tank. His slider has flashed 65-70 grades, but it has been wildly inconsistent, though it’s worked well enough to nearly strike out 20 K/9. Kelly will be a slow-mover, but an org like the Rays that will be intentional about his development could come out with a potential lefty ace here.

62. Colorado Rockies – John Doxakis, LHP, Texas A&M

The air in Colorado has eaten up many pitchers over the years, but the Rockies seem to have found a mix that works well with tall lefties that can pound the zone with fastballs or fastball variations (cutters, split fingers, etc.). Doxakis lives by varying speeds on his above-average fastball, working it to a plus pitch in the way he can manipulate the velocity and locate the pitch around the zone. His secondaries are average to above-average and could use some work, but with what works in Colorado, Doxakis could be an excellent fit.

63. Cleveland Indians – Chase Strumpf, 2B, UCLA

An older draft prospect that is already 23, Strumpf was expected to be a key offensive leader for the Bruins this season, but after posting a .363/.475/.633 line in 2018, he’s dropped off to a .289/.431/.469 line this year. That said, he’s nearly equaled his walked already in 30 fewer plate appearances, so it’s not as if there aren’t things to like. Strumpf is an average second baseman that could end up in left field, but his mature hitting approach should settle him right around this spot in this draft.

64. Chicago Cubs – Thomas Dillard, OF/C, Mississippi

With potentially the most raw power of any college prospect in the nation, Dillard has been a beast offensively for Ole Miss, but his potential defensive home is still in flux. He’s not a stalwart defensively in the outfield, he’s only caught a few games this year due to the elite level of the starting catcher on his own roster, and he’s not exactly a tall frame for first base at 6’1″. The bat will play, though, and the Cubs have had success with guys who are “have bat, will travel” profiles before.

65. Milwaukee Brewers – Tommy Henry, LHP, Michigan

With helium to get him into the back of the first round right now, Henry falling all the way into the Brewers laps right here would be a blessing for Milwaukee. Henry has put together a tremendous final campaign for the Wolverines, striking out 97 over 86 innings. He’s got a good build, excellent pitch mix, and left-handedness working in his favor as well as the history of pitching in the upper Midwest at Michigan that could make a transition to Milwaukee no big deal at all.

66. Oakland Athletics – Ethan Hearn, C, Alabama HS

Hearn is gaining a lot of momentum to end the pre-draft scouting cycle, with a lot of teams very high on him. Coming into the season, there were some worries about his defense, but he’s put on a show this year, showing flexibility and mobility behind the plate that he’s not shown previously to go along with his plus arm and plus raw power at the plate.

67. New York Yankees – T.J. Sikkema, LHP, Missouri

When scouts came to look at Kameron Misner this year during SEC play, they would have left disappointed with what they saw from Missouri, unless they were there on a Sikkema night. Sikkema is a strong-built lefty with an easy, over-top delivery that generates mid-90s in bursts, but usually sits more in the 90-92 range with tremendous movement, though he does often slip to more of a traditional 3/4 slot. Sikkema is a competitor that really has grabbed the attention of many scouts this spring who love his makeup on the mound, and the Yankees could help him iron out between his over-top slot and 3/4 slot to generate the most effective velocity and movement for him to maximize that competitiveness.

68. Houston Astros – Will Holland, IF, Auburn

Holland entered 2019 in the conversation at the very top of a very loaded college middle infield class, but significant struggles offensively in 2019 dropped him out of the first round completely. The Astros could have a very good pick here with elite raw skills on the offensive and defensive sides, but a tendency on both sides of the ball to get too caught up in the desire for the dramatic, overswinging at the plate and sometimes launching a ball that he should pocket on the field.

69. Boston Red Sox – Kyle McCann, C, Georgia Tech

This may seem high to many, but with some discussing McCann as high as the back end of the first round, the rankings simply reflect the wide disparity in the view on McCann. He has an elite bat for sure, crushing 22 home runs with a .450+ OBP on the season. The question lies in how well he can handle things behind the plate. McCann was stuck behind last year’s #2 overall selection Joey Bart his first two years, which meant he didn’t get time to develop behind the plate, and he’s showed raw this year, but the tools are there to be an average to above-average defender that carries a big stick, perhaps working well in a shared-time system behind the plate where he could DH 2-3 days per week and catch 2-3 days per week.

Competitive Balance Round B

70. Kansas City Royals – Bryce Osmond, RHP, Oklahoma HS

While the late run of Oklahoma State in the collegiate season could potentially sway Osmond to fulfill his college commitment, Osmond’s talent should make him worth the money to keep off campus for the Royals. He’s worked up to the mid-90s comfortably this spring with a plus slider, though neither has been as consistent as he’d like. He’s shown good feel for a change, and some have talked about his athleticism at shortstop as well, saying that he could really take off as a pitcher once he focused purely on pitching as he works hard at both crafts currently. He’d be a positive fit with the Royals draft here.

71. Baltimore Orioles – Sammy Faltine, RHP/SS, Texas HS

There are few who are more fun to watch in the 2019 draft than Sammy “Trey” Faltine, and a lot of it has to do with the fact that he just seems to play the game like he absolutely loves it. He’s willing to play anywhere on the field, and his natural power and speed could allow him to work, likely with the middle infield or center field being his potential home. However, he’s also shown feel on the mound for sequencing hitters and battling with a low-90s fastball and mid-70s curve that both have excellent spin along with a change and slider that he’s seen significant improvement on this spring. The biggest question is which side of the ball he’d play, but getting someone with this level of love of the game into your system should be a thing you do and worry about details later.

72. Pittsburgh Pirates – Sammy Siani, OF, Pennsylvania HS

Siani’s older brother Mike was drafted by the Reds last year, and while he’s not as toolsy as his brother, he may be more polished out of the gate, which could make him more desirable for teams. For the Pirates, keeping Siani in the state would mean they could keep arguably the top talent of the state home.

73. San Diego Padres – Cooper Johnson, C, Mississippi

The Padres have not been shy about taking catchers early, and Johnson really may not have an equal behind the plate in this draft, making this a pick that very likely will pay off in a major leaguer at the very least. Johnson’s bat is not absent, and he’s working to make it even better, but he’s never going to earn his paycheck based on what he does with the bat in his hand. His double-plus arm and elite defensive skills give him a tremendously high floor.

74. Arizona Diamondbacks – Logan Wyatt, 1B, Louisville

With plenty of draft picks, the Diamondbacks can simply target guys who “shouldn’t be here”, and that definitely first Wyatt the way this fell. While he’s got the frame to crush and puts on impressive displays in batting practice, Wyatt again failed to top double-digits in home runs this season, finishing with 9 in 56 games. He’s a consistent hitter with a tremendous eye that’s produced a 129/81 BB/K rate in his college career, but he’ll need to show more power in the majors, which is why he’s slid down this board and could end up a steal for the Dbacks.

75. Arizona Diamondbacks – Ryan Zeferjahn, RHP, Kansas

Coming into the season, the lanky 6’4″ righty was viewed as a potential late first-round pick, and he’s had a solid year, but many were expecting an even bigger step forward than they saw as he struck out 101 over 82 2/3 innings with a 3.37 ERA for Kansas this year. While his mid-90s fastball is consistently impressive, his potentially-plus slider and change were both inconsistent this year, giving some teams concerns about a potential long-term home in the bullpen, but the Dbacks could give him time to work through control issues to determine his future role.

76. Seattle Mariners – Alec Marsh, RHP, Arizona State

Marsh is not a guy that many would say is a “sexy” pitcher, as he doesn’t throw upper-90s or have a double-plus breaking pitch, but he does command five pitches very well, and he has some projection left physically to believe the mid-90s that he dials back for in key moments could get even more as he finishes filling out. Marsh’s ability to add and subtract velocity as well as manipulate movement remind many of top-flight starters that made a broad array of pitches work as an ace over one or two elite pitches. At the very least, he should have a high floor as a back-end starter.

77. Colorado Rockies – Josh Smith, SS, LSU

The Rockies have done very well taking college middle infielders that didn’t blow away scouts and seeing them turn into major league players. Smith could simply be the next in that line, as he has average to above-average tools across the board and really played up with a wood bat in his hands in the Cape Cod League. He’s not a guy that would be a sexy pick, but he’s a guy who likely would end up a productive major league player in the end.

Second Round Compensatory Selection

78. Los Angeles Dodgers – Kendall Williams, RHP, Florida HS

With one of the elite frames in the country, Williams stands 6’6″ and could even still add another 10-15 pounds with his frame seeming light. Williams is a Vanderbilt commit and may be a tough sign, which is why he’s fallen this far, but with a fastball that can touch 95, two very good breaking pitches, and an excellent change when he’s used it, Williams has the makeup to be a special pitcher if the Dodgers could get him to sign.

Become a Patron!