https://www.mlb.com/news/2019-mlb-mock-draft-on-may-23?t=mlb-pipeline-coverage
Who will go first in the 2019 MLB Draft? Nearly all scouting directors not pic
king No. 1 overall believe that Oregon State catcher Adley Rutschman is the ob
vious best choice for the pick. And most believe he will end up being taken by
Baltimore.
But there’s still an alternative narrative: that it’s not a slam dunk, with
some thinking Cal first baseman Andrew Vaughn will end up in the top spot. One
scouting director even mused that new Orioles general manager Mike Elias coul
d repeat what he did with the Astros in 2012 (when they took Carlos Correa) an
d take prep shortstop Bobby Witt Jr.
One thing we know for certain is that Elias keeps things close to the vest, so
we might not know for sure until Commissioner Rob Manfred announces it on Jun
e 3.
There is a general consensus about who the top six, and perhaps even the first
seven or eight, names called on Draft night will be, and the top six are all
hitters. But the order could go in any number of directions. Here’s one of th
ose potential scenarios:
1. Orioles: Adley Rutschman, C, Oregon State
There simply isn’t enough intel to make a switch just yet. Rutschman is havin
g an absolutely dominant junior season and is the top player on nearly every D
raft board.
2. Royals: Bobby Witt Jr., SS, Colleyville (Texas) Heritage HS
The only reason to change this would be if the Orioles took Witt instead, leav
ing Kansas City its pick of the top college hitters should it choose to go in
that direction.
3. White Sox: CJ Abrams, SS, Blessed Trinity Catholic HS (Roswell, Ga.)
Assuming Rutschman and Witt go 1-2, this could end up being an internal debate
between the toolsy, high-upside up-the-middle player in Abrams and the advanc
ed college hitter in Vaughn.
4. Marlins: Andrew Vaughn, 1B, California
As Jim Callis pointed out in his mock last week, these next three could go in
any order. There are Vandy connections here, with Marlins scouting director DJ
Svihlik having coached at the school last year, so it could easily be JJ Bled
ay, while Riley Greene would be the high school bat choice.
5. Tigers: Riley Greene, OF, Hagerty HS (Oviedo, Fla.)
With Vaughn off the table, it’s Greene vs. Bleday here. The Tigers love Green
e’s offensive upside and could let Bleday get to…
6. Padres: JJ Bleday, OF, Vanderbilt
… San Diego. Bleday’s power is legit. If the Padres want to go in another di
rection, this seems to be the first place Juco right-hander Jackson Rutledge c
ould go.
7. Reds: Nick Lodolo, LHP, Texas Christian
The Reds might do cartwheels if any of those bats got to them, especially Vaug
hn. But in this scenario, we’re sticking with TCU lefty Lodolo, the top colle
ge arm in the class.
8. Rangers: Hunter Bishop, OF, Arizona State
This could be another landing spot for Rutledge and there is this nagging feel
ing that the Rangers like high school guys, but Bishop has tools with the chan
ce to hit for power and play center field.
9. Braves: Jackson Rutledge, RHP, San Jacinto (Texas) JC
(Compensation for failure to sign 2018 first-rounder Carter Stewart)
This is really where the projections start heading off in many directions. Rut
ledge’s stuff and upside make him belong in this neck of the woods. There are
also college bats like UNLV shortstop Bryson Stott and Baylor catcher Shea La
ngeliers in the mix.
10. Giants: Bryson Stott, SS, Nevada-Las Vegas
Stott is having a huge year at UNLV, hitting for average while reaching double
digits in home runs and stolen bases, all while walking more often than he’s
struck out. And he has at least a chance to stick at short.
11. Blue Jays: Corbin Carroll, OF, Lakeside HS (Seattle)
Carroll, one of the better high school hitters in this class who also has plus
speed, has not had his name mentioned up this high previously. Toronto might
be hoping one of the top 10 above gets to it, but if not, it could be open sea
son and there are those in the scouting department who love Carroll’s bat and
athleticism.
12. Mets: Zack Thompson, LHP, Kentucky
In many ways, Thompson has been the best performing college pitcher in this cl
ass, but the lingering medical concerns remain a question mark. He could go ah
ead of this pick if a team’s medical staff signs off on him.
13. Twins: Shea Langeliers, C, Baylor
The Twins like Carroll, but with him off the board, they could set their sight
s on Langeliers, a terrific defensive catcher who has shaken off a hamate inju
ry to come on with the bat of late this spring. He also homered to open up the
Big 12 tournament.
14. Phillies: Alek Manoah, RHP, West Virginia
The Phillies could be in on any of the top college arms should they get here,
including Thompson and Elon’s George Kirby. A high school bat like Brett Baty
or Gunnar Henderson could also enter the conversation. And don’t rule out a
prep pitcher like Matthew Allan.
15. Angels: Keoni Cavaco, 3B, Eastlake HS (Chula Vista, Calif.)
Cavaco’s stock has been on the rise all spring and whispers of him climbing u
p to this part of the Draft now seem a lot more solid. The fact he’s turned i
n some 70 (on the 20-to-80 scouting scale) run times and started playing short
stop (and doing it well) has only helped his helium.
16. D-backs: Matthew Allan, RHP, Seminole HS (Sanford, Fla.)
Allan is the top high school pitcher in the class and realistically could land
in the top 10-15 picks. There also could be a high price tag, which could sca
re off some teams. The D-backs, thanks to all of the extra early picks, concei
vably have a large enough bonus pool to get something done.
17. Nationals: Josh Jung, 3B, Texas Tech
There’s been a lot of talk about arms here, but there might not be one the Na
ts like enough to snag at No. 17. Jung has been solid and has a track record o
f hitting and on-base skills. Like with Langeliers, his 3-for-3 performance to
start his Big 12 tournament doesn’t hurt.
18. Pirates: Brett Baty, 3B, Lake Travis HS (Austin, Texas)
Yes, Baty is old for his class at 19 1/2. But if he were to go on to Texas and
be a Draft-eligible sophomore in two years, no one would be saying anything a
bout his age. And he can flat out hit.
19. Cardinals: Quinn Priester, RHP, Cary-Grove HS (Cary, Ill.)
Athletic and projectable, Priester comes in not far behind Allan on the high s
chool arm list. The Cardinals have gone with a high schooler with their first
pick in each of the last three Drafts.
20. Mariners: George Kirby, RHP, Elon
Kirby has put up some ridiculous numbers at Elon, with a 2.07 ERA and an obsce
ne 105/6 K/BB ratio. Teams looking for a college arm above could take him and
the Mariners, who are likely looking for pitching here, could turn their sight
s to Seth Johnson at Campbell or high schooler JJ Goss.
21. Braves: Logan Davidson, SS, Clemson
Let the run on shortstops commence! Davidson might be the best of the bunch wi
th his power-speed potential and his ability to stay at the position.
22. Rays: Gunnar Henderson, SS, Morgan Academy (Selma, Ala.)
The Alabama prepster’s name has been moving up boards all spring, and he coul
d realistically end up going in the teens. The Rays certainly don’t shy away
from taking high schoolers in the first round.
23. Rockies: Will Wilson, SS, North Carolina State
The buzz is still all about college bats in this spot and they could have inte
rest in guys like Davidson or North Carolina’s Michael Busch here. Wilson can
hit for average and power and would profile well, even if he has to move to s
econd base.
24. Indians: Michael Busch, 1B/OF, North Carolina
Speaking of college bats, that seems like a strong possibility here as well. A
high school arm like Daniel Espino has been brought up if the Indians decide
they don’t like any of the offensive possibilities.
25. Dodgers: Daniel Espino, RHP, Georgia Premier Academy (Statesboro, Ga.)
With two picks in the round, the Dodgers could divvy things up in a couple of
different ways. A prep arm here, with the best fastball in the high school cla
ss, followed by a college bat, could be one iteration.
26. D-backs: Brennan Malone, RHP, IMG Academy (Bradenton, Fla.)
(Compensation for failure to sign 2018 first-rounder Matt McLain)
Malone is projectable and athletic and started to show a better ability to pit
ch (and not just throw) this spring. There’s a ton of upside here.
27. Cubs: Kody Hoese, 3B, Tulane
Hoese continues to put up some of the best numbers of any hitter in Division I
, with a .388/.484/.790 line with 23 homers and 60 RBIs, not to mention more w
alks than strikeouts. And it’s been well-documented how well the Cubs have do
ne with college bat draftees.
28. Brewers: Tyler Callihan, 3B, Providence HS (Jacksonville, Fla.)
The Brewers would love for an arm like Malone to get here, and they could look
at another prep arm like Goss. But if Malone is off the board, they would hav
e interest in Callihan, one of the better high school hitters in the class.
29. Athletics: Seth Johnson, RHP, Campbell
Johnson has premium, early-round stuff, but doesn’t have a long resume of pit
ching. That leaves some things unknown about him, but also means he’s a rare
college pitcher with a lot of ceiling.
30. Yankees: Kameron Misner, OF, Missouri
It’s true Misner has struggled, especially in conference play. But his tools
are hard to ignore, with the chance to show off a power-speed combination once
he gets to the pro level.
31. Dodgers: Brady McConnell, SS, Florida
(Compensation for failure to sign 2018 first-rounder J.T. Ginn)
McConnell’s name has been sneaking into the back end of the first round conve
rsations of late thanks to a very strong season with the bat. The athletic sho
rtstop has been a bright spot for an otherwise disappointing season for the Ga
tors.
32. Astros: JJ Goss, RHP, Cypress (Texas) Ranch HS
With Espino and Malone off the board, Goss is the next best high school arm, w
ith plenty of projection as he adds strength to his 6-foot-3 frame.
33. D-backs: Matthew Lugo, SS, Carlos Beltran Baseball Academy (Florida, P.R.)
(Compensation for loss of free agent Patrick Corbin)
Carlos Beltran’s nephew has some excellent offensive ability, with the chance
to hit for average and solid power. Whether he sticks at shortstop remains to
be seen, but his bat could profile at second or even third.
34. D-backs: Maurice Hampton, OF, Memphis (Tenn.) University HS
(Compensation for loss of free agent A.J. Pollock)
Hampton is the best two-sport star in the class, and could go on to play footb
all and baseball at LSU if the Draft doesn’t work out. The D-backs could take
advantage of the extra picks to keep him off the gridiron.