I should have waited two weeks.

With MLB Pipeline releasing their much-anticipated top 50 draft prospects list, Minor League Madhouse can finally do more than a glorified powerpoint slideshow. You all know the drill, the picks are made based on organizational depth, unless teams have a specific type of player they select. There will be writeups for each pick explaining why I feel they are the best possible pick for the teams. A little background, a summary of MLB Pipeline’s report, and a hypothetical scenario of how they would fit based on the current roster construction.

With that said, here’s this year’s mock draft, covering the first, compensatory and CB lottery picks:

A couple notes: You may wonder why the Red Sox are not listed in this mock, and it’s because they have exceeded the luxury tax threshold by 40%. As a result, their first rounder was dropped ten slots, completely out of the first round and into the early second. With the new compensation rules, the earliest the Red Sox can pick is after the Orioles in the second round. I have also updated the mock to reflect the Alex Claudio trade between the Rangers and Brewers, and the Jurickson Profar three way trade between the A’s, Rangers and Rays.

Baltimore Orioles:

After they completely imploded en route to a sub-50 win season, the Orioles finally decided to tear it all down and start all over again. Mike Elias takes over a squad that had essentially been rudderless, and had acquired a reputation as one of the worst places for player development, especially pitchers. With low expectations and a “nowhere to go but up” mindset, it will be interesting to see what Elias, part of the Astros resurgence can do to the much maligned O’s.

Baltimore couldn’t have picked a better time to bottom out, as this is a weak class pitching wise. With a stronger position player class, the Orioles could opt to find the perfect game caller, and one who has experience leading his team to a championship. Adley Rutschman is the complete package, an athlete, a game caller, and arguably one of the best hitters in college. He’s drawn praise for his hitting ability, something that has become more desired out of catchers in the past few years. His only deficiencies are his above average power, though there is power potential, and his speed.

Should Rutschman be the first overall pick in the draft, he would be the fifth College World Series Most Outstanding Player to be drafted first overall, following Bob Horner, Phil Nevin, Pat Burrell, and Dansby Swanson. Rutschman’s complete profile needs minimal development, and he’d be a much needed presence behind the plate, one that hasn’t been seen since Matt Wieters.

Kansas City Royals

The Royals missed out on a crucial opportunity to rebuild their atrocious farm system back in 2017 when they chose not to trade anyone. Though they eventually received compensation for Lorenzo Cain and Eric Hosmer, and Mike Moustakas through a midseason trade in 2018, it’s pretty clear that what they recieved could have been multiplied had they opted to tear down a year earlier. While the Royals do have some intriguing prospects this year, many are far away or just entered the system, which spells another lean year for Royals as they enter their fourth year post-World Series title.

There’s always a risk for prospect fatigue when it comes to high schoolers who have been on the radar for a while, but Bobby Witt Jr hasn’t exhibited that just yet. One of the biggest challengers for the number 1 pick, Witt is a multitool athlete, who in spite of his swing and miss approach, is still a tier 1 prospect thanks in part to professional grade speed, defense and arm strength as well as above average power. He has a track record of production on the big stage as well, winning the high school home run derby and Pan American championship this year.

Witt’s pedigree plays in his favor; his father Bobby Sr. was the third overall pick of the 1985 draft, and pitched for 16 years with seven teams. He would need to modify his approach at the plate to progress in the system, but at worst, he’s a solid lower part of the order hitter, and would be an ideal followup to Adalberto Mondesi at shortstop.

Chicago White Sox

The White Sox have emerged as one of the dark horses in the Machado/Harper sweepstakes, and their willingness to take on salary, as evidenced by the Yonder Alonso trade indicates that they are done rebuilding and want to start making a push in a somewhat weakened AL Central. Is it possible the ChiSox start dismantling the farm in order to acquire more major league assets?

Much like last year, when the Sox drafted Nick Madrigal despite having Tim Anderson and Yoan Moncada pretty holed in, the team will likely take the best player available despite having a pretty stable situation. While I would love to give them a lefty here, nobody is close enough to merit the 3 spot. As a result, the Sox grab Andrew Vaughn, the 2018 Golden Spikes Award winner. Vaughn is your typical slugging first baseman, with pro grade contact and power, and average glove and arm. Much like Seth Beer last year, Vaughn wasn’t able to translate his production from composite to wood, but unlike Beer, scouts aren’t as bearish because of his definitive defensive profile.

Vaughn has the potential to go through a system quickly, but with the first base situation currently locked down by Jose Abreu, then Yonder Alonso after Abreu hits the open market, one would be curious to see whether the White Sox offload this pick for that missing piece to help them contend.

Miami Marlins

Aside from the signing of Victor Victor Mesa and his brother Victor Mesa, Jr. the Marlins have started off the offseason on the wrong foot. Thanks to overplaying their hand and demanding everything short of Brodie Van Wagenen’s first born son, the team scared off multiple suitors for their only major trade asset, JT Realmuto. To be fair, they did underplay their hand last year in the Stanton, Yelich, and Ozuna deals, so it is understandable that they wanted to correct their trajectory and get better impact pieces.

One way the Marlins could slightly compensate in case the Realmuto scenario completely implodes is hitting a home run in this year’s draft. There probably isn’t anyone who appears more pro ready and less inclined to switch positions than Bryson Stott. With a comparison to Brandon Crawford, he’s your prototypical middle infielder with good, not great tools and below average power. Stott comes across as a veteran, and he can definitely impact a game with his multidimensional approach.

The Marlins have one other first rounder after this pick, so Stott will come off as a signability pick in order to get an arm that will fall. In this weak class, they could theoretically get a tier 1-tier 2 tweener and still get a Jeter-like presence at shortstop.

Detroit Tigers

The adage that a quarterback is only as good as his weapons could be applied in the inverse with pitching staffs being as good as their catcher. The Tigers are schlepping along in Year 2 of their rebuild with something called Grayson Greiner as their catcher after non-tendering James McCann, who in fairness is not a bragging point either.

Last year, the Tigers passed on Joey Bart in favor of Casey Mize, this year, they’d be incredibly stupid if Shea Langeliers makes it to the 5th pick. Langeliers may not have the same offensive upside as his contemporary and team USA teammate Adley Rutschman, but he still has impressive tools. His arm is better than Rutschman’s, and his instincts and twich make him a necessity behind the plate. He’s been known to call a good game as well. Langeliers doesn’t need major tinkering with his swing, but he should work on cutting down the effort if he wants to add offensive impact. He also has above average speed, in terms of a catcher on the basepaths.

The Tigers have heavily invested in a brand new pitching staff both with high floor starters at the major league level and high ceiling arms in the minors. Adding a catcher is the next step in assembling a team that can move forward in the rebuilding process.

San Diego Padres

As evidenced by their dogged pursuit of a top of the line starter, whether it be Noah Syndergaard, Corey Kluber or Marcus Stroman, the Padres clearly feel that they are ready to take advantage of a weaker NL West and contend for the division. They have the prospect core to do it, and unlike their last ill fated frantic buy in, they have the depth necessary for it to not look like an albatross a year later.

The one missing piece here is an NL third baseman. No offense to Wil Myers, but he’s a defensive liability who would be better served as an AL DH. Thankfully this year’s class of infielder is especially strong and the Padres are in a position to get one of the best. Josh Jung struck fear in the hearts of Big 12 pitching with his easily tappable power. Jung is a spray hitter as well, so any balls that don’t go over the wall will land anywhere. His arm is one of the best at the hot corner, and even though he doesn’t have twitch, he’s capable of holding his own.

Jung easily could take over as the Padres heir to third base and be ready by 2020 in time for most of the Padres wave of young talent to come up. He’s definitely got the potential to be a great contributor to the Padres impressive looking future infield.

Cincinnati Reds

Speaking of last place finishers buying in on 2019… The Reds have pulled together some signifigant moves to start their 2019 offseason, acquiring two midrotation arms and two outfielders on final year pre-arb contracts. What happens beyond 2019 is another matter, but it’s clear the Reds are trying to compete, even if it’s not the most open divsion right now.

The Reds have prioritized high ceiling outfielders in the post first round with Taylor Trammell, Jeter Downs, and Mike Siani, and in two of their past three drafts have opted for versatility in Nick Senzel and Hunter Greene (Since converted to pitcher full time). CJ Abrams may not be versatile in the sense he can be plugged anywhere, but over the summer, since he was playing with Bobby Witt Jr, he saw time at second base and in centerfield. Abrams comes across as a more complete, if slower Phil Ervin with some power potential, which considering where both were when they were drafted, says a lot about Abrams, who is arguably the fastest player in the class.

Based on how the NL Central plays out in the coming years, the Reds could either ease Abrams into a new role or keep him at shortstop and spend some time developing him into a truly complete prospect in time for their next wave of young talent to come up.

Texas Rangers

The Rangers last draft was just odd, to say the least, With their first fifteen rounds devoted to taking righthanded pitchers and shortstops, it was one of the weirdest sights to see. That being said, there is some merit to the strategy since shortstops are usually defensively versatile out of high school or college and pitchers are pitchers. In this year’s class, things are a lot different.

It’s tough to say what the Rangers could do here. With both catchers long gone and no one available until later, the Rangers could add to their outfield stockpile or become the first team in the draft to grab a pitcher, and considering their pitching as it is, the latter might be the smartest thing they can do. This is a weak class, but Graeme Stinson has the potential to move the needle if he can become the latest college reliever to successfully transition to starting pitcher. With a solid fastball and a buckling slider, Stinson at the very least could be a major league reliever. He has the build of a starter, but not the physique, which concerns some scouts. Additionally, his mechanics are concerning, not for injury reasons, but rather because they are not repeatable.

Stinson’s probably a project, but the Rangers are rebuilding now and will give him the time that he needs before they deem him ready. It helps that they have scouted Duke before, grabbing Michael Matuella in 2015.

Atlanta Braves

As good a position the Braves have put themselves in with John Coppolella at the helm, him playing fast and loose with the international signing rules and getting himself banned, only to be replaced with Alex Anthopolous does not bode well for the future of the Braves system? Why? Because Anthopolous has a track record of not signing high draft picks. Tyler Beede in 2011, Phil Bickford in 2013, Brady Singer (R2) in 2015 and Carter Stewart last year all slipped through his fingers. In other words, if the Braves want to succeed in the draft without running the risk of losing someone, maybe they should stay away from the prep arms.

The Braves have built themselves up through pitching, and will likely continue that path for the foreseeable future, so if Anthopolous wants to keep the trend of drafting pitchers alive, they could go after a college lefty, maybe one of the more complete lefties like Nick Lodolo. Lodolo’s performance in college is certainly below the expectations he had after choosing to not sign with the Pirates as a CB pick in 2016, but he’s still capable of pitching a decent game. Lodolo is average to above average pitch wise, but he is definitely a strikeout pitcher.

While the Braves could conceivably consider Carter Stewart here as well, it’s possible that that bridge has been burned and Stewart will likely say he’d rather return to school than pitch for the Braves. Lodolo represents a safer bet, especially considering he doesn’t appear to have a major health issue.

San Francisco Giants

The Giants had a good run, but as their 2010–14 core gets older and leaves, and as the rest of the division sans Arizona surpasses them, it may be time to retreat for a while and lick their wounds. Hopefully by the time their expensive contracts are off the books, they can focus on getting younger players ready to take over.

The Giants may be lucky enough to see one of the Tier 1 (and I use this term with a grain of salt) lefty arms still available, and that tier 1 arm may be the best of the bunch. Zack Thompson is built like a starter, and had it not been for an injury, would have made a compelling case to be higher ranked. Still, he can build himself up with a strong junior season. His arsenal is fuller than most, with the slider, curve, and changeup complementing his low to mid 90’s fastball. Thompson isn’t overpowering, but he compensates with a solid RPM on his curve and slider. His delivery is reminiscent of Brendan McKay, but there are concerns about his injury history and his mechanics.

Thompson would be an ideal fit for the Giants and would be a nice complement to his former Kentucky teammate Sean Hjelle, who was taken by them in the second round last season. He’ll need a few tweaks in his delivery but should be major league ready in 1–2 years.

Toronto Blue Jays

The Blue Jays know that any attempt to compete in this year’s AL East is going to be a fool’s errand, so aside from a few minor moves, they’ve mainly done nothing. There’s been some wheel spinning with the possibility of sending Marcus Stroman in a prospect laden mega deal, but other than that, it’s gonna be another quiet winter in the Great White North.

The Blue Jays do have a lot of exciting prospects waiting in the wings including Vladimir Guerrero Jr, who we will see at some point next year, but as the graduations pile up, the need to restock will become clearer. Thankfully in this mock, they come up with arguably one the best available players in Riley Greene. Greene’s calling card is his high contact and above average power. His stock really rose during the summer thanks to an uptick in power, and rightfully so. Greene is a nice middle of the order hitter who will impact the game either way, but he’ll be drafted next June based on his offensive ability alone. With below average speed, defense and arm, he’s going to be limited to either left field or first base, or in the worst possible scenario, DH.

Greene’s mechanics are fluid enough that there probably not be much adjustment needed, the question is how the Blue Jays might want to deploy him. In my ideal scenario, Greene is deployed as a first baseman and takes over for Justin Smoak, or whomever ends up at first should he be traded.

New York Mets

Brodie van Wagenen’s first two months as Mets GM have been the antithesis of his predecessor, with him willing to make the big moves within reason and not being afraid to sacrifice prospects in order to make good on his “Compete in 2019” promise. Of course, at the expense of his Edwin Diaz and Robinson Cano trade, he did wipe out 2 of the top 4 prospects in the Mets system taking them a few steps back in the future department.

A team that is going to be relient on bats to supplement their soon to be expensive rotation should use this draft to restock, and thankfully the college bat crop is impressive. Kameron Misner first grabbed attention as a freshman when he took the NECBL’s top prospect honor, and while his sophomore year was hampered by injury, there’s still plenty of promise and expectation for him to step back into his freshman stride junior year. Misner has power potential, and his approach at the plate is what allowed him to be an offensive threat in the SEC. He’s got game changing speed and a pro arm that plays well in centerfield, though he mostly played left and first base in his freshman and sophomore years.

Misner is the perfect complement to Brandon Nimmo’s Poor Man’s Yelich and Michael Conforto’s Poor Man’s Stanton. He’d easily take over from Juan Lagares when he’s ready should he be drafted by the Mets next June.

Minnesota Twins

The Twins have made some underrated additions this winter, upgrading in the power department with CJ Cron and Nelson Cruz, while bolstering their middle infield with Jonathan Schoop and Ronald Torreyes. With the AL Central reverting to its early 2000’s weakness, there’s a good chance that if the Twins continue to upgrade, they’ll have a solid shot at dethroning the Indians.

Of course, for all the praise we can heap on the offense, the problem yet again is pitching. While the hyped 2013 draft class finally made their big league debuts, the early returns haven’t been what was expected. The Twins therefore could take advantage of the weak pitching crop and grab one of the tier 1 arms. What prevented Carter Stewart from signing last year was a wrist issue that showed up and led to the Braves lowballing him with 40% of the money he would have received if healthy. There isn’t much to add on from last year as his mid to high 90’s fastball and high RPM curve remain the same, and his build is also the same. Again, the main issue will be health and spring performance, assuming the JuCo freshman decides to pitch and not file a grievance in the hopes of becoming a free agent.

Stewart represents an upgrade over most, if not all of the current Twins rotation and would easily slide in as the number 2 behind Jose Berrios. His ceiling is definitely high, and if he pitches the way he did in high school, he could jump back in the top 10, maybe top 5.

Philadelphia Phillies

Mickey Moniak is starting to look like a sunk cost, and if he can’t put it together in 2019, it may be time to move on from him and groom other players while Andrew McCutchen and Odubel Herrera play out their contracts. The Phillies find themselves in the middle of an increasingly competitive division, and need to take advantage of the older teams (Mets and Nationals) and keep up with fellow upstart (Braves) if they want to make a long lasting run possible.

Corbin Carroll may look like another Moniak, but truthfully, he’s faster, has a better approach to the plate, and has more room to grow. Overall, he’s a very contact oriented hitter that will use the field to his advantage. Defensively, he’s a little weaker, but what he lacks in strength he makes up for with the ability to track down flies with ease. Carroll is also smaller than Moniak was, but he’s drawn favorable comparisons to collegiate outfielders who started off as contact guys that developed power throughout the minors. The expectation is that he’ll be able to add more loft with development.

Carroll is the type of guy who would flourish at Citizens Bank Park. With its hitter friendly nature and generally open outfield, there’s no doubt that Carroll could turn it into a place for him to consistently turn in high batting averages and some slug year after year.

Los Angeles Angels

Since bottoming out as the league’s worst farm system in 2017, the Angels have come to the realization that there will be life beyond Mike Trout, and have done an impressive job of filling their emerging farm system with athletes. What started with Jahmai Jones in 2015 became Jo Adell, Brandon Marsh, and Shohei Ohtani in 2017, and continued with Jordyn Adams in 2018. While it’s likely they’re done adding outfielders for a while, they can still add athletes to help them win.

The Angels signed Shohei Ohtani knowing full well that they were getting a two-way player, the first in the majors in a long time. They can add another two-way player this year in Spencer Jones. Jones has the build to be a pitcher at 6'7" and 205 pounds, but in terms of body kinesthetics, he’s equally adept at fielding first base. Jones has an above average fastball and curve, but below average changeup and control. However, as a hitter, he’s average to above average across the board. He does need tinkering as his mechanics are raw, but there’s no doubt that he could provide value on both sides, maybe as an infielder then as a reliever.

Jones has a lot of upside, and a competitive advantage that will serve him well in the draft process. The Angels definitely could use a player like him to take advantage of an otherwise uncertain top half of the AL West.

Arizona Diamondbacks

The Diamondbacks have enacted the teardown protocol, having already divested themselves of one soon to be expensive piece in Paul Goldschmidt while looking for partners on others like Zach Greinke and Robbie Ray. With the additions of major league ready talent in the hopes of rebuilding their core, the Diamondbacks enter this year’s draft looking for a home run after last year’s Matt McLain debacle.

This probably will not happen in real life, but if Brennan Malone were to fall six spots from his original 10th ranked draft prospect spot, there’s no doubt the Diamondbacks would pounce. Malone, who opted to increase his visibility by enrolling at the IMG Academy for his senior year, is the best prep righty in the class, and rightfully so. Unlike his next best contemporary, Malone oozes projection out of already high 90’s fastball, and average to above average secondary offerings. Malone’s physique is ideal but he’d easily put himself in top pick conversation with a little more bulk to his 200 pound frame. He’s been praised for his work ethic as well, so he certainly checks off the character box.

The first of two picks for the D-Backs, Malone represents a young flamethrower who could easily see his stock rise as the season continues on. Considering the value teams place on pitching in the draft, it wouldn’t be surprising if he could make the jump to top 10 or even top 5 in this mock.

Washington Nationals

When it comes to the draft, there are three things that you look for in a Nationals first rounder. Pitcher, Boras advisee, and stock dropping injury/issue. It’s how they got Lucas Giolito in 2012, Erick Fedde in 2014, Seth Romero in 2017, and Mason Denaburg in 2018. While finding out who someone’s advisor is is a daunting task in and of itself, this year’s pitching class will make it pretty easy to figure out who the Nats will most likely zero in on first.

High floor high school pitchers are a rare breed, but Daniel Espino is one of the few. At his current build and velocity, Espino represents a solid multi-inning reliever, but there definitely are conflicting reports about how good he can be. I should know, I was caught in the crossfire of Georgia Premier Academy’s tweetstorm that defended him and corrected certain “factual inaccuracies”. So rather than come under fire from them, I will post Georgia Premier Academy’s full tweetstorm here.

Regardless of whether or not you believe Mayo or Georgia Premier Academy, there’s no doubt that Espino represents one of the safer bets in terms of prep arms, and whether he does progress or not, the Nationals easily would salivate over his potential to blaze his fastballs by hitters.

Pittsburgh Pirates

Give the Pirates some credit for overachieving after committing to a rebuild, and also give them credit for actually making a move at the deadline when they traded for Chris Archer. There’s no doubt that the Pirates have a ways to go before they can be considered competitors in the NL Central, but with plenty of young talent coming up in the future, there’s a possibility the Pirates could be a dark horse in the coming years.

The Pirates did sacrifice a lot of assets to get Archer, including two top pitchers in Tyler Glasnow and Shane Baz, so this pick, the first of two top round picks for the Pirates addresses the abscense of Baz. Matt Allan didn’t initially show up on prospect lists, but after an incredibly strong summer, there was definitely talk. Allan’s a high 90’s thrower with easy, repeatable mechanics, something that’s hard to find nowadays. Even at his current height and weight, there’s a lot of projection remaining, especially in his secondary offerings, which are works in progress.

Allan is probably an easier sign, but considering Pittsburgh’s propensity to go after big fish in the draft, it wouldn’t be a surprise if they double dipped in the prep ranks in this year’s draft.

St. Louis Cardinals

One of the biggest compaints that Cardinals fans have about their roster is the team’s frustrating lack of motivation to sign big name free agents. To be fair, when “The Cardinal Way” has worked for so long, it makes a lot of sense for them to adopt an “If it ain’t broke” mentality, but with the tumultuous end to the Matheny era, and with Mike Shildt now taking the reins full time, the question is is it time to look at starting over?

No Cardinal has received more flack the past couple years than Kolten Wong, and it seems like he’s more likely to be on his way out than signing an extension. If that’s the case, then the Cardinals can take advantage of a strong college middle infield class and go after this year’s Mr. Everything, Braden Shewmake. Shewmake has drawn praise for his defensive versatility, his feel for the game, and his high contact. He’s a bit on the gangly side, but scouts feel that he can grow into a strong hitter with some power. Shewmake also has a decent pedigree as he is the son of U Texas-Dallas Head Coach Shane Shewmake.

Shewmake’s jack of all trades mentality almost ensures that he can be the next Marwin Gonzalez or Scott Kingery, and it wouldn’t come as a surprise if he’s plugged in in multiple spots in order to maximize his utility as a player.

Seattle Mariners

Seattle’s decision to tear it down and start over makes some sense, especially as their top assets were starting to get too old or close to free agency. With the AL West in Houston’s hands for the foreseeable future, and with Oakland and the Angels gunning for wild card spots, Seattle could take a few years and develop a stronger, younger core that could help them compete in the early to mid 2020s.

Kyle Seager is getting old, and his contract isn’t doing the team any favors, so it may be time to go for the next hotshot third baseman. In this case, it’s IMG Academy’s new third baseman Rece Hinds. Hinds, a transfer from Niceville High School, made his mark on the summer circuit with an impressive power display, especially at the high school home run derby against Bobby Witt, Jr. However, like most power based hitters, Hinds comes with the dreaded all-or-nothing approach. Hinds also comes with some criticism over how he handles the hot corner, with concern over how much time he takes when not in a hurry. There’s still a bit of Josh Donaldson to his game, and if he can refine his defensive liabilities, he’s easily the number 2 third base prospect in this year’s draft. Otherwise, he’s been deployed across the diamond and as a corner outfielder.

The Mariners could use a guy like him to pair with their young star prospect acquisition, Jarred Kelenic. Both would make the Mariners lineup a terrible force that would keep them in the running for darkhorse future super team.

Atlanta Braves

The Braves have built up an impressive stable of pitching, and in this mock they add to it with the most complete pitcher in the class, Nick Lodolo. However, with so many outfield prospects within range, this next pick should be an outfielder.

Another byproduct of the talent factory that is Vanderbilt, JJ Bleday was part of a stacked Newport squad in 2017 that included 2 other top 50 draft prospects before winning the Cape Cod League MVP award the following year. Bleday’s track record with wood is especially encouraging, and there are scouts that feel that he could easily surpass his predecessors, Bryan Reynolds, Rhett Wiseman, and most notably, Jeren Kendall. He’s also been praised for his strong arm and ability to field in the outfield, with a projection of a professional right fielder. Even though he isn’t fast, he is very rangy in the outfield.

Bleday offers a lot more in terms of potential than most of his draft contemporaries, and he’d easily be an upgrade over Adam Duvall. Putting him in the lineup to supplement what is already considered an elite pitching corps, both in the present and future will make him a high follow.

Tampa Bay Rays

Tampa Bay finds themselves in an enviable position, with three picks in the top 40 and what will likely be a high bonus pool. They will be a very attractive option for high schoolers looking for an incredibly hefty college-bypassing bonus. With two kids that are drawing multisport consideration from their respective schools, I wouldn’t be surprised if the Rays snagged one if he fell.

Having splurged in 2017 for Brendan McKay and in 2018 for Shane McClanahan and Nick Schnell, the Rays could easily afford a two-sport star like Jerrion Ealy. Ealy became the latest baseball and football star to play in two All-American games, following first rounder and Heisman winner Kyler Murray and presumptive first round WR AJ Brown. Ealy’s fairly polished for a two sport player. He’s an average hitter, but an outstanding runner and fielder, which make sense considering he is a running back with pass catching ability.

The Rays could easily surpass his bonus demands and still have plenty of money to grab quality talent in the CB round. Ealy’s committment to Mississippi will make it challenging, but if Kyler Murray could be signed and convinced to go to baseball full time, there’s no doubt Ealy could to the same.

Colorado Rockies

The Rockies are in a position to make the NL West theirs as soon as the Dodgers age out of their current core. With players like Colton Welker, Brendan Rodgers, and Peter Lambert ready to supplement the existing core of Story, Arenado, and a surprisingly effective Rockies rotation (words nobody expected to say or write) it may be time to start picking Colorado as a favorite.

In spite of a strong current team, there are definitely some areas to improve. First and foremost, the albatross that is Ian Desmond in centerfield. In a decent class with regards to outfielders, the Rockies could easily grab one of last spring’s top small school surprises in Matt Wallner. Wallner has been on the radar since winning national freshman of the year in 2017, and added on to that by taking the Conference USA home run title for the second consecutive year. There’s no doubt that Wallner has the power to succeed at the next level, but what truly separates him from the rest is his arm strength. Wallner has a strong enough arm to be a professional right fielder, and he’s got the velocity to be a bullpen piece as well.

The Rockies could easily get two major weapons for the price of one, as his potential to be a big bopper and a lights out reliever makes him an intriguing dark horse and a possible riser in this year’s class.

Cleveland Indians

Cleveland’s surprising decisions to trade away Edwin Encarnacion and explore dealing Trevor Bauer or Corey Kluber makes you wonder how long they plan to compete, or if they have the supplemental pieces that will ease the transition from the old guard to the new guard. Especially with some older pieces still in place, there’s a lot to ask about how long they have to hold the Central.

Jason Kipnis is getting older, and Jose Ramirez is more valuable as a third baseman. In a class rife with middle infield talent, the Indians could easily go for the best hitter of the bunch in Michael Busch. Now, Busch is a bit of a controversial pick here because of the concerns regarding his future defensive spot, but even if he ends up being a Daniel Murphy type first baseman converted to second base, which is where scouts see him, or even a left fielder, his bat will certainly be loud enough to drown out those concerns. Busch is a clean swinger with plenty of patience and enough of a spray to be dangerous wherever he hits the ball.

The Indians could easily try him in any defensive spot and see where he is at least the most passable, but again, if they draft him, it will definitely be for his bat more than his glove.

Los Angeles Dodgers:

The Dodgers may be getting older and older, but the question is not how long their current run will last, but rather can they get supplemental pieces to replace the aging ones and prolong the run? Clayton Kershaw may have resigned with the Dodgers, but his injury history the past couple years indicates he’s playing with less years ahead than more. Rich Hill can’t continue to defy Father Time either, so it may be time to look at a long term contingency plan.

Because the team failed to sign JT Ginn after throwing money at Michael Grove, a move that still doesn’t make sense, there’s no promising lefty. The best lefty that the Dodgers could get without stretching too far is Hunter Barco. At one point early on in the process, Barco was considered one of the top lefties, nee, top pitchers in the class, but a so-so summer dropped him down. That being said, Barco does have some interesting traits. He’s part of the lower-angle lefty fraternity, and while his velocity is low-90’s, and mechanics certainly could use a little fine tuning to improve his control, the deception in his fastball has been noted. He’s got the body that scouts like, big right now, but still projectable.

Barco opted to stay in Jacksonville as opposed to gaining more visibility, and this will either help or harm him. Scouts can agree though that if his stuff ticks up a bit he will certainly jump back into top-half-of-the-draft consideration.

Arizona Diamondbacks

The emphasis on Marwin Gonzalez-type utility players has really hit mainstream in the past few years, and it seems that a lot of teams are seeing it more and more like a competitive advantage. The Diamondbacks have been one of the stragglers that haven’t quite yet adapted to this modernized facet, but in a class rife with middle infield talent, there’s a good possibility they will find one in this year’s class.

A product of the Carlos Beltran Baseball Academy, Matthew Lugo jumped on the radar thanks to a solid offensive summer and fall. Lugo drew rave reviews for his mature plate approach, and also his sneaky power. While he isn’t a speedster, he does hold his own on the base paths. His fielding needs tinkering, and like most high school shortstops, he may need to move either to the hot corner or second base, hence the utility. Regardless of where he plays defensively, Lugo represents a solid bat in the lineup at worst and a developmental multi tool athlete at best.

The Diamondbacks have three picks within the first 40, so Lugo and Malone will likely be complemented by a college player, but to get two young assets for the long term would be a nice start for them.

Chicago Cubs

The writing appears to be on the wall for Kris Bryant, who has been dangled in trade rumors and who has drawn repeated concern for his injury this year. That being said, the Cubs have a couple years before they really need to worry about him staying or going, which considering who his agent is, is more likely to be the latter.

With Josh Jung and Rece Hinds off the board, the Cubs could still grab a power hitting, strong armed third baseman in Brett Baty. Baty is a physical specimen whose main concern is his fielding. That being said, he makes up for his fielding deficiencies, which by the way, are correctible, by having impressive power and a cannon of an arm. Baty also draws praise as a smart and patient hitter that doesn’t go all-or-nothing, He’s not a fast runner, but he is not a complete liability on the basepaths.

Baty’s power and arm strength are ideal for Chicago, and he’d probably be ready in time for Bryant’s departure from the Cubs. Having him possibly in the same lineup as Javier Baez and Nico Hoerner would make for a solid offensive trio.

Milwaukee Brewers

If you’re a hot armed reliever that transitions to the starting rotation because your coach believes he’s your best chance to earn some wins, there’s a good chance scouts will take notice. Justin Dunn and Josiah Gray transitioned from the bullpen to the rotation in their junior seasons and ended up being rewarded for it, and this year’s class definitely needs a boost in college pitching talent.

Ryne Nelson went the Jacob deGrom route as a light hitting infielder that had a strong enough arm to be used in the bullpen, but it looks like he’ll be a full time starter this year, and rightfully so. His fastball is viewed as the best of the college crop, a mid to high 90’s offering with the potential to crack 100 with development. As far as secondary offerings go, his slider is above average, while his changeup is developmental. Additionally, he needs to address some control issues in order to increase his effectiveness. Nelson is the right height, but 25 pounds could easily make him a better pitcher.

Nelson represents the third Ducks pitcher to potentially go in the first round since the program restarted in 2009. He could easily elevate himself into the best of the bunch with a strong junior season, and would be an ideal bullpen, or even starter arm for the Brewers as they continue to capitalize on a strong offensive core.

Oakland Athletics

Nearly seven months after making the pick that shocked the world in Kyler Murray, the A’s were fortunate enough to see their Heisman winning outfielder get destroyed by Alabama and their quasi-NFL defense, quashing any lingering doubts that he’d honor his baseball commitment for a shot as an NFL quarterback. Considering what their outfield looks like now, Murray hopefully will make up for lost time.

It’s hard to say who the A’s could take with this pick. The college pitching crop is unimpressive and by the time their pick comes around, they’ll have missed the tier 1s and a tier 2 would be a bit of a reach, so in this case, they opt for surplus talent and take Will Holland. Holland is a rare breed, a shortstop who’s a power hitter. Now, he’s not an all-or nothing power guy, but his swing is admittedly unorthodox and scouts do believe it needs some fine tuning for him to blossom. Holland also can run, but he needs more work when he’s on base as he’s not considered a base stealer. Defensively, he is capable of staying at shortstop, as his range has been noted as has his twitch.

Holland represents an upgrade from Marcus Semien, and if he can make the tweaks necessary to turn him into a more complete player, could easily supplant him and be the guy that Richie Martin was supposed to be before injuries and the rule 5 draft took him away.

New York Yankees

Brian Cashman’s “Fully Operational Death Star” comment at the Winter Meetings will either prove true or bite him hard, especially if he lets Manny Machado walk away in favor of Troy Tulowitzki and his glass body. Though to be fair, he did upgrade the rotation with James Paxton and committed to more years with J.A. Happ, so that makes sense.

The Paxton trade did remove the Yankees top lefthanded pitching prospect in Justus Sheffield, so the Yankees could use this draft to find his replacement. Though Erik Miller is ranked pretty low right now, the adage is that in a weak class, the most sought after commodity usually sees its value inflate. Miller however is not going to stick at his present value because scouts believe there is plenty projection. To start, Miller is a big boy at 6'5" and 240 pounds, numbers similar to Graeme Stinson. He also has two plus pitches in his high 90’s fastball and his slider, and complements it with a decent changeup. The main concern is his command and his mechanics will need to be cleaned up if he wants to be more effective as a starter. Still, Miller can only go up from here, and it is possible he can find himself in the top half, or even top 10 with a strong junior year.

Admittedly, I’m not fond of Stanford starters considering Mark Appel’s failure as a number 1 pick and Cal Quantrill’s injury history, but Miller appears more than capable of breaking that curse and being a solid contributor for a Yankees team that always seems to be in need of pitching.

Los Angeles Dodgers

The Dodgers continuously win because they aren’t afraid to overstack on depth. It’s the reason why they were able to stomach trading Yasiel Puig, it’s the reason why they have been able to deploy Max Muncy as a starter, and it’s the reason why Kike Hernandez has flourished. It’s also the reason why Yasmani Grandal won’t be missed, as Kiebert Ruiz and Will Smith are easily being groomed to replace him.

While the Dodgers do have Kike in place and Gavin Lux and Jeter Downs likely as successors, they can still take advantage of this incredibly stacked middle infield. The last NC State middle infielder has produced at the major league level, and while Will Wilson is no Trea Turner, there’s no doubt he can produce. Wilson is your typical lunch pail player, one who can do his job as an offensively capable middle infielder with occasional pop. He’s also a decent fielder, but definitely not a gold glove potential fielder. There’s a belief among scouts that Wilson will be a pro second baseman.

The Dodgers should have a better chance at signing their top 2 picks this time around as opposed to last year, and Wilson and Barco would make for strong additions in an already top heavy system.

Houston Astros

The Astros are fortunate to have a strong young group of players because their system is definitely in need of a repopulation as soon as Kyle Tucker and Forrest Whitley graduate. Hopefully the next few drafts allow them to build up a second group of young talent that will be ready to contribute come free agency and eventual age related regression.

While Robinson Chirinos is an acceptable present term substitute at catcher, the Astros clearly need a long term option. While he’s admittedly raw and primarily a third baseman, there’s a belief that Tyler Callihan can make it as a professional catcher, albeit a more offensively minded one. Callihan is a strong hitter and his power is starting to develop. On the national stage, he was Team USA’s top hitter. The concern is his below average defense and average arm, which is why he started to see work behind the plate during the summer.

Callihan would be a project defensively, but he could still progress as an offensive minded catcher. His bat is perfect for Minute Maid park’s dimensions.

COMPENSATORY PICKS

Arizona Diamondbacks

Arizona is no stranger to scouting northeastern baseball talent, and George Kirby is part of the sleeper rotation that Elon boasts. His stuff ranges from average to plus and while he’s no standout, he’s easily capable of doing his job as a mid rotation arm.

CB PICKS

Miami Marlins

The Marlins save money with the Bryson Stott pick and use it to entice former Marlin and Derek Jeter teammate Al Leiter’s son, Jack Leiter. The New Jersey prepster is a smaller pitcher, but he’s definitely one of the better “Pitchability” high schoolers in the class. With 4 pitches ranging from average to plus, he’s going to cost a lot to be swayed away from Vanderbilt.

Tampa Bay Rays

Drew Mendoza is no stranger to Minor League Madhouse, consistently being mocked in the first round in 2016 before ending up committing to Florida State. He’s a physical specimen and a power hitter. His defense restricts him to the hot corner, and there are concerns he is an “All or nothing” hitter, but the Rays could use his offense to support their rotation.

Cincinnati Reds

The Reds grab Mike Siani’s little brother Sammy Siani. Sammy is a better hitter than his brother, but has less power and is not as great a defender. Still, Sammy has his brother’s speed and in spite of playing his springs in cold weather Pennsylvania, has certainly attracted as much attention as his brother did.

Pittsburgh Pirates

The Pirates grab the top pitcher in the Cape Cod League in Alek Manoah. Manoah is a converted reliever, but what makes him incredibly desirable is his frame. He’s still somewhat raw despite consistently hitting the mid 90’s, and mechanical tweaking to keep his body in check will likely move him from borderline first round-cb pick to mid first round.

Tampa Bay Rays

The Rays take Mike Toglia with their third pick in the hopes of using him as a corner outfielder when Brendan McKay is in the field, and first baseman when he pitches. He’s got the power to really be a difference maker in the lineup.

Texas Rangers

UCLA teammates go back to back as Chase Strumpf becomes Rougned Odor’s heir apparent. He was apparently good enough to make Royce Lewis, the 2017 first overall pick play another position in deference to him at shortstop, and he’s a good hitter with decent defensive ability.

Minnesota Twins

There’s an unwritten rule in the draft that says any University of Florida pitcher has to see his stock drop before he gets picked. Tyler Dyson’s injury history and concerning command make him yet another candidate to follow that rule. Still, his stuff, in particular, his high 90’s fastball and wipeout slider make him a candidate to stick around the first round.

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So with that, the next mock should come around either late next month or early March. By then, there should be more statistics to back up these picks and potentially show rising and falling stocks.