2018 MLB Mock Draft: May Edition
The first month of the baseball season rarely tells us anything, but as far as draft season goes, there are a lot of stories to be told. The initial Top 50 prospect list on MLB Pipeline has been radically altered, and there is a new number one prospect on the list. There have been rumblings about certain players and where they will land. That being said, mocks have yet to surface. Sure there are a few out there, but nothing truly groundbreaking, or for that matter, comprehensive. In fact, some mocks aren’t even complete, just going into the top 10 or 15 picks.
That changes today. With the expanded prospect list and updated rankings, it’s time to deliver this month’s edition of the mock. Same rules apply. Picks are either determined by organizational depth, team tendencies, or rumors that have surfaced.
Detroit Tigers:
The last 3 drafts have seen the consensus top talent not go first overall in the draft, so in this scenario I envision the Tigers skipping out on Casey Mize and going for Jarred Kelenic. Kelenic has been connected to the Tigers with some believing his visits to their Spring Training facility in Lakeland a hint that there’s genuine interest. Playing on a travel team a la Brandon Nimmo in 2011 has really boosted his stock as of late.
San Francisco Giants
If the Tigers do not take Casey Mize, the Giants absolutely should. With the rotation doing more harm than good, even with Madison Bumgarner expected to come back in a couple weeks from his broken hand, it’s time to start thinking long term. Mize has been especially dominant this season and has gone toe to toe with many of his SEC ace counterparts.
Philadelphia Phillies
Before the season, Alec Bohm was considered a first round talent because of a strong summer. He’s followed up on that summer with a strong spring, surpassing his teammate Greyson Jenista. The Phillies could use his bat in their lineup, and concerns about Bohm’s defense at the hot corner seem to be less prevalent than they were at the beginning of the year.
Chicago White Sox
Travis Swaggerty is this year’s small school darling, and his potential to be a five tool outfielder makes him ideal for the White Sox’s young and exciting core. The question remains though, is he able to make the adjustment from the Sun Belt to the minor leagues?
Cincinnati Reds
The Reds have caught fire as of late, but they are still a long way from getting out of the NL Central basement. Hopefully Nick Senzel will be called up soon so the Reds will actually have something worth watching. That being said, the Reds should also take a page out of the Astros handbook and draft Nick Madrigal. Madrigal is an Americanized Jose Altuve with gold glove potential and speed and contact. He’ll be a gamechanger in a young Reds lineup.
New York Mets
Devin Mesoraco and (when he returns) Kevin Plawecki are decent stopgaps at the catcher position, but if the Mets really want a game caller and someone who is going to command the respect of his pitchers, they really should go after Joey Bart, the latest in a line of Georgia Tech catchers that includes Matt Wieters and Jason Varitek.
San Diego Padres
San Diego has a nice stable of young starting pitching that began with Joey Lucchesi and will end with Mackenzie Gore, however, the team could add yet another dangerous young starter in Carter Stewart. Stewart’s scuffled a bit in his last couple outings, but scouts are still in love with his curveball which has a very high spin rate.
Atlanta Braves:
Atlanta and pitching are as synonymous as Penn and Teller, and this year’s talented, if somewhat mercurial pitching class will certainly allow them to make any selection they so desire. If Arizona lefty Matt Liberatore falls here, you can expect him to be snatched up. Liberatore is a rare high floor prep starter who can grind through games.
Oakland Athletics
The consensus number 1 pick at the beginning of the year, Brady Singer scuffled a bit to start the year, but he has since come back and tossed multiple dominant outings, including a duel against Casey Mize. The A’s have plenty of Florida Gators in their system, so if Singer should fall here, expect him to be seriously considered even with his body and ceiling concerns.
Pittsburgh Pirates
Shane McClananhan was my pick last time to go first overall, and then he torpedoed his stock by posting a few bad outings and letting his ERA balloon to 3. Still, the Pirates could use a starter like him even though they’ve surpassed expectations. His windup does scare scouts, but Ray Searage has worked with bigger enigmas before.
Baltimore Orioles
Manny Machado’s going, there’s no doubt about it, so it wouldn’t come as a surprise if Baltimore decides to pounce on arguably the best power hitter in the class. Nolan Gorman was at one point a top 5, possibly top pick, but his spring has been inconsistent. Still the power potential is there, and his game would greatly translate to OPACY’s smallish dimensions.
Toronto Blue Jays
Toronto will most likely lose Josh Donaldson and Marcus Stroman so it may be time to consider getting some young quick rising replacements. Ryan Rolison has been impressive his sophomore year, and in a class that is flush with left-handed pitching, he’ll make a strong case to go in the top half of the draft.
Miami Marlins
This may be a stretch considering the Marlins haven’t picked a college player in the first round since 2013, but Jon India is a special player. His baseball
IQ is off the charts, and his Christian Yelich-like offensive profile will certainly add dimension to the Marlins game. He’s a good fielder as well. India may be gone by the time the Marlins pick, but should he be here, they should seriously consider him.
Seattle Mariners
The Mariners have more failures than successes as of late with their draft picks, but James Paxton’s no-hitter offers hope that the Mariners could be trending in the right direction. Seattle could use another lefty starter for when Felix eventually slows down, which is getting closer each year, but since all the tier 1 starters will likely be gone, they should go with the high floor Ryan Weathers, whose major league father spent 19 years as a major league relief pitcher.
Texas Rangers
The Rangers need to accept the reality that their time as AL west contenders is up and so start rebuilding. Their rotation especially needs a boost and there’s no doubt that Cole Hamels is getting closer to the twilight of his career. Assuming Jackson Kowar is here, the Rangers could be getting a sneaky ace pitcher, since Kowar has been matching his Florida teammate Brady Singer this entire spring.
Tampa Bay Rays
While the Rays dont like spending on their existing stars, they seem to have no problem shelling out the cash on young talent. Cole Wilcox has had a strong spring, and scouts are still debating on if he’s a legit contender for the top right handed prep pitcher this year in light of Ethan Hankins’ rough spring.
Los Angeles Angels
It’s a run on righties as the Angels grab the ultra athletic Georgia fireballer Kumar Rocker. Rocker, who’s precise value has been inconsistent all spring, is making his own case to be the first prep righty off the board. Considering the Angels biggest weakness is their pitching, perhaps they can right their mistakes and give Shohei Ohtani the pitching support Mike Trout never really got.
Kansas City Royals
Another enigma this season, Logan Gilbert has gone as high as top 10 in some mocks and as low as out of the first round entirely. The Royals have a lot of picks this year so they could rebuild their rotation in this draft alone. Gilbert comes from the same pipeline as Corey Kluber and Jacob deGrom, so one would hope that he becomes the next Hatters pitcher to be a dominating starter in this league.
St. Louis Cardinals
If Ethan Hankins falls to the Cardinals, they should jump on it. Even though he’s been dealing with injuries all spring and has lose stock value, he’s got Lucas Giolito like potential to be a flamethrowing starter that teams will regret passing on.
Minnesota Twins
When the Mauer era ends, who will take his place as the Twins first baseman? Triston Casas has had a strong spring to this point, but there is a bit of a bias against prep first baseman. Still Casas’ athleticism, not to mention his power make him an attractive slugger for the Twins.
Milwaukee Brewers
Milwaukee likes their hitters, especially those that have seen their stock drop. Brice Turang has suffered the same prospect fatigue that hurt Daz Cameron in 2015 and Jay Groome in 2016, so it wouldn’t be a surprise if he fell here. That being said, he’s an attractive shortstop project who could be a middle of the lineup threat, and pair him with Keston Hiura, and that infield could be dangerous.
Colorado Rockies
Connor Scott was a freshman when Kyle Tucker had his meteoric rise at HB Plant High School, and there is belief that Scott could see that happen this year. His mechanics are worth noting and for a team like the Rockies, who are still digesting the contracts of Ian Desmond and Gerardo Parra, he’d be a welcome young talent to usher the team into a new era.
New York Yankees
The Yankees are a great team and they are primed to be dominant for the foreseeable future, but they do need to address the elephant in the room, pitching. Mason Denaburg has seen his value both rise and plummet this season, but there’s no denying his athleticism and ability as a starter would be attractive to the Yankees, who would definitely be looking for someone to complement Clarke Schmidt and Luis Severino as next generation ace level pitchers.
Chicago Cubs
When Nick Madrigal was hurt, Trevor Larnach filled the void of producer admirably for Oregon State. Larnach is an incredibly disciplined hitter and a more natural outfielder, so he’s got the potential to replace Kyle Schwarber, who’s been an incredibly awkward fit in the outfield for the Cubs.
Arizona Diamondbacks
Grayson Rodriguez is this year’s quick riser thanks in part to major adjustments made to his game and his pitching. He’s got the prototypical body of a starter, and with more room to grow, could be a nice young homegrown starter that could step into Zack Greinke’s role when he finishes his time in Arizona.
Boston Red Sox
Though Greyson Jenista hasn’t had the spring that Alec Bohm has, he’s still got value as a highly athletic 1B/OF hybrid. Jenista would be a nice heir to Hanley Ramirez’s first base position, and his power and defense certainly would make him a solid lineup presence for the Red Sox.
Washington Nationals
No matter where Seth Beer ends up being taken, he’s going to be viewed as the Lamar Jackson of this class. However unlike Jackson, there’s a lot of flaws in Beer’s potential pro game. Chief among them is his transition to wood as well as his future pro position. Scouts see him as a pro DH a la Billy Butler, but for the Nationals, he’d definitely make a decent Lucas Duda type masher at first base.
Houston Astros
High school catchers are risky investments, but when you have a team as young and strong as the Astros, risks aren’t going to be that dangerous. Will Banfield has the mentality of a veteran, and there is definitely some Yadier Molina to his game. He’s got the bat to hold his own in a major league lineup, and scouts see him as a pro catcher in the future.
Cleveland Indians
Stanford’s reputation as a talent factory took a hit when Mark Appel became only the third number 1 pick to never play a major league game. Hopefully
Kris Bubic can fix that. He’s got starter potential, and with the right team and pitching coach, he can be a nice mid rotation arm. With the Indians rotation looking to free agency in the coming years, expect them to look at rebuilding internally.
Los Angeles Dodgers
Jake Burger became the first ever Missouri state offensive first round pick last year. While Jeremy Eierman has had a very weird spring, there’s no doubt he still has first round potential. A possible fit is the Dodgers who are starting to show their age. Eierman would make a nice heir to Justin Turner, allowing them to seamlessly transition to him when he’s done.
Tampa Bay Rays
The Rays get Noah Naylor whose power is comparable to Nolan Gorman. There’s debate over where he will play professionally, catcher or first base. Either way, the Rays have a masher comparable to Carlos Santana.
Tampa Bay Rays
The Rays add Kentucky’s best arm since James Paxton in Sean Hjelle. Hjelle is the tallest pitcher in baseball and although he is a bit of a beanpole, he has potential for growth. Pairing him with Cole Wilcox, and eventually Brent Honeywell and Jose DeLeon gives the Rays a scary post-Chris Archer rotation.
Kansas City Royals
An admittedly controversial pick, Kyler Murray has really shown this season why he was a highly regarded baseball star in high school with his power and speed. Murray has a tough choice to make if he gets drafted this high, does he sign and play pro baseball or does he become Baker Mayfield’s heir at Oklahoma. One factor that could push him to baseball is his stature, he’s no Mayfield height wise and it’s highly doubtful that an NFL team would consider him a legit draft prospect.
Kansas City Royals
I like Jordan Groshans as a first round pick, and seeing him as the potential heir to Mike Moustakas seems right. His tools are all average to above average, and there definitely is potential for growth for him. He’d be the first Magnolia high school graduate to go in the first round.
Cleveland Indians
Steele Walker may have the 80 grade name of the draft, but he also has the offensive firepower and speed to be a solid candidate to address Cleveland’s outfield uncertainty. He’s got left field potential, and could find himself as a 2 hitter in a major league lineup.
CB LOTTERY:
Pittsburgh Pirates
Parker Meadows is Pirates prospect Austin Meadows’ younger brother. While he may not have the pro potential that Austin had when he was a draft prospect, he still is toolsy enough to be regarded as a draft project. The Houston Astros and Washington Nationals have also done this, drafting younger brothers of prospects, and it’s worked out well for them, so Pittsburgh has nothing to lose by taking Meadows and pairing him with his big brother.
Baltimore Orioles
A rough start to the spring dropped Nander de Sedas from top 5 pick to first round uncertainty. Still for a team like the Orioles, his potential to be another Francisco Lindor, but with more power makes him an attractive piece, and one to pair with Nolan Gorman on the left side of the infield. Signability comes into play here, but to be labeled as Manny Machado’s heir certainly could be attractive enough for de Sedas.
San Diego Padres
The Padres could use an outfielder here, and considering the outfield crop is a bit better where they stand with this pick, it came down to Jameson Hannah and Tristan Pompey. Ultimately, Pompey’s pedigree, plus the potential for him to play with fellow Canadians Josh Naylor and Cal Quantrill won out. Pompey is a bit of an enigma, but one hopes that he can shake off his poor summer in the Cape and injury plagued start to the season to be the top potential left field prospect he was pegged to be.
Arizona Diamondbacks
AJ Pollock’s MVP April is going to make it incredibly difficult for the Diamondbacks to keep him in the desert, so they may have to look to the draft to replace him. Jameson Hannah has had a strong spring for Dallas Baptist, and while he’s not a power guy, his offensive profile makes him an ideal candidate to be a producer for the Diamondbacks, ideally at the top of the order.
Kansas City Royals
The Royals add yet another starter in Blaine Knight in their embarrassment of riches draft. Knight has the ace potential and has thrived in the SEC this year. Depending on how this class performs, the Royals could kickstart their rebuild in strong fashion or end up being the 2011 Tampa Bay Rays.
Cleveland Indians
The Indians save enough money with their first two selections to grab Cole Winn, who in this mock tumbles because of signability concerns. Winn attends Orange Lutheran, the same school that Gerrit Cole attended before spurning the Yankees to attend UCLA 10 years ago.
Colorado Rockies
The Rockies play it safe and grab diminuitive southpaw Tim Cate. Cate’s had an up and down spring which culminated in a shutdown, but he has thrived in big situations, having pitched for Team USA. Considering UConn is playing a series against Houston in Hartford, where the Rockies’ AA affiliate is, it wouldn’t be surprising if the Rockies tab him.
St. Louis Cardinals
The Cardinals find Kolten Wong’s successor in Stanford’s Nico Hoerner. Hoerner is known as a streaky hitter, but in a good way, because of how prolonged his hot streaks are. Although he’s listed as a shortstop, scouts believe that he’ll play second base professionally.
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And so that concludes this month’s mock draft. The final mock, which will be the week before the draft, will go back into the full detail you have come to know from this site. Until then, see you in June!
