2018 MLB Draft Thread

[metafour]

Also, just LOL @ the Jays being linked to two HS players. That must be a mistake. I was told that Shapiro, who runs our draft, only drafts college players. The data from a decade ago clearly backs this up. McDaniel and Longenhagen are clearly idiots.

[Ray]

Hankins > Rocker.

[P2F]

Connor Scott would be such a dreamy pick at #12, but he's moving up the mock lists pretty quickly. I kind of doubt he's still there at our turn but I'm hopeful.

[metafour]

Hankins > Rocker.

 

Based off of what? Rocker is throwing as hard with more consistency and less variance, and he doesn't possess obvious injury concerns unlike Hankins. His curveball is also better than any secondary pitch that Hankins is currently throwing, considering that he scrapped the slider (there seems to be legitimate concern that the pitch is hurting his arm, hence why he's not throwing it and has replaced it with a fringy curveball). I mean, the difference between the two wasn't that great even back when Hankins was getting top 1-3 type hype, except now you have one guy who's stayed healthy and has pitched as well as he did last summer, while the other guy got hurt and has had velocity all over the place while also scrapping his best breaking ball. Seems like a no-brainer to me.

[Ray]

Based off of what? Rocker is throwing as hard with more consistency and less variance, and he doesn't possess obvious injury concerns unlike Hankins. His curveball is also better than any secondary pitch that Hankins is currently throwing, considering that he scrapped the slider (there seems to be legitimate concern that the pitch is hurting his arm, hence why he's not throwing it and has replaced it with a fringy curveball). I mean, the difference between the two wasn't that great even back when Hankins was getting top 1-3 type hype, except now you have one guy who's stayed healthy and has pitched as well as he did last summer, while the other guy got hurt and has had velocity all over the place while also scrapping his best breaking ball. Seems like a no-brainer to me.

 

Hankins over Rocker was basically the consensus before this spring and his injury. He has a superior fastball and breaking stuff when he's healthy. I also prefer his delivery and his mechanics. You can't dismiss the health issues of Hankins though which is why he's as down the board as he is, but everything else being equal, Hankins is the better pitcher.

[jays4life19]

Greg

 

 

12:02

 

Any new draft buzz in the top 10 since your updated list and mock?

 

 

 

Eric A Longenhagen

 

 

12:02

 

I think we'd mock Swaggerty #2

[Ray]

MLB.com Top 100 for the 2018 Draft: http://m.mlb.com/prospects/2018/?list=draft

[Laika]

BA and MLB.com both have both Tristan Pompey and Noah Naylor in the top 41.

 

Big year for Canadian prospects?

 

I love Pompey.

[Daniel Labude]

BA and MLB.com both have both Tristan Pompey and Noah Naylor in the top 41.

 

Big year for Canadian prospects?

 

I love Pompey.

 

I do as well. Seen him a lot here at KY. I'd almost like to take 1 of the Gators first though lol

 

This seems a bit off in what I have seen elsewhere

 

https://www.mlb.com/news/projections-for-all-30-first-round-draft-picks/c-274577288?tid=151437456

[metafour]

I don't get the impression that Mayo knows much at all.

[Captain Adama]

I don't get the impression that Mayo knows much at all.

 

He's gotten much better since he started working with Jim Callis.

[Krylian]

He's gotten much better since he started working with Jim Callis.

 

I've always thought that Callis looks a little like Bob Saget

[Ray]

https://www.mlb.com/news/projections-for-all-30-first-round-draft-picks/c-274577288?tid=151437456

 

They have us picking Ryan Rolison.

 

Conner Scott at 27 seems low, and Seth Beer in the first round seems way too high.

[metafour]

He's gotten much better since he started working with Jim Callis.

 

Maybe, but his mock doesn't look like its based on anything but pure guesswork. Some of his player/spot matchups look weeks old. I wouldn't put any weight into Mayo's mocks. Callis sure, sure even he seems to be behind now that he's not on BA and doesn't have a bunch of people helping him gather intel.

[Spanky99]

Maybe, but his mock doesn't look like its based on anything but pure guesswork. Some of his player/spot matchups look weeks old. I wouldn't put any weight into Mayo's mocks. Callis sure, sure even he seems to be behind now that he's not on BA and doesn't have a bunch of people helping him gather intel.

 

Wait until the 4th, is my thought.

[Spanky99]

Maybe, but his mock doesn't look like its based on anything but pure guesswork. Some of his player/spot matchups look weeks old. I wouldn't put any weight into Mayo's mocks. Callis sure, sure even he seems to be behind now that he's not on BA and doesn't have a bunch of people helping him gather intel.

 

Why would it be any different, they'll change.

[TheHurl]

BA has their top 300 up. It's with full profiles though and too much to post. If you want to know anyone's spot (or write up) let me know. I'll work on posting the full list

[P2F]

BA has their top 300 up. It's with full profiles though and too much to post. If you want to know anyone's spot (or write up) let me know. I'll work on posting the full list

 

Connor Scott, Greyson Jenista, Nolan Gorman, Jonathan India, Brice Turang, Ethan Hankins, Alek Thomas, Nico Hoerner, and Mason Denaburg, please.

[TheHurl]

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Connor Scott

HS OF

Notes:

School: Plant HS, Tampa

Ht: 6-4 | Wt: 180 | B-T: L-L | Committed/Drafted: Florida

 

Scouting Report: Scott draws some comparisons to current top Astros outfield prospect Kyle Tucker, who attended the same Plant HS in Tampa that Scott currently attends. Scott and Tucker have comparable swing paths and similar 6-foot-4, 180-pound frames, as well as the speed and athleticism that allow them both the be strong defensive outfielders. Scott wasn’t seen as much as scouts would have like on the summer showcase circuit, however, as he had his appendix removed and was forced to watch a few of the bigger showcases rather than take part. He got back on the field in the fall and started getting into a rhythm before impressing scouts during the spring, as he grew into more power and performed in front of a front office personnel in Florida who didn’t need to travel far from spring training facilities to see him. A toolsy player, Scott is at least a plus runner, with many evaluators throwing a double-plus grade on his speed to go along with a plus arm. There are questions whether he’ll be able to stay in center field or need to move to a corner as he continues to add weight, but he has enough arm strength for any outfield position. In fact, some scouts prefer Scott on the mound, where he’s in the low 90s as a lefthanded pitcher who fills up the strike zone and also has feel to spin a curveball and throw a changeup. Most teams appear to prefer the upside he offers as a potential impact hitter, however, with his speed and developing power leading to an intriguing all-around package. But having a fallback option as a pitcher should only help Scott’s draft stock. Some teams look at Scott as a no-doubt first rounder, while others see him going in the supplemental first round or later, and his lack of summer track record likely plays into that division.

 

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Greyson Jenista

COL OF/1B

Notes:

School: Wichita State

Ht: 6-4 | Wt: 240 | B-T: L-R | Committed/Drafted: Never Drafted

 

Scouting Report: Jenista led Wichita State in hitting during his first two years in college, but significantly raised his draft stock last summer after being named the MVP of the Cape Cod League with a .310/.391/.401 slash line and three home runs. He has big-time raw power—with some scouts describing it as plus-plus raw power—but he has struggled to get to it during games with a level bat path and a contact-oriented approach that’s seen him record just 11 extra-base hits through his first 35 games. He has a solid approach and has walked more than he’s struck out each year in the Atlantic Sun. Previously a first baseman for the Shockers, Jenista played center field during the Cape Cod League and then played the position for Wichita State for much of his junior season before returning to back to first base in April. At 6-foot-4, 220-pounds most scouts believe that Jenista will be a corner player at the next level, with a high-maintenance body. He currently runs well for his size and will show occasional above-average run times, but evaluators believe that will back up as he develops into a 40 or 45-grade runner. Jenista’s track record with Wichita State and in the Cape Cod League is a strong one, and teams who believe he has untapped power potential might see him as a back of the first round caliber player, but his defensive future is a question and all of his value is tied up in the bat.

 

 

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Last: 6

Nolan Gorman

HS 3B

Notes:

School: Sandra Day O'Connor HS, Phoenix

Ht: 6-1 | Wt: 210 | B-T: L-R | Committed/Drafted: Arizona

 

Scouting Report: Gorman has some of the best raw power in the 2018 draft class—college or high school—and raised his stock significantly over the summer. Gorman won multiple home run derbies and showed that his power played against some of the top pitching prospects in the game at a few of the bigger showcases, displaying easy plus power against mid-90s velocity. He was the talk of the scouting community after putting on an offensive show during USA Baseball’s 18U National Team trials in late August against multiple college teams in Minnesota. Gorman was unanimously voted to BA’s Preseason High School All-America team at third base by major league scouting directors and had positioned himself to be one of the first hitters taken in the draft. However, his stock fell a bit this spring, when scouts noted that Gorman looked stiffer defensively, creating more reason to believe that he would eventually need to move to first base. Additionally, Gorman has added to the questions surrounding his hit tool rather than answer them, particularly at USA Baseball’s National High School Invitational, where he swung and missed often against offspeed pitches and also expanded his strike zone. He was one of just four batters at the event to swing and miss at least 10 times. While Gorman has had little trouble squaring up big-time velocity, he now has some significant questions about his ability to handle breaking pitches, as he also struggled in that domain during the World Baseball Softball Confederation’s U-18 World Cup in Thunder Bay, Canada, where he hit .222/.241/.294 with 10 strikeouts and four walks. Still, when Gorman hits the ball he hits it harder than almost anyone in the class. He had the highest average exit velocity at the NHSI at 102.1 mph, with an exit velocity a tick harder against breaking balls, specifically. Defensively, teams are likely split on his eventual destination. He has an above-average arm that’s likely plus and he showed impressive glove work at the hot corner with Team USA, making plays on the run and while off-balance. However, the increased stiffness he showed this spring won’t help encourage those who already believed he would eventually move to first. While his hit tool is more difficult to project now than teams would have liked, his power is 70-grade or better and that should still get him taken somewhere in the middle of the first round.

[TheHurl]

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Jonathan India

COL 3B

Notes:

School: Florida

Ht: 6-0 | Wt: 185 | B-T: R-R | Committed/Drafted: Brewers '15 (26)

 

Scouting Report: Scouts have admired the way India plays the game and his overall package of tools since he was a standout shortstop at American Heritage School in Delray Beach, Fla. India was ranked as the No. 82 player in the 2015 class, but after the Brewers drafted him in the 26th round he made his way to Gainesville. India was solid, but unspectacular, in his first two season with the Gators, missing some time with injury during his sophomore campaign in which he hit 274/.354/.429 with 23 strikeouts and 42 walks. He’s improved his draft stock substantially this spring, hitting .420/.551/.840 with 13 home runs and more walks (34) than strikeouts (30) through his first 40 games. He is among the nation’s top-10 hitters in each triple-slash category and scouts have been extremely happy to see his raw power translate more into games this year. His ultimate role will depend on his defensive position. He played a decent amount of innings at shortstop early this year, but most of his time with Florida has been at third base, where he has solid hands and an average arm. He’s likely a third baseman or a second baseman at the next level, with the flexibility to move to shortstop in a pinch or for a team that doesn’t prioritize shortstop defense. If third base is the destination, he has more than enough bat to profile there, especially if this year’s power display is here to stay.

 

 

9

Last: 5

Brice Turang

HS SS

Notes:

School: Santiago HS, Corona, Calif.

Ht: 6-1 | Wt: 165 | B-T: L-R | Committed/Drafted: Louisiana State

 

Scouting Report: Turang is one of the most famous prep players in the 2018 class and entered the draft cycle as the top high school player in the nation. A four-year varsity starter at Santiago (Corona, Calif.) High, Turang also played for USA Baseball’s 18U National Team in 2016 and 2017, more than holding his own playing on the 2016 club that featured 2017 No. 1 and No. 2 overall picks Royce Lewis and Hunter Greene, respectively. In fact, you wouldn’t have to search far to find a scout who said Turang was the best player on the team, despite the fact that Turang never played in the international tournament in Mexico after getting hit in the face by a pitch. Because of his exposure and history as a talented player at such a young age, teams have been somewhat disappointed with Turang since last summer. He’s never struggled, but he’s also never wowed scouts in the same way that he did as an underclassman. Even with that said, Turang was still voted a first-team Preseason All-American, the best pure hitter in the class, the best defensive infielder in the class with the second-best arm, and the No. 3 athlete in Baseball America’s preseason survey to major league scouting directors. Turang is among the more polished prep players with an advanced left-handed hit tool and rarely swings and misses with a patient approach that allows him to hit the ball where it’s pitched. Turang’s loudest tool is his speed, which is at least plus and likely plus-plus, allowing him to wreak havoc on the bases and also cover a large swath of ground defensively. He can make throws from multiple angles, on the run, up the middle and in the hole, and also has the sure hands and footwork that should allow him to stay at the position at the next level. At just 6-foot-1, 165 pounds, the biggest knock on Turang is his size. Some teams are worried about the impact he’ll make at the next level and don’t anticipate him having much more than fringe-average raw power. While Turang might not be filling up a scout card with 6- and 7-grade tools, he does everything well, has a long track record of succeeding against elite competition and plays a premium position as a lefthanded hitter.

 

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Last: 4

Ethan Hankins

HS RHP

Notes:

School: Forsyth Central HS, Cumming, Ga.

Ht: 6-6 | Wt: 215 | B-T: R-R | Committed/Drafted: Vanderbilt

 

Scouting Report: Perhaps the most perplexing player in the 2018 draft class, Hankins entered the year with a real shot to become the first prep righthander ever selected with the No. 1 overall pick. The lanky and athletic 6-foot-6 Vanderbilt commit wowed scouts over the summer, when he regularly used a 70-grade fastball in the low to mid-90s that got up to 97-98 mph at its best with elite life and advanced command for his age. Before Hankins began his senior season with Forsyth Central High (Cumming, Ga.), many evaluators expected Hankins to throw into the triple digits. A shoulder injury interrupted his season, however, and while he made his way back to the mound the stuff was not the same. During the showcase circuit with USA Baseball’s 18U National Team, Hankins struck out 27 international batters and walked three in 12 innings. In general, Hankins’ velocity has been down this spring, although he has still reached 96 mph and scouts have still seen some of the plus fastball life that made the pitch such a weapon in the past. Prior to the season, scouting directors voted Hankins as having the best fastball and best fastball movement in BA’s Preseason All-America poll, where he also was named a unanimous first-team pitcher. Hankins has exceptional athleticism and body control, allowing him to spot his fastball and secondary offerings more effectively than a typical prep pitcher at his height and with his velocity. His mid-70s curveball has been inconsistent, likely a fringe offering at its best, though he occasionally snapped off a few plus offerings, with a low-80s changeup that’s in the same boat. Hankins has tinkered with a slider in the past and multiple evaluators believe that will be the breaking ball he ends up developing in the future thanks to his arm slot. But for now, teams are still evaluating and projecting his curveball as well. Hankins’ medical will be crucial in determining his eventual landing spot in the draft, though when he first went down in February, some decision-makers thought he would still go in the top of the first round even if he never came back to throw another pitch. He has returned to the mound, however, and while the stuff hasn’t come all the way back, he’s at least showing teams he can throw regularly. When healthy, Hankins has the potential to be a true frontline starter and would rank as the top high school pitcher in the 2018 class, but his spring has created more questions than answers.

[TheHurl]

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Alek Thomas

HS OF

Notes:

School: Mount Carmel HS, Chicago

Ht: 5-11 | Wt: 175 | B-T: L-L | Committed/Drafted: Texas Christian

 

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Nico Hoerner

COL SS/2B

Notes:

School: Stanford

Ht: 5-11 | Wt: 195 | B-T: R-R | Committed/Drafted: Never Drafted

 

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Last: 12

Mason Denaburg

HS RHP/C

Notes:

School: Merritt Island (Fla.) HS

Ht: 6-3 | Wt: 190 | B-T: R-R | Committed/Drafted: Florida

 

Scouting Report: Perhaps the most athletic pitcher in the class, Denaburg was one of the harder-throwing high school arms during the summer showcase season in 2017, touching 97 mph in short stints and serving as a reliever for USA Baseball’s 18U National Team. A former two-way player, Denaburg would be a legitimate pro prospect as a catcher with a strong throwing arm and raw power with the bat. However, his stuff on the mound is too intriguing for pro teams to keep him in gear and Denaburg scrapped catching this spring with Merritt Island (Fla.) High to focus on improving as a pitcher. The 6-foot-3, 190-pound righthander made a big jump after his first start of the season, when he matched up with Eau Gallie High (Melbourne, Fla.) righthander Carter Stewart in a highly-attended Prep Baseball Report tournament. In that game, Denaburg touched 97 mph in the first inning and settled into the low 90s, regularly touching 94 mph while also showing a much-improved curveball in the upper 70s that looked like a plus pitch. Over the summer, Denaburg was extremely fastball-heavy and scouts couldn’t get a good feel for his secondary offerings. The breaking ball that he showed in February gave scouts a reason to get excited. He threw a hard slider with a spike grip during the summer, but discovered a different grip when throwing bullpens and flat ground sessions during the offseason. Denaburg also throws an occasional low-80s changeup that shows promise. After the PBR event, Denaburg was more inconsistent and eventually shut things down altogether with biceps tendinitis that has caused him to miss approximately one month. The status of that injury will further complicate things as teams try to decide whether he is best served as a starter or a reliever long term, although his arm strength, athleticism and feel for spin give him a ceiling as a middle-of-the-rotation arm.

[Ray]

Connor Scott is really the only prep bat I'd be interested in taking with our 1st pick. I hope he falls to us. If he's not, hopefully one of the college guys like Swaggerty or Jonathan India are available.

[Spanky99]

Connor Scott is really the only prep bat I'd be interested in taking with our 1st pick. I hope he falls to us. If he's not, hopefully one of the college guys like Swaggerty or Jonathan India are available.

 

Should I post the dream weaver song?

[metafour]

Jays Fan Matt

Hearing any other names connected to Toronto at pick 12? Any guys you've heard them scouting for possibly the second round? Thanks as always.

 

Kiley McDaniel

Kumar Rocker and Connor Scott are two names I've heard a good bit. Nicholas Schnell in the 2nd I've also heard.

 

Nick Schnell is another prep OF; good frame and feel for hitting with present speed and arm strength.

[Krylian]

Jays will go heavy College draft again.

[BlueRocky]

Carter Stewart has been shooting up the draft boards

[metafour]

Carter Stewart has been shooting up the draft boards

 

He's actually been dropping some LOL.

[metafour]

George

Suprised to see the Blue Jays linked to prep players?

 

Kiley McDaniel

Nope, I'm hearing that's almost all they've targeted with their first pick

[Ray]

George

Suprised to see the Blue Jays linked to prep players?

 

Kiley McDaniel

Nope, I'm hearing that's almost all they've targeted with their first pick

 

I'd be thrilled with either Kelanic or Scott.

 

In terms of prep arms, Liberatore is really the only one that interests me at #12, but he's probably not going to get to us. Unfortunate we don't have a compensatory pick in the back end of the 1st round either. Would've liked to pick up Hankins since his stock has dropped so low.

[Krylian]

George

Suprised to see the Blue Jays linked to prep players?

 

Kiley McDaniel

Nope, I'm hearing that's almost all they've targeted with their first pick

 

I'd be a little surprised if they went high schooler in the first round. But absolutely floored if they took 5 high schoolers or more, in their first 30 pucks.

Edited May 11, 2018 by Krylian