2019 MLB Mock Draft 2.0 (10/26/18)

As Brennan Malone’s velocity has increased, so has the likelihood that he’s going to be a top-ten pick come next June.

Our previous mock draft listed the number of days remaining until the draft at 250, give or take a few.

Well that number is down to 218 now, give or take a few.

A lot can happen in 32 days. The entire Second Balkan War, for example, was fought in 32 days. The shortest presidency in the history of the United States, that of William Henry Harrison, lasted less than that, clocking in at a mere 31 days. If you felt, so motivated, you could even get your real estate license in that amount of time.

In our case, 32 days was enough time to add another 100+ draft reports to our database, as well as update our Top 50 Overall Rankings, Top 50 College Rankings and Top 50 High School Rankings.

In the case of the players on all of the lists mentioned above, 32 days was enough time to show off at the World Wood Bat Association World Championships (Bobby Witt Jr., Colton Bowman, Joshua Rivera), to impress in fall scrimmages (Zack Thompson, Zack Hess, Isaiah Campbell) or to decide to head to college early and bypass the draft altogether (looking at you Hylan Hall!)

Most important, however, 32 days was enough time for the 2019 draft order to be finalized. Well, of course, until various free-agents are tendered qualifying offers.

Without further ado, let’s take a look at our second stab at the 2019 MLB draft first round.

(standings are current as of the end of the 2018 season, and do not reflect off-season free-agent qualifying offers)

#	Team	Player	Pos	School/University
1	Baltimore Orioles 47-115 (.290)	Bobby Witt Jr.	SS	Colleyville Heritage HS (TX)
		The offseason has been just as kind to Baltimore as the regular season. After losing a franchise record 115 games, the team cut loose both its president of baseball operations and manager and has yet to make significant progress on replacing either. Then there’s their failure in the international market, where they let the top three remaining prospects slip through their fingers, despite having the largest amount of money to spend. Hopefully 2019 holds better fortunes. Nabbing Witt, who inspired a late-season Twitter frenzy in Charm City with #quitforwitt and whose uncle was recently added to Baltimore’s scouting department, would be a great start. After a handful of steady performances on the showcase circuit this summer, Witt dazzled this past weekend with a comprehensive performance at the WWBA World Championship.
2	Kansas City Royals 58-104 (.358)	C.J. Abrams	SS	Blessed Trinity HS (GA)
		It’s been less than three years since the Royals won the World Series, but you wouldn’t know it from their active roster, which has only five players remaining from that title-winning squad. Like Baltimore, they’re in a full-rebuild and at least three to four years away from fielding a competitive big-league team. Last year they made a point to target pitching talent, but picking this high in 2019, they’ll have their pick of several big-name position players, including Abrams. An explosive athlete with elite potential on defense and the basepaths, the Alabama signee has shown tremendous progress with the bat this summer. With a strong senior year, he might even surpass Witt and could be in the running for the No. 1 overall selection.
3	Chicago White Sox 62-100 (.383)	Adley Rutschman	C	Oregon State University
		Thanks to a late-season collapse that saw them lost 19 of their final 27 games, the White Sox will have a top-11 pick for the sixth consecutive year next June. And with their rebuild nearing completion, 2019 marks their last chance to scoop up some elite talent. In this case, that means Rutschman, the top college prospect and the top overall prospect on several team’s draft boards. After a long sophomore year that saw him break a handful of school records, catch every inning of the NCAA tournament and College World Series and lead the Beavers to their third national title, Rutschman took some well-deserved time off this summer, logging just a handful of at-bats for the collegiate national team. Rutschman is the complete package offering above-average skills both at the plate and behind it.
4	Miami Marlins 63-98 (.391)	Brennan Malone	RHP	IMG Academy (FL)
		The Marlins new management team has done its best to keep things local when it comes to talent acquisition. Last June, they selected Tampa-native Connor Scott in the first round, and they just secured the services of the top international prospect available in the 2018 class, Cuban outfielder Victor Victor Mesa. Looking forward to next year’s draft, the local region once again has a wealth of talent to choose from, and the athletic Malone is likely to be high on their list. After a strong junior campaign, Malone dazzled this summer, showing off a fastball that touched 97 mph and a curveball that flashed plus on occasion. The UNC commit transferred to IMG Academy in Florida for his senior year to challenge himself against better competition than he faced in tiny Matthews, N.C.
5	Detroit Tigers 64-98 (.395)	Shea Langeliers	C	Baylor University
		It’s been a good, long while since the Tigers have had a consistent, productive presence behind the plate. Only once in the past seven years has their starting catcher hit above .260, and with last year’s starter James McCann set to depart as a free-agent and with no real talent to speak of in the minors, it might be time to attempt to address that problem. Luckily, the 2019 draft has two college catchers who are likely to be selected in the top ten, and picking fifth, Detroit is in a prime position to pick up one of them, likely Langeliers. Don’t let last year’s .252 average fool you, Langeliers is talented with the stick. He has above-average power to boot, and is no slouch behind the plate. He doesn’t have the wow factor of Adley Rutschman, but he’s far and away the second best catching prospect in the 2019 class.
6	San Diego Padres 66-96 (.407)	Rece Hinds	3B	IMG Academy (FL)
		Thanks to savvy drafting, an aggressive stance in the international arena, and a couple of great trades, the Padres have one of best, and deepest, farm systems in baseball. And for the third consecutive year they’ll be picking inside the top ten. The past three years have seen them place an emphasis on athletic, high-upside high school players, so it wouldn’t be a surprise to see them take that same route again. Hinds has the best raw power in the 2019 class, and he’s shown through numerous showcase events that it’s as much a present tool as a future one. He’s also an incredible athlete for his size, and might even have the athleticism to stick at shortstop for a while, before eventually sliding over to third base, where his plus arm strength will be an asset. Like Malone, Hinds has transferred to IMG for his senior year, giving them one of the greatest collections of prep talent we’ve ever seen.
7	Cincinnati Reds 67-95 (.414)	Zack Thompson	LHP	University of Kentucky
		The Reds have recently prioritized drafting hitters, selecting position players with seven of their last nine picks, and as a result, they’ve built one of the more impressive collections of hitting talent in baseball. It might finally be time, however, to start focusing on pitching, and picking seventh, they’ll be in prime position to nab a high-upside arm. In this case, that would be Thompson, who is arguably the top pitcher from the college crop. He’s had some health concerns, but finished the season strong and looked solid in a couple of appearances over the summer. His fastball touches the upper-90s and he has two average-or-better offerings, but staying healthy is really the best thing he can do right now.
8	Texas Rangers 67-95 (.414)	Daniel Espino	RHP	Georgia Premier Academy (GA)
		If there’s such a thing as a safe bet when it comes to the MLB draft, it’s that the Rangers are likely to draft a high school player. After all, they’ve done so with nine of their last 11 picks. As a rule, they also favor talent from the states that produce the most players: California, Florida, Texas and Georgia. That makes it seem likely that they’ll take a long look at both Riley Greene (Florida) and Daniel Espino (Georgia), with the latter being the more likely choice. The Panamanian-born right-hander exploded onto the scene this summer, flirting with triple digits and showing off two other impressive offerings in a curveball and slider. His mechanics are smooth and his delivery repeatable, making a long-term career as a starter seem incredibly likely.
9	Atlanta Braves (comp for Carter Stewart)	Riley Greene	OF	Hagerty HS (FL)
		With six pitchers ranked among MLB.com’s Top 100 Prospects, the Braves have the most impressive collection of pitching talent in the minors that we’ve seen in quite some time. And with two first round selections, thanks to their failure to come to terms with Carter Stewart last year, they have two more chances to add to their cache. In lieu of projecting them yet another talented arm though, we’ll go ahead and give them Greene, whose bat is one of the loudest in the 2019 class. His potential to hit for power and average may be unrivaled in his group of peers, and he also offers above-average defense and arm strength, making him one of the few five-tool talents in next year’s class. If the UF commit somehow makes it to Gainesville, he’ll be a shoe-in as a top-three pick in 2021.
10	San Francisco Giants 73-89 (.451)	Graeme Stinson	LHP	Duke University
		The last time the Giants held the 10th overall pick was in 2007, and they selected a hulking, unpolished left-hander out of a North Carolina school named Madison Bumgarner. Flash forward 11 years and Bumgarner is entering the final year of his deal and it’s even fathomable that he has already thrown his last pitch in San Francisco. What better way to celebrate than by selecting another hulking, unpolished left-hander out of a North Carolina school? Stinson has spent the majority of his time at Duke pitching out of the bullpen, and last year he proved to be one of the top relievers in college baseball. He should enter 2019 as a member of the Blue Devils’ rotation and with a strong campaign, he could vault himself into top-ten consideration. The former Eagle scout has a plus fastball (92-97 mph) and a devastating slider that may be the best in the 2019 class.
11	Toronto Blue Jays 73-89 (.451)	Carter Stewart	RHP	Eastern Florida State College
		The Blue Jays are blessed with the top prospect in all of baseball, Vladimir Guerrero Jr., and if things shake down this way, they could have a shot at the player we believe is the top pitching prospect in the 2019 draft class. Things got weird between Stewart and the Braves last year, with a wrist injury supposedly sabotaging the right-hander’s chances of signing, and then a cascade of events that saw Stewart de-committing from Mississippi State, filing a case with MLB to be a free-agent able to sign with any team he chose, before culminating with his agreement to join hometown EFSC. We don’t expect him to see too much action on the mound, but as long as he shows the same tools as last year (plus fastball, plus curveball), we’re not too bothered.
12	New York Mets 77-85 (.475)	Josh Jung	3B	Texas Tech University
		At some point, there is bound to be a run on college bats, and while many are forecasting it to start inside the top-ten, we’re betting it starts here. Jung was all-everything last year, flirting with .400 while compiling a .392/.491/.639 line that included 12 homers and a conference-leading 80 RBI. This, coming off a stellar freshman campaign that saw him hit .306, drive in 43 runs and draw nearly as many walks (36) as strikeouts (45). He’s a plus hitter, and has even more raw power in his bat, but he doesn’t offer much defensive value. He has the arm strength to stick at third, but a move to either first base or an outfield corner could be in his long-term future. He’ll likely be given every chance to stay in the infield though.
13	Minnesota Twins 78-84 (.481)	Andrew Vaughn	1B	University of California
		Speaking of all-everything, Vaughn had a season for the ages in 2018. He won nearly every award there is, including the Golden Spikes and Pac-12 Player of the Year, after a near-perfect campaign that saw him rank top-ten nationally in batting average (.402), on-base percentage (.531), slugging percentage (.819) and home runs (23). He also posted an other-worldly 44-to-18 walk-to-strikeout ratio. In addition to his prowess at the plate, Vaughn is also an above-average defender at first. He earned a spot on the conference All-Defensive team after committing just four errors in nearly 600 chances and went error-less in the first 33 games of the season. The Twins currently have a glut of outfield/first base prospects, but none offer the defensive value that Vaughn does.
14	Philadelphia Phillies 80-82 (.494)	Matthew Thompson	RHP	Cypress Ranch HS (TX)
		After five consecutive seasons of losing at least 89 games, the Phillies rebounded with a strong campaign that saw them hold first place in the National League East into early August before a late-season collapse dropped them into third place and a losing record (80-82). Poor finish aside, the year has to be considered a success for the franchise, one that saw them get improvements from several young regulars who will lead the franchise for the next five to 10 years. Thompson would be an excellent addition to a relatively top-heavy farm system. After a strong junior campaign, he continued to impress on the showcase circuit, flashing a mid-90s fastball, a developed curveball and good feel for a changeup.
15	Los Angeles Angels 80-82 (.494)	Logan Davidson	SS	Clemson University
		The Angels have scooped up arguably the most talented athletes in each of the past two draft classes, so if Jerrion Ealy is still on the board, don’t discount them making a run at him. But the more likely scenario involves them going after one of the college bats. There’s a good chance Davidson could be off the board before pick No. 10, but concerns about his ability to make consistent contact, especially after his disastrous Cape Cod League performance (.196, 45 K in 153 AB), could ultimately drop him into the 15-20 range. When he’s firing on all cylinders, Davidson is incredibly impressive, offering plus power (27 HR in two years) and the athleticism to stick at shortstop long term.
16	Arizona Diamondbacks 82-80 (.506)	Bryson Stott	SS	University of Nevada, Las Vegas
		Arizona has two picks in the first round this year, after failing to come to terms with prep infielder Matt McLain last year, an unforeseen ending made all the more disappointing considering the team had circled McLain as a player of interest early in 2018. Similarly, expect them to keep an eye on Stott this year. The athletic infielder followed up his MWC Freshman of the Year campaign with a strong sophomore season, posting a .365 average and a nation-leading 30 doubles. Stott should hit for a high average as a pro thanks to a line-drive swing and an impressive approach at the plate, one that has resulted in a career 54-to-42 walk-to-strikeout ratio. Despite just five home runs in more than 450 at-bats, Stott should grow into at least average power. In the field, he’s a capable defender at shortstop, but as he continues to grow into his 6-foot-3, 195 pound frame, he might slide over to third base.
17	Washington Nationals 82-80 (.506)	Hunter Barco	LHP	Bolles HS (FL)
		Few organizations are better at overlooking flaws, such as injury history and maturity problems, and the approach has netted Washington some talented prospects over the years that in re-drafts, would have likely gone much higher than where they selected them. If they were able to scoop up Barco here, it could be a similar story. The left-hander was long ago identified as one of the top prospects in the 2019 class, and his performances have justified that, including a three-inning, six-strikeout showing at the East Coast Pro showcase this summer. Things that give us pause, however, include his velocity dip earlier this summer, as well as his commitment to Virginia, which was able to keep one of the top prospects in last year’s class, Mike Vasil, from turning pro.
18	Pittsburgh Pirates 82-79 (.509)	Nick Lodolo	LHP	Texas Christian University
		The Pirates are intimately familiar with Lodolo, making him the a supplemental first-round selection three years ago. The left-hander’s family floated a $3 million bonus, but after Pittsburgh offered $1.75, almost $200k above slot, Lodolo enrolled at TCU. It’s been an uneven couple of years for him, as he’s posted an impressive strikeout-to-walk ratio of nearly 3-to-1 and won 12 of his 17 decisions, but also hit 24 batters and posted an in-conference ERA over 5.00. Ultimately he’s failed to string together enough consistent starts to justify anything higher than a spot in the latter half of the first round, despite impressive stuff, including a low-90s fastball and a curveball that flashes plus on occasion.
19	St. Louis Cardinals 88-74 (.543)	Kyle Brnovich	RHP	Elon University
		Despite lacking a true out-pitch, Brnovich is a classic strikeout artist. He struck out 10.3 batters per 9 IP as a freshman, en route to earning Colonial Freshman of the Year honors, and then struck out 12.6 per 9 last year. He struck out 10 or more batters in eight of his 15 starts and during a midseason stretch he whiffed 50 batters in 30 innings, spanning four starts. Included in that was a complete-game, 3-hitter in which he struck out 14. Brnovich does most of his damage with a low-90s fastball and a slurve that he can add or subtract velocity to/from depending on the situation. The lithe right-hander has drawn comparisons to Trevor Bauer, albeit with a more traditional delivery and arguably less quirks.
20	Seattle Mariners 89-73 (.549)	Jack Leiter	RHP	Delbarton HS (NJ)
		The Mariners have one of the weakest farm systems in baseball, which shouldn’t come as much of a surprise considering they’ve only had one first round selection per year, each year since 2010, save for 2015, when they forfeited their pick to sign Nelson Cruz. Leiter, a Vanderbilt commit and the son of former big-leaguer Al, would be an instant upgrade to their pitching depth. The diminutive right-hander showed four offerings this summer, carving up hitters on the showcase circuit with a low-90s fastball, that touches 94 mph, a slider and curve that both flashed above-average and a changeup that’s more developed than most prep pitchers. He may not have No. 1 starter stuff, but his ceiling as a No. 2/3 is better than anyone else in Seattle’s system aside from last year’s pick, Logan Gilbert.
21	Atlanta Braves 90-72 (.556)	Cooper Benson	LHP	San Luis Obispo HS (CA)
		We’ve been high on Benson all year, ranking him as high as No. 17 on our big board, and finally other outlets are starting to come around. While he opened plenty of eyes with a junior campaign that saw him rack up 114 strikeouts in just 60.2 innings, allowing just three earned runs all year, the catalyst for most was his recent complete-game, two-hit shutout in the WWBA playoffs, in which he struck out nine. While he doesn’t possess an overpowering fastball (88-91 mph), he does command the pitch better than most high school hurlers, and he complements it with a curveball and changeup that both flash above-average. An Arizona State signee, his easy delivery and command of three above-average pitches should make him an appealing target next June, one that could hear his name called as early as the late-first round, if not during the supplemental. In many ways, he reminds us of a left-handed version of a current Braves’ farmhand, Ian Anderson, but with a less impressive fastball.
22	Tampa Bay Rays 90-72 (.556)	Tyler Callihan	3B	Providence HS (FL)
		Callihan burst onto the scene this summer at the High School Home Run Derby in the nation’s capitol during the All-Star break, placing fourth. Few knew that he put together a comprehensive performance at the Tournament of Stars the previous month, or that he solidified his place as one of the best prep hitters in the state of Florida during a junior campaign that saw him hit .441, rap 11 doubles and drive in 29 runs. His strong performance carried over into the fall, and he was one of the top hitters at the WWBA World Championships. The South Carolina signee has played some shortstop for Providence, but he’ll likely slide over to third base at the next level, be it college or pro.
23	Colorado Rockies 91-72 (.558)	Matt Wallner	OF	University of Southern Mississippi
		At 6-foot-5 and 220 pounds, Wallner casts an imposing shadow and his power is possibly unrivaled among next year’s crop of college hitters. Whether he can continue to hit for a high average at the next level might determine his fate come June, however. After hitting a combined .343 during his first two years in Hattiesburg, he hit just .154 with the collegiate national team and .250 in the Cape Cod League. A two-way player in high school, Wallner has a big-league arm that’s going to be an assist-machine in whichever outfield corner he eventually settles into. If that outfield corner happens to be in Denver, there’s a good chance there’s plenty of 30-HR seasons in his future.
24	Cleveland Indians 91-71 (.562)	Jerrion Ealy	OF	Jackson Prep (MS)
		Last year the Indians had three first round selections, and with their second, they were able to scoop up Ethan Hankins, the presumptive No. 1 pick had the draft been held in January instead of June. Hankins fell to the No. 35 pick due to concerns about his health, as well as his commitment to Vanderbilt. Picking at No. 24, the Indians may once again be able to use injury and signability concerns to net another high-risk, high-reward prospect in the form of Ealy. A two-sport star who is a top-five recruit at running back, Ealy was sidelined for three weeks earlier this season with a UCL injury, one that would undoubtedly affect his baseball prospects more than football. The signability concerns come with the fact that Ealy is such a highly touted football prospect, with a verbal commitment to Mississippi, where he is projected to play both sports.
25	Los Angeles Dodgers 92-71 (.564)	Zack Hess	RHP	Louisiana State University
		Hess is looking to be drafted for the third time in four years, and hoping this last time sticks. After an up-and-down sophomore campaign, the Braves took a flier on him in the 34th round, and seemed to have a deal in place, before being forced to back out after negotiations with their first-rounder, Carter Stewart, fell through. A 35th round pick back in 2016, Hess pitched brilliantly this summer, for both the collegiate national team and in the Cape Cod League, showing a mid-90s fastball and an improved changeup that now grades out as slightly-above-average. If that consistency carries over into his junior campaign, Hess could capitalize on the fact that this is a down year for college pitching, and find a home somewhere in the first round.
26	Arizona Diamondbacks (comp for Matt McLain)	Corbin Carroll	OF	Lakeside HS (WA)
		Aside from his tools, one of the reasons the Diamondbacks were so infatuated with last year’s first round pick, Matt McLain, was his gritty style of play. A “gamer” in every sense, McLain had no true standout tool, and his whole was greater than the sum of his parts. The same could be said of Carroll, the MVP of the Perfect Game All-American Classic. He does have plus speed, but he grades out average, or just slightly above everywhere else. That hasn’t stopped him from dominating at the high school level, however, as his performance in the state playoffs as a sophomore is the stuff of legend, and he continues to excel at showcase events.
27	Chicago Cubs 95-68 (.583)	Brett Baty	3B/1B	Lake Travis HS (TX)
		With a name like Baty, you’d expect that he’d be good with the stick, right? Right. How right? How about becoming the first underclassman since Josh Beckett to win Gatorade State Player of the Year honors? After a dazzling junior campaign that saw him hit .435 and slug 12 homers, Baty has emerged as one of the top hitters in the nation, and the crown jewel of Texas’s 2019 recruiting class. Apart from hitting, Baty doesn’t do much well, although he does have above-average arm strength, something he’s put to use with regularity for Lake Travis, as the team’s closer. He’ll enter 2019 with an incredible amount of momentum.
28	Milwaukee Brewers 96-67 (.589)	Joseph Charles	RHP	The First Academy (FL)
		Only one of Milwaukee’s top 11 prospects is a pitcher, a fact that also shouldn’t come as a shock considering only two of their last 11 first round picks have been. In order to maintain their turnaround under GM David Stearns, they’re going to have to start investing heavily in pitching talent, and Charles is a pretty good place to start. Armed with a low-90s fastball that has hit 95 mph has the frame, mechanics and stuff it’s easy to dream on. Aside from his fastball, he has a slider that has flashed plus in the past, although it didn’t have its signature bite this summer.
29	Oakland Athletics 97-65 (.599)	Gabe Holt	2B	Texas Tech University
		The 2018 Athletics won 97 games, the eighth-highest win total for the franchise in the modern era. As a result, they’re picking 29th, which is the latest they’ve ever picked in the first round. As if it wasn’t already hard enough to figure out what they were going to do. Regardless of where they picked, however, they’d still be likely to take a long look at Holt. Arguably the top draft-eligible sophomore in the 2019 crop, Holt had an astounding freshman campaign, posting a .348/.440/.485 line and finishing second in the Big 12 in base hits and steals. He has several standout tools, including his speed, ability to hit for average and defense, where he possesses shortstop skills at second.
30	New York Yankees 100-62 (.617)	Braden Shewmake	SS	Texas A&M University
		The Yankees farm system has been systematically drained of talent over the past few years, from graduations, trades and regressions, but as it stands the strength of the system is pitching. Eleven of their top 13 prospects, according to MLB.com, are pitchers, and one of the two that isn’t, Anthony Seigler, was a highly-rated pitcher coming out of high school. And while they seem set at almost every position at the big-league level, now’s a good time to start replenishing the hitting talent, starting with Shewmake. A great athlete with the ability to play several different positions, he has put together two great seasons for the Aggies and with another strong year, seems like a lock for the first round.
31	Los Angeles Dodgers (comp for J.T. Ginn)	Logan Britt	OF	Colleyville Heritage HS (TX)
		It’s actually not as uncommon as you’d think, for high school teammates to be selected in the first round. In fact, it happened just three years ago when Kyle Tucker and Jake Woodford were selected out of Plant HS in Florida. Next year, we could see it play out with Bobby Witt Jr. and Britt, a sweet-swinging slugger with two plus tools. Despite going hitless during several of the showcase events this summer, Britt showed plus raw power during BP, and was consistently clocked in the upper 90s on throws from the outfield. He’s a much better runner than you’d expect, given his size, and should be at least an average fielder in right.
32	Houston Astros 103-59 (.636)	Tyler Williams	OF	Redan HS (GA)
		The Astros are riding arguably the best four-year stretch in franchise history, bolstered by three playoff appearances, two division titles and a World Series championship. Their roster is relatively young and the majority of their top prospects are knocking on the door of the big-leagues, setting them up for a continued run of success. As such, it would behoove them to get to work grooming the next generation, and Williams could very well be the linchpin of that generation. Blessed with plus arm strength and defensive ability, as well as double-plus speed, his ceiling is as high as any prospect in the 2019 class. The only thing holding him back is his ability at the plate. If that were to develop into at least an average tool, we could be looking at a Christian Yelich-type player.
33	Boston Red Sox 108-54 (.667)	Matt Canterino	RHP	Rice University
		Canterino is the latest in a long line of durable starting pitchers that have come out of Houston. He was forced into the rotation as a freshman and made the most of it, striking out 111 in a team-high 96 innings, earning Colonial Freshman of the Year honors. He was even better last year, boosting his strikeout rate and lowering his walk total, while once again leading the Owls rotation. His fastball touches 94 mph and he complements it with an above-average curve and a solid changeup.