Let me open by saying that this was a ton of fun. Almost as much fun as hearing the crack of the bat or a ball smacking into a leather glove. Almost. When I first had the idea to do this, I had one aspect that I wanted to focus on and hammer home. Live looks. There have been plenty of mock drafts out there featuring MLB top prospects, but I wanted to focus on people, like myself, that are at the field getting first-hand looks at these prospects.
So, I went through my contacts, twitter messages, and that mushy thing between my ears that sometimes works and started reaching out to people that cover prospects and get to the field early and often. There are plenty out there, but these are the 16 writers/analysts that it came down to. A star-studded lineup, if I do say so myself. I would use a Murder’s row reference, but I’m a Red Sox fan, so none of that.
All of the people participating in this are people I have the utmost respect for as writers and prospect analysts. I encourage you all to follow each of them if you aren’t already and read/watch as much of their work as you can (along with mine of course). There’s a lot of great analysts out there to give you your prospect fix. I urge you to utilize them all.
Mock Draft Participants/Draft Order
1. Jason Pennini (@JasonPennini) – Prospects Live
2. Eddy Almaguer (@EddyAlmaguer) – Prospects Live
3. Scott Greene (@Scotty_Ballgame) – Prospects 1500
4. Connor Kurcon (@ckurcon) – Six Man Rotation
5. Jason Woodell (@JasonAtTheGame)- Prospects Live
6. Chris Welsh (@IsItTheWelsh) – Prospect One
7. John Calvagno (@SALNotes) – Notes From the Sally
8. Eric Cross (@EricCross04) – FantraxHQ
9. Andy Singleton (@Peoplezpen) – Razzball
10. Chris Blessing (@C_Blessing) – Baseball HQ
11. Ralph Lifshitz (@ProspectJesus)- Prospects Live
12. Matt Thompson (@mdthompFWFB)- Prospects Live
13. Ray Butler (@Prospects365) – Prospects 365
14. Rhys White (@RhysBWhite) – Six Man Rotation
15. James Anderson (@RealJRAnderson) – Rotowire
16. Lance Brozdowski (@LanceBrozdow)- Prospects Live
The point of this all is to get past the numbers and all the unnecessary garbage. Numbers are fine and all, and I myself use them, but numbers are far from the whole story when it comes to prospects. For a good example of this, look at Noah Syndergaard. He had a 4.60 ERA, 1.48 WHIP, and 10.4 H/9 during his final full minor league season back in 2014 for Triple-A Las Vegas. People forget that the PCL is notorious for being very hitter-friendly. Since then, he’s been one of the best pitchers in baseball. And on the flip side, we have Byron Buxton. Need I say more?
That’s why my focus for this was on the first-hand looks. Numbers can’t tell you if a slugger is incorporating his lower half in his swing, if a pitcher is extending enough, or if a shortstop has the range and arm strength to remain at the position long term. You have to get your rear end down to the field and put the work in.
Alright, enough rambling. Let’s get mocking!
Prospects Mock Draft
| Round | Overall Pick # | Manager | Player Selection | Position | MLB Team |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | 1 | Jason Pennini | Vladimir Guerrero Jr. | 3B | TOR |
| 2 | Eddy Almaguer | Eloy Jimenez | OF | CHW | |
| 3 | Scott Greene | Fernando Tatis Jr. | SS | SD | |
| 4 | Connor Kurcon | Kyle Tucker | OF | HOU | |
| 5 | Jason Woodell | Wander Franco | SS | TB | |
| 6 | Chris Welsh | Bo Bichette | SS | TOR | |
| 7 | John Calvagno | Victor Robles | OF | WAS | |
| 8 | Eric Cross | Royce Lewis | SS | MIN | |
| 9 | Andy Singleton | Nick Senzel | 3B | CIN | |
| 10 | Chris Blessing | Jo Adell | OF | LAA | |
| 11 | Ralph Lifshitz | Alex Kirilloff | OF | MIN | |
| 12 | Matt Thompson | Andres Gimenez | SS | NYM | |
| 13 | Ray Butler | Taylor Trammell | OF | CIN | |
| 14 | Rhys White | Forrest Whitley | RHP | HOU | |
| 15 | James Anderson | Jesus Luzardo | LHP | OAK | |
| 16 | Lance Brozdowski | Luis Robert | OF | CHW | |
| 2 | 17 | Lance Brozdowski | MacKenzie Gore | LHP | SD |
| 18 | James Anderson | Yordan Alvarez | OF | HOU | |
| 19 | Rhys White | Keston Hiura | 2B | MIL | |
| 20 | Ray Butler | Carter Kieboom | SS | WAS | |
| 21 | Matt Thompson | Jesus Sanchez | OF | TB | |
| 22 | Ralph Lifshitz | Nolan Gorman | 3B | STL | |
| 23 | Chris Blessing | Jarred Kelenic | OF | NYM | |
| 24 | Andy Singleton | Michael Kopech | RHP | CHW | |
| 25 | Eric Cross | Peter Alonso | 1B | NYM | |
| 26 | John Calvagno | Brendan Rodgers | 2B/SS | COL | |
| 27 | Chris Welsh | Luis Urias | 2B | SD | |
| 28 | Jason Woodell | Touki Toussaint | RHP | ATL | |
| 29 | Connor Kurcon | Austin Riley | 3B | ATL | |
| 30 | Scott Greene | Chris Paddack | RHP | SD | |
| 31 | Eddy Almaguer | Xavier Edwards | SS | SD | |
| 32 | Jason Pennini | Jonathan India | INF | CIN | |
| 3 | 33 | Jason Pennini | Alex Verdugo | OF | LAD |
| 34 | Eddy Almaguer | Estevan Florial | OF | NYY | |
| 35 | Scott Greene | Luis Garcia | SS | WAS | |
| 36 | Connor Kurcon | Vidal Brujan | 2B | TB | |
| 37 | Jason Woodell | Danny Jansen | C | TOR | |
| 38 | Chris Welsh | Victor Victor Mesa | OF | MIA | |
| 39 | John Calvagno | Alex Reyes | RHP | STL | |
| 40 | Eric Cross | Joey Bart | C | SF | |
| 41 | Andy Singleton | Nick Madrigal | 2B | CHW | |
| 42 | Chris Blessing | Mike Soroka | RHP | ATL | |
| 43 | Ralph Lifshitz | Nate Lowe | 1B | TB | |
| 44 | Matt Thompson | A.J. Puk | LHP | OAK | |
| 45 | Ray Butler | Brent Honeywell | RHP | TB | |
| 46 | Rhys White | Kristian Robinson | OF | ARI | |
| 47 | James Anderson | Matt Manning | RHP | DET | |
| 48 | Lance Brozdowski | Sixto Sanchez | RHP | PHI | |
| 4 | 49 | Lance Brozdowski | Francisco Mejia | C | SD |
| 50 | James Anderson | Garrett Hampson | 2B | COL | |
| 51 | Rhys White | Keibert Ruiz | C | LAD | |
| 52 | Ray Butler | Khalil Lee | OF | KC | |
| 53 | Matt Thompson | Cristian Pache | OF | ATL | |
| 54 | Ralph Lifshitz | Casey Mize | RHP | DET | |
| 55 | Chris Blessing | Brandon Marsh | OF | LAA | |
| 56 | Andy Singleton | Triston McKenzie | RHP | CLE | |
| 57 | Eric Cross | Dylan Cease | RHP | CHW | |
| 58 | John Calvagno | Drew Waters | OF | ATL | |
| 59 | Chris Welsh | Trevor Larnach | OF | MIN | |
| 60 | Jason Woodell | Ian Anderson | RHP | ATL | |
| 61 | Connor Kurcon | Adrian Morejon | LHP | SD | |
| 62 | Scott Greene | Gavin Lux | SS/3B/2B | LAD | |
| 63 | Eddy Almaguer | Bryse Wilson | RHP | ATL | |
| 64 | Jason Pennini | Yusniel Diaz | OF | BAL | |
| 5 | 65 | Jason Pennini | Michel Baez | RHP | SD |
| 66 | Eddy Almaguer | Jordyn Adams | OF | LAA | |
| 67 | Scott Greene | Kevin Smith | SS | TOR | |
| 68 | Connor Kurcon | George Valera | OF | CLE | |
| 69 | Jason Woodell | Leodys Taveras | OF | TEX | |
| 70 | Chris Welsh | Esteury Ruiz | 2B | SD | |
| 71 | John Calvagno | Oneil Cruz | SS | PIT | |
| 72 | Eric Cross | Julio Pablo Martinez | OF | TEX | |
| 73 | Andy Singleton | Nolan Jones | 3B | CLE | |
| 74 | Chris Blessing | Luis Patino | RHP | SD | |
| 75 | Ralph Lifshitz | Alec Bohm | 3B | PHI | |
| 76 | Matt Thompson | Colton Welker | 3B | COL | |
| 77 | Ray Butler | Ke'Bryan Hayes | 3B | PIT | |
| 78 | Rhys White | Isaac Paredes | 2B | DET | |
| 79 | James Anderson | Hudson Potts | 3B | SD | |
| 80 | Lance Brozdowski | Nate Pearson | RHP | TOR | |
| 6 | 81 | Lance Brozdowski | Seuly Matias | OF | KC |
| 82 | James Anderson | Josh James | RHP | HOU | |
| 83 | Rhys White | Ryan Mountcastle | 3B | BAL | |
| 84 | Ray Butler | Jahmai Jones | 2B | LAA | |
| 85 | Matt Thompson | Jon Duplantier | RHP | ARI | |
| 86 | Ralph Lifshitz | Daulton Varsho | C | ARI | |
| 87 | Chris Blessing | Will Smith | C | LAD | |
| 88 | Andy Singleton | Bubba Thompson | OF | TEX | |
| 89 | Eric Cross | Hunter Greene | RHP | CIN | |
| 90 | John Calvagno | Mark Vientos | 3B | NYM | |
| 91 | Chris Welsh | Austin Beck | OF | OAK | |
| 92 | Jason Woodell | Brendan McKay | 1B/LHP | TB | |
| 93 | Connor Kurcon | Ronny Mauricio | SS | NYM | |
| 94 | Scott Greene | Brusdar Graterol | RHP | MIN | |
| 95 | Eddy Almaguer | Deivi Garcia | RHP | NYY | |
| 96 | Jason Pennini | Cole Winn | RHP | TEX | |
| 7 | 97 | Jason Pennini | Mitch Keller | RHP | PIT |
| 98 | Eddy Almaguer | Brandon Lowe | 2B/OF | TB | |
| 99 | Scott Greene | Ronaldo Hernandez | C | TB | |
| 100 | Connor Kurcon | Griffin Canning | RHP | LAA | |
| 101 | Jason Woodell | Eric Pardinho | RHP | TOR | |
| 102 | Chris Welsh | Marco Luciano | SS | SF | |
| 103 | John Calvagno | Heliot Ramos | OF | SF | |
| 104 | Eric Cross | Grant Lavigne | 1B | COL | |
| 105 | Andy Singleton | Wander Javier | SS | MIN | |
| 106 | Chris Blessing | Daz Cameron | OF | DET | |
| 107 | Ralph Lifshitz | Luis Garcia | SS | PHI | |
| 108 | Matt Thompson | Julio Rodriguez | OF | SEA | |
| 109 | Ray Butler | Kyle Wright | RHP | ATL | |
| 110 | Rhys White | Monte Harrison | OF | MIA | |
| 111 | James Anderson | D’Shawn Knowles | OF | LAA | |
| 112 | Lance Brozdowski | Isan Diaz | 2B | MIA | |
| 8 | 113 | Lance Brozdowski | Matthew Liberatore | LHP | TB |
| 114 | James Anderson | DL Hall | LHP | BAL | |
| 115 | Rhys White | Jordan Groshans | 3B | TOR | |
| 116 | Ray Butler | Brent Rooker | 1B/OF | MIN | |
| 117 | Matt Thompson | Corey Ray | OF | MIL | |
| 118 | Ralph Lifshitz | Adonis Medina | RHP | PHI | |
| 119 | Chris Blessing | Justus Sheffield | LHP | NYY | |
| 120 | Andy Singleton | Justin Dunn | RHP | NYM | |
| 121 | Eric Cross | Michael Chavis | 3B/1B | BOS | |
| 122 | John Calvagno | M.J. Melendez | C | KC | |
| 123 | Chris Welsh | Jeter Downs | SS | CIN | |
| 124 | Jason Woodell | Wenceel Perez | SS | DET | |
| 125 | Connor Kurcon | Jazz Chisholm | SS | ARI | |
| 126 | Scott Greene | Evan White | 1B | SEA | |
| 127 | Eddy Almaguer | Jonathan Loaisiga | RHP | NYY | |
| 128 | Jason Pennini | Elehuris Montero | 3B | STL | |
| 9 | 129 | Jason Pennini | Triston Casas | 1B | BOS |
| 130 | Eddy Almaguer | Antonio Cabello | OF | NYY | |
| 131 | Scott Greene | Sandy Alcantara | RHP | MIA | |
| 132 | Connor Kurcon | Tony Santillan | RHP | CIN | |
| 133 | Jason Woodell | Josh Naylor | OF/1B | SD | |
| 134 | Chris Welsh | Nick Pratto | 1B | KC | |
| 135 | John Calvagno | Shervyen Newton | SS | NYM | |
| 136 | Eric Cross | Logan Allen | LHP | SD | |
| 137 | Andy Singleton | Miguel Amaya | C | CHC | |
| 138 | Chris Blessing | Lucius Fox | SS | TB | |
| 139 | Ralph Lifshitz | Brayan Rocchio | SS | CLE | |
| 140 | Matt Thompson | Kyler Murray | OF | OAK | |
| 141 | Ray Butler | Corbin Martin | RHP | HOU | |
| 142 | Rhys White | Nico Hoerner | SS | CHC | |
| 143 | James Anderson | Tyler Freeman | SS | CLE | |
| 144 | Lance Brozdowski | Tirso Ornelas | OF | SD | |
| 10 | 145 | Lance Brozdowski | Joey Wentz | LHP | ATL |
| 146 | James Anderson | Luis Rengifo | 2B | LAA | |
| 147 | Rhys White | Freudis Nova | SS | HOU | |
| 148 | Ray Butler | William Contreras | C | ATL | |
| 149 | Matt Thompson | Adam Haseley | OF | PHI | |
| 150 | Ralph Lifshitz | Cal Mitchell | OF | PIT | |
| 151 | Chris Blessing | Seth Beer | OF | HOU | |
| 152 | Andy Singleton | Tristen Lutz | OF | MIL | |
| 153 | Eric Cross | Lazaro Armenteros | OF | OAK | |
| 154 | John Calvagno | Travis Swaggerty | OF | PIT | |
| 155 | Chris Welsh | Brady Singer | RHP | KC | |
| 156 | Jason Woodell | Blake Rutherford | OF | CHW | |
| 157 | Connor Kurcon | Nick Solak | 2B | TB | |
| 158 | Scott Greene | Greyson Jenista | OF | ATL | |
| 159 | Eddy Almaguer | Sherten Apostel | 3B | TEX | |
| 160 | Jason Pennini | Alek Thomas | OF | ARI | |
| 11 | 161 | Jason Pennini | J.B Bukauskas | RHP | HOU |
| 162 | Eddy Almaguer | Tucupita Marcano | 2B | SD | |
| 163 | Scott Greene | Bobby Dalbec | 3B | BOS | |
| 164 | Connor Kurcon | Abraham Toro-Hernandez | 3B | HOU | |
| 165 | Jason Woodell | Kyle Muller | LHP | ATL | |
| 166 | Chris Welsh | Ethan Hankins | RHP | CLE | |
| 167 | John Calvagno | Anderson Espinoza | RHP | SD | |
| 168 | Eric Cross | Orelvis Martinez | SS | TOR | |
| 169 | Andy Singleton | Christin Stewart | OF | DET | |
| 170 | Chris Blessing | Micker Adolfo | OF | CHW | |
| 171 | Ralph Lifshitz | Malcolm Nunez | 3B | STL | |
| 172 | Matt Thompson | Austin Hays | OF | BAL | |
| 173 | Ray Butler | Jeisson Rosario | OF | SD | |
| 174 | Rhys White | Luis Oviedo | RHP | CLE | |
| 175 | James Anderson | Jorge Mateo | SS | OAK | |
| 176 | Lance Brozdowski | Braxton Garrett | LHP | MIA | |
| 12 | 177 | Lance Brozdowski | Daulton Jefferies | RHP | OAK |
| 178 | James Anderson | Jeremiah Jackson | SS | LAA | |
| 179 | Rhys White | Zack Collins | 1B | CHW | |
| 180 | Ray Butler | Dane Dunning | RHP | CHW | |
| 181 | Matt Thompson | Randy Arozarena | OF | STL | |
| 182 | Ralph Lifshitz | Luis Alexander Basabe | OF | CHW | |
| 183 | Chris Blessing | Gilberto Celestino | OF | MIN | |
| 184 | Andy Singleton | Shane Baz | RHP | TB | |
| 185 | Eric Cross | Cavan Biggio | 2B | TOR | |
| 186 | John Calvagno | Trevor Rogers | LHP | MIA | |
| 187 | Chris Welsh | Mike Siani | OF | CIN | |
| 188 | Jason Woodell | Parker Meadows | OF | DET | |
| 189 | Connor Kurcon | Geraldo Perdomo | SS | ARI | |
| 190 | Scott Greene | Akil Baddoo | OF | MIN | |
| 191 | Eddy Almaguer | Taylor Widener | RHP | ARI | |
| 192 | Jason Pennini | Andrew Knizner | C | STL | |
| 13 | 193 | Jason Pennini | Tyler Nevin | 1B | COL |
| 194 | Eddy Almaguer | Carlos Rincon | OF | LAD | |
| 195 | Scott Greene | Miguel Vargas | 3B | LAD | |
| 196 | Connor Kurcon | Daniel Lynch | LHP | KC | |
| 197 | Jason Woodell | Kevin Maitan | SS | LAA | |
| 198 | Chris Welsh | DJ Peters | OF | LAD | |
| 199 | John Calvagno | Joe Palumbo | LHP | TEX | |
| 200 | Eric Cross | Grayson Rodriguez | RHP | BAL | |
| 201 | Andy Singleton | Jay Groome | LHP | BOS | |
| 202 | Chris Blessing | Hans Crouse | RHP | TEX | |
| 203 | Ralph Lifshitz | Ryan McKenna | OF | BAL | |
| 204 | Matt Thompson | Jhon Torres | OF | STL | |
| 205 | Ray Butler | Alex Canario | OF | SF | |
| 206 | Rhys White | Nick Schnell | OF | TB | |
| 207 | James Anderson | Brice Turang | SS | MIL | |
| 208 | Lance Brozdowski | Justin Williams | OF | STL | |
| 14 | 209 | Lance Brozdowski | Adam Kloffenstein | RHP | TOR |
| 210 | James Anderson | Gabriel Arias | SS | SD | |
| 211 | Rhys White | Kyle Isbel | OF | KC | |
| 212 | Ray Butler | Nick Neidert | RHP | MIA | |
| 213 | Matt Thompson | Luis Medina | RHP | NYY | |
| 214 | Ralph Lifshitz | Everson Pereira | OF | NYY | |
| 215 | Chris Blessing | Sean Murphy | C | OAK | |
| 216 | Andy Singleton | Kolby Allard | LHP | ATL | |
| 217 | Eric Cross | Connor Scott | OF | MIA | |
| 218 | John Calvagno | Lolo Sanchez | OF | PIT | |
| 219 | Chris Welsh | Alex Faedo | RHP | DET | |
| 220 | Jason Woodell | Luiz Gohara | LHP | ATL | |
| 221 | Connor Kurcon | Dustin May | RHP | LAD | |
| 222 | Scott Greene | Antoni Flores | SS | BOS | |
| 223 | Eddy Almaguer | Myles Straw | OF | HOU | |
| 224 | Jason Pennini | Luis Gil | RHP | NYY | |
| 15 | 225 | Jason Pennini | Rylan Bannon | 2B | BAL |
| 226 | Eddy Almaguer | Cole Roederer | OF | CHC | |
| 227 | Scott Greene | Michael King | RHP | NYY | |
| 228 | Connor Kurcon | Moises Gomez | OF | TB | |
| 229 | Jason Woodell | Roansy Contreras | RHP | NYY | |
| 230 | Chris Welsh | Shed Long | 2B | CIN | |
| 231 | John Calvagno | Jackson Kowar | RHP | KC | |
| 232 | Eric Cross | Franklin Perez | RHP | DET | |
| 233 | Andy Singleton | Pavin Smith | 1B | ARI | |
| 234 | Chris Blessing | Nick Gordon | SS | MIN | |
| 235 | Ralph Lifshitz | Taylor Hearn | LHP | TEX | |
| 236 | Matt Thompson | Eddy Diaz | SS | COL | |
| 237 | Ray Butler | Oscar Mercado | OF | CLE | |
| 238 | Rhys White | Ryan Weathers | LHP | SD | |
| 239 | James Anderson | Francisco Morales | RHP | PHI | |
| 240 | Lance Brozdowski | Will Benson | OF | CLE | |
| 16 | 241 | Lance Brozdowski | Mickey Moniak | OF | PHI |
| 242 | James Anderson | Bo Naylor | C | CLE | |
| 243 | Rhys White | Jose Siri | OF | CIN | |
| 244 | Ray Butler | Jhailyn Ortiz | OF | PHI | |
| 245 | Matt Thompson | Alexander Vargas | SS | NYY | |
| 246 | Ralph Lifshitz | Dennis Santana | RHP | LAD | |
| 247 | Chris Blessing | Jake McCarthy | OF | ARI | |
| 248 | Andy Singleton | Ryan Vilade | SS | COL | |
| 249 | Eric Cross | Jean Carlos Encarnacion | 3B | BAL | |
| 250 | John Calvagno | Dominic Abbadessa | OF | TOR | |
| 251 | Chris Welsh | Miguel Hiraldo | 3B | TOR | |
| 252 | Jason Woodell | Osiris Johnson | SS | MIA | |
| 253 | Connor Kurcon | Logan Gilbert | RHP | SEA | |
| 254 | Scott Greene | Skye Bolt | OF | OAK | |
| 255 | Eddy Almaguer | Jordan Yamamoto | RHP | MIA | |
| 256 | Jason Pennini | Blaze Alexander | INF | ARI | |
| 17 | 257 | Jason Pennini | Nicky Lopez | SS | KC |
| 258 | Eddy Almaguer | Tony Gonsolin | RHP | LAD | |
| 259 | Scott Greene | Buddy Reed | OF | SD | |
| 260 | Connor Kurcon | Dylan Carlson | OF | STL | |
| 261 | Jason Woodell | Brock Deatherage | OF | DET | |
| 262 | Chris Welsh | Zac Lowther | LHP | BAL | |
| 263 | John Calvagno | Anthony Kay | LHP | NYM | |
| 264 | Eric Cross | Tristan Pompey | OF | MIA | |
| 265 | Andy Singleton | Sean Reid-Foley | RHP | TOR | |
| 266 | Chris Blessing | Thomas Szapucki | LHP | NYM | |
| 267 | Ralph Lifshitz | Jonathan Ornelas | 2B/SS/3B | TEX | |
| 268 | Matt Thompson | Dean Kremer | RHP | BAL | |
| 269 | Ray Butler | Yasel Antuna | INF | WAS | |
| 270 | Rhys White | Noelvi Marte | SS | SEA | |
| 271 | James Anderson | Lenny Torres | RHP | CLE | |
| 272 | Lance Brozdowski | Starling Heredia | OF | LAD | |
| 18 | 273 | Lance Brozdowski | Steele Walker | OF | CHW |
| 274 | James Anderson | Garrett Whitley | OF | TB | |
| 275 | Rhys White | Darwinzon Hernandez | LHP | BOS | |
| 276 | Ray Butler | Ezequiel Duran | 2B | NYY | |
| 277 | Matt Thompson | James Kaprielian | RHP | OAK | |
| 278 | Ralph Lifshitz | Alex Lange | RHP | CHC | |
| 279 | Chris Blessing | Mason Denaburg | RHP | WAS | |
| 280 | Andy Singleton | Willians Astudillo | C | MIN | |
| 281 | Eric Cross | Willi Castro | SS | DET | |
| 282 | John Calvagno | Garrett Whitlock | RHP | NYY | |
| 283 | Chris Welsh | Kevin Alcantara | OF | NYY | |
| 284 | Jason Woodell | Anthony Garcia | OF | NYY | |
| 285 | Connor Kurcon | Matt Thaiss | 1B | LAA | |
| 286 | Scott Greene | Emilio Vargas | RHP | ARI | |
| 287 | Eddy Almaguer | Diosbel Arias | 3B | TEX | |
| 288 | Jason Pennini | Spencer Howard | RHP | PHI | |
| 19 | 289 | Jason Pennini | Troy Stokes | OF | MIL |
| 290 | Eddy Almaguer | Cal Stevenson | OF | TOR | |
| 291 | Scott Greene | Anderson Tejeda | 2B | TEX | |
| 292 | Connor Kurcon | Diego Cartaya | C | LAD | |
| 293 | Jason Woodell | Daniel Brito | 2B | PHI | |
| 294 | Chris Welsh | Junior Sanquintin | SS | CLE | |
| 295 | John Calvagno | Luis Gonzalez | OF | CHW | |
| 296 | Eric Cross | Clarke Schmidt | RHP | NYY | |
| 297 | Andy Singleton | Gabriel Rodriguez | SS | CLE | |
| 298 | Chris Blessing | Yefri Del Rosario | RHP | KC | |
| 299 | Ralph Lifshitz | Osiel Rodriguez | RHP | NYY | |
| 300 | Matt Thompson | Carlos Vargas | RHP | CLE | |
| 301 | Ray Butler | Albert Abreu | RHP | NYY | |
| 302 | Rhys White | Starlyn Castillo | RHP | PHI | |
| 303 | James Anderson | Misael Urbina | OF | MIN | |
| 304 | Lance Brozdowski | Griffin Conine | OF | TOR | |
| 20 | 305 | Lance Brozdowski | Jhoan Duran | RHP | MIN |
| 306 | James Anderson | Jake Fraley | OF | TB | |
| 307 | Rhys White | Adrian Hernandez | OF | NYM | |
| 308 | Ray Butler | Jeren Kendall | OF | LAD | |
| 309 | Matt Thompson | Raynel Delgado | INF | CLE | |
| 310 | Ralph Lifshitz | Joe Gray | OF | MIL | |
| 311 | Chris Blessing | Jean Carmona | SS | BAL | |
| 312 | Andy Singleton | Richard Gallardo | RHP | CHC | |
| 313 | Eric Cross | Shane McClanahan | LHP | TB | |
| 314 | John Calvagno | Freddy Tarnok | RHP | ATL | |
| 315 | Chris Welsh | Danny Diaz | 3B | BOS | |
| 316 | Jason Woodell | Anthony Siegler | C | NYY | |
| 317 | Connor Kurcon | Cole Ragans | LHP | TEX | |
| 318 | Scott Greene | Ryan Noda | 1B | TOR | |
| 319 | Eddy Almaguer | Rochest Cruz | 2B | CHC | |
| 320 | Jason Pennini | TJ Zeuch | RHP | TOR | |
| 21 | 321 | Jason Pennini | Andy Young | 2B | STL |
| 322 | Eddy Almaguer | Cole Tucker | SS | PIT | |
| 323 | Scott Greene | Denyi Reyes | RHP | BOS | |
| 324 | Connor Kurcon | Yoendrys Gomez | RHP | NYY | |
| 325 | Jason Woodell | Kevin Newman | SS | PIT | |
| 326 | Chris Welsh | Frainyer Chavez | SS | TEX | |
| 327 | John Calvagno | Jake Scheiner | 3B | PHI | |
| 328 | Eric Cross | Luis Santana | 2B | NYM | |
| 329 | Andy Singleton | Thomas Jones | OF | MIA | |
| 330 | Chris Blessing | Jeremy Eierman | SS | OAK | |
| 331 | Ralph Lifshitz | Yunior Severino | 2B | MIN | |
| 332 | Matt Thompson | Dakota Hudson | RHP | STL | |
| 333 | Ray Butler | JoJo Romero | LHP | PHI | |
| 334 | Rhys White | Beau Burrows | RHP | DET | |
| 335 | James Anderson | Andres Munoz | RHP | SD | |
| 336 | Lance Brozdowski | Kris Bubic | LHP | KC | |
| 22 | 337 | Lance Brozdowski | Nick Dunn | 2B | STL |
| 338 | James Anderson | Johnathan Rodriguez | OF | CLE | |
| 339 | Rhys White | Jorge Guzman | RHP | MIA | |
| 340 | Ray Butler | Jake Burger | 3B | CHW | |
| 341 | Matt Thompson | Lane Thomas | OF | STL | |
| 342 | Ralph Lifshitz | Alvin Guzman | OF | ARI | |
| 343 | Chris Blessing | Lucas Erceg | 3B | MIL | |
| 344 | Andy Singleton | Patrick Sandoval | LHP | LAA | |
| 345 | Eric Cross | Kyle Lewis | OF | SEA | |
| 346 | John Calvagno | Will Stewart | LHP | PHI | |
| 347 | Chris Welsh | Christopher Seise | SS | TEX | |
| 348 | Jason Woodell | Cristian Santana | 3B | LAD | |
| 349 | Connor Kurcon | Chris Shaw | 1B | SF | |
| 350 | Scott Greene | Colin Poche | LHP | TB | |
| 351 | Eddy Almaguer | Connor Joe | 1B | LAD | |
| 352 | Jason Pennini | Gilberto Jimenez | OF | BOS | |
| 23 | 353 | Jason Pennini | Desmond Lindsay | OF | NYM |
| 354 | Eddy Almaguer | Frank Schwindel | 1B | KC | |
| 355 | Scott Greene | Brewer Hicklen | OF | KC | |
| 356 | Connor Kurcon | Simeon Woods Richardson | RHP | NYM | |
| 357 | Jason Woodell | Huascar Ynoa | RHP | ATL | |
| 358 | Chris Welsh | Richard Palacios | 3B | CLE | |
| 359 | John Calvagno | Pedro Castellanos | 1B | BOS | |
| 360 | Eric Cross | Sam Hilliard | OF | COL | |
| 361 | Andy Singleton | Luis Arraez | 2B | MIN | |
| 362 | Chris Blessing | CJ Alexander | 3B | ATL | |
| 363 | Ralph Lifshitz | Seth Romero | LHP | WAS | |
| 364 | Matt Thompson | Mariel Bautista | OF | CIN | |
| 365 | Ray Butler | Ibandel Isabel | 1B | CIN | |
| 366 | Rhys White | Drew Ellis | 3B | ARI | |
| 367 | James Anderson | Brennen Davis | OF | CHC | |
| 368 | Lance Brozdowski | Andy Yerzy | C | ARI | |
| 24 | 369 | Lance Brozdowski | Tyler Beede | RHP | SF |
| 370 | James Anderson | Tyler Ivey | RHP | HOU | |
| 371 | Rhys White | Raimfer Salinas | OF | NYY | |
| 372 | Ray Butler | Joerlin De Los Santos | OF | STL | |
| 373 | Matt Thompson | Michael Gettys | OF | SD | |
| 374 | Ralph Lifshitz | Josh Stowers | OF | SEA | |
| 375 | Chris Blessing | Bryson Brigman | 2B | MIA | |
| 376 | Andy Singleton | Bobby Bradley | 1B | CLE | |
| 377 | Eric Cross | Yu Chang | 3B | CLE | |
| 378 | John Calvagno | Jarren Duran | OF | BOS | |
| 379 | Chris Welsh | Sandy Gaston | RHP | TB | |
| 380 | Jason Woodell | Josh Fuentes | 3B | COL | |
| 381 | Connor Kurcon | Jairo Solis | RHP | HOU | |
| 382 | Scott Greene | Tyler Phillips | RHP | TEX | |
| 383 | Eddy Almaguer | Jose De La Cruz | OF | DET | |
| 384 | Jason Pennini | Austin Listi | OF | PHI | |
| 25 | 385 | Jason Pennini | Esteban Quiroz | 2B | BOS |
| 386 | Eddy Almaguer | Trevor Stephan | RHP | NYY | |
| 387 | Scott Greene | Austin Allen | C | SD | |
| 388 | Connor Kurcon | DaShawn Keirsey | OF | MIN | |
| 389 | Jason Woodell | Brock Burke | LHP | TB | |
| 390 | Chris Welsh | Trent Deveaux | OF | LAA | |
| 391 | John Calvagno | Gregory Santos | RHP | SF | |
| 392 | Eric Cross | Jameson Hannah | OF | OAK | |
| 393 | Andy Singleton | David Peterson | LHP | NYM | |
| 394 | Chris Blessing | Taj Bradley | RHP | TB | |
| 395 | Ralph Lifshitz | Connor Marabell | OF | CLE | |
| 396 | Matt Thompson | Aramis Ademan | SS | CHC | |
| 397 | Ray Butler | Gavin Sheets | 1B | CHW | |
| 398 | Rhys White | Ronny Rojas | 2B | NYY | |
| 399 | James Anderson | Lewis Thorpe | LHP | MIN | |
| 400 | Lance Brozdowski | Eguy Rosario | 2B | SD | |
| 26 | 401 | Lance Brozdowski | Reggie Lawson | RHP | SD |
| 402 | James Anderson | Richie Martin | SS | OAK | |
| 403 | Rhys White | Owen White | RHP | TEX | |
| 404 | Ray Butler | Diego Rincones | OF | SF | |
| 405 | Matt Thompson | Conner Capel | OF | STL | |
| 406 | Ralph Lifshitz | Enyel De Los Santos | RHP | PHI | |
| 407 | Chris Blessing | Seby Zavala | C | CHW | |
| 408 | Andy Singleton | Jeremiah Estrada | RHP | CHC | |
| 409 | Eric Cross | Jonathan Hernandez | RHP | TEX | |
| 410 | John Calvagno | Daniel Montano | OF | COL | |
| 411 | Chris Welsh | Luken Baker | 1B | STL | |
| 412 | Jason Woodell | Darick Hall | 1B | PHI | |
| 413 | Connor Kurcon | Jose Suarez | LHP | LAA | |
| 414 | Scott Greene | Jared Oliva | OF | PIT | |
| 415 | Eddy Almaguer | Brian Miller | OF | MIA | |
| 416 | Jason Pennini | Zach Haake | RHP | KC | |
| 27 | 417 | Jason Pennini | Julian Smith | LHP | LAD |
| 418 | Eddy Almaguer | Edward Cabrera | RHP | MIA | |
| 419 | Scott Greene | Freicer Perez | RHP | NYY | |
| 420 | Connor Kurcon | Tyler Stephenson | C | CIN | |
| 421 | Jason Woodell | Jose Soriano | RHP | LAA | |
| 422 | Chris Welsh | Victor Mesa Jr | OF | MIA | |
| 423 | John Calvagno | Quinn Brodey | OF | NYM | |
| 424 | Eric Cross | Bryan Reynolds | OF | PIT | |
| 425 | Andy Singleton | Michell Miliano | RHP | SD | |
| 426 | Chris Blessing | Jacob Heatherly | LHP | CIN | |
| 427 | Ralph Lifshitz | Sam Hentges | LHP | CLE | |
| 428 | Matt Thompson | Tyreque Reed | 1B | TEX | |
| 429 | Ray Butler | Luis Campusano | C | SD | |
| 430 | Rhys White | Nick Northcut | 3B | BOS | |
| 431 | James Anderson | Carlos Rodriguez | OF | MIL | |
| 432 | Lance Brozdowski | Tyler Kolek | RHP | MIA | |
| 28 | 433 | Lance Brozdowski | Izzy Wilson | OF | ATL |
| 434 | James Anderson | Elvin Rodriguez | RHP | DET | |
| 435 | Rhys White | Cristian Javier | RHP | HOU | |
| 436 | Ray Butler | Leonardo Jimenez | 2B/SS | TOR | |
| 437 | Matt Thompson | Tahnaj Thomas | RHP | CLE | |
| 438 | Ralph Lifshitz | Alex McKenna | OF | HOU | |
| 439 | Chris Blessing | Zack Burdi | RHP | CHW | |
| 440 | Andy Singleton | Riley Pint | RHP | COL | |
| 441 | Eric Cross | Nick Decker | OF | BOS | |
| 442 | John Calvagno | Jasseel De La Cruz | RHP | ATL | |
| 443 | Chris Welsh | Stuart Fairchild | OF | CIN | |
| 444 | Jason Woodell | Jeison Guzman | SS | KC | |
| 445 | Connor Kurcon | Jose Miranda | 2B/3B | MIN | |
| 446 | Scott Greene | Joe McCarthy | OF | TB | |
| 447 | Eddy Almaguer | Jack Herman | OF | PIT | |
| 448 | Jason Pennini | Carlos Hernandez | RHP | KC | |
| 29 | 449 | Jason Pennini | Fernando Valdez | INF | TEX |
| 450 | Eddy Almaguer | Jose Fermin | 2B | CLE | |
| 451 | Scott Greene | Kyle Dohy | LHP | PHI | |
| 452 | Connor Kurcon | Chris Rodriguez | RHP | LAA | |
| 453 | Jason Woodell | Jose Maldonado | RHP | PIT | |
| 454 | Chris Welsh | Davis Bradshaw | OF | MIA | |
| 455 | John Calvagno | Sean Hjelle | RHP | SF | |
| 456 | Eric Cross | Alec Hansen | RHP | CHW | |
| 457 | Andy Singleton | Cionel Perez | LHP | HOU | |
| 458 | Chris Blessing | Michael Gigliotti | OF | KC | |
| 459 | Ralph Lifshitz | J.J. Matijevic | 1B/OF | HOU | |
| 460 | Matt Thompson | Delvin Perez | SS | STL | |
| 461 | Ray Butler | Micah Bello | OF | MIL | |
| 462 | Rhys White | Zack Brown | RHP | MIL | |
| 463 | James Anderson | Alejandro Pie | SS | TB | |
| 464 | Lance Brozdowski | Ryan Helsley | RHP | STL | |
| 30 | 465 | Lance Brozdowski | Griffin Roberts | RHP | STL |
| 466 | James Anderson | Resly Linares | LHP | TB | |
| 467 | Rhys White | Grant Little | OF | SD | |
| 468 | Ray Butler | Carlos Morfa | OF | CHC | |
| 469 | Matt Thompson | Demi Orimoloye | OF | TOR | |
| 470 | Ralph Lifshitz | Eduarqui Fernandez | OF | MIL | |
| 471 | Chris Blessing | Ben Madison | RHP | SF | |
| 472 | Andy Singleton | Josiah Gray | RHP | CIN | |
| 473 | Eric Cross | Gabriel Maciel | OF | MIN | |
| 474 | John Calvagno | Gage Canning | OF | WAS | |
| 475 | Chris Welsh | Aaron Ashby | LHP | MIL | |
| 476 | Jason Woodell | Stanley Rosario | OF | NYY | |
| 477 | Connor Kurcon | Eli White | 2B | OAK | |
| 478 | Scott Greene | Brailyn Marquez | LHP | CHC | |
| 479 | Eddy Almaguer | Heriberto Hernandez | C | TEX | |
| 480 | Jason Pennini | Sheldon Neuse | 3B | OAK |
By Team in Top-100
11: San Diego
8: Tampa Bay
7: Atlanta
5: Chicago White Sox, Los Angeles Angels, New York Mets, Toronto Blue Jays
4: Cincinnati, Houston, Los Angeles Dodgers, Minnesota, Texas
3: Arizona, Cleveland, Colorado, Detroit, Oakland, Pittsburgh, Washington
2: Baltimore, Kansas City, New York Yankees, Philadelphia, St. Louis
1: Miami, Milwaukee, San Francisco
0: Boston, Chicago Cubs, Seattle
By Team Overall
San Diego (28), New York Yankees (25), Tampa Bay (24), Cleveland (23), Texas (20), Atlanta/Miami/St. Louis/Toronto (19), Minnesota/Philadelphia (18), Chicago White Sox/Kansas City (17), Houston/Los Angeles Dodgers (16), Cincinnati/Los Angeles Angels/New York Mets/Oakland (15), Arizona/Boston/Detroit (14), Milwaukee/Pittsburgh (12), Baltimore/Chicago Cubs/Colorado (11), San Francisco (10), Washington (7), Seattle (6).
Participant Recaps
Eric Cross – Fantrax (@EricCross04)
With this star-studded cast, I knew I was going to get sniped plenty. Everyone here knows their stuff so it was bound to happen. With my first pick at #8 overall, I stupidly hoped that Wander Franco would fall to me. Nope, no such luck, but I hapily took my #6 overall prospect in Royce Lewis here. With two 60-grade of better tools (hit, speed) and developing power, he’s one name I can see making the leap into the top-3 by this time next season.
In the second round, I wanted a power bat and was targeting my boy Nolan Gorman, but again, he went before my pick so I grabbed the 2018 minor league home run king (tied) in Peter Alonso, followed by my top overall dynasty catcher, Joey Bart, in round three at #40 overall. Dylan Cease fell to be in the 4th round following a dominant 2018 campaign. I have him well inside my top-50 overall, so this felt like great value to me.
My Favorite Picks – One of my favorite picks of the draft had to be Hunter Greene at 7.89. The elbow woes do cause some concern, but this is a potential ace in the back end of the top-100 due to his electric heater and developing secondary pitches. Logan Allen at 9.136 seemed like good value as well. He doesn’t get quite the same pub as other top-notch hurlers, but his three above-average to plus offerings and solid command have him within my top-100 overall.
Cavan Biggio fell big time in this draft. I was looking at him for a few rounds before I actually took him at 12.185. The power is legit and I’m a big fan of his plate discipline that led to a 17.8% walk rate for Double-A New Hampshire this season. Sure, the hit tool needs some work and you’d like to see him limit his strikeouts better, but this is a .250/.380/.500 type of hitter with 25-30 HR upside and enough speed to steal 10-15 bags annually.
Other picks that I liked the value on were Shane McClanahan (20.313), Yu Chang (24.377), Nick Decker (28.441), and Alec Hansen (29.456).
My Favorite Picks Made by Others: Garrett Hampson (4.50 – James Anderson), Nate Pearson (5.80 – Lance Brozdowski), Mark Vientos (6.90 – John Calvagno), Malcom Nunez (11.171 – Ralph Lifshitz), Akil Baddoo (12.190 – Scott Greene), Brock Deatherage (17.261 – Jason Woodell).
John Calvagno – Notes from the Sally (@SALNotes)
It was a thrill to be a part of the #ProspectMock480, Eric assembled a very talented group of prospectors, including many of my favorites in the industry.
In the early rounds of the mock, I was content taking high profile players that were slipping into the bargain range: Robles at #7, Rodgers at #26 and Alex Reyes at #39. From there I wanted to target the top players from the Sally and Appy, as long as the value made sense. I didn’t get all of my targets here but rounds 4-9 were some of the top talents from my region and I liked the value of each player where I got them: Drew Waters, Oneil Cruz, Mark Vientos, Heliot Ramos, MJ Melendez, and Shervyen Newton.
After Newton in round 9, I had reached a new tier on my regional board and I didn’t love the value in the 150 range. So I went for best available using James Anderson’s and Ralph Lifshitz’s big boards, nabbing Travis Swaggerty, (my jam) Anderson Espinoza and Joe Palumbo. From there I mostly went best available from the leagues I cover, hopefully shining a light on some talented but under the radar players. And with the last few picks, I nabbed a few kids I’m looking forward to watching in 2019.
Scott Greene – Prospects1500 (@ScottyBallgame)
You usually won’t see someone pick 4 SS’s out of his first 5 picks, but… since we were drafting based on “best prospect available,” that’s exactly what I did. Fernando Tatis, Jr. was my 1st choice (3rd overall behind Vlad and Eloy) but I just couldn’t pass up on these other solid talents in the early rounds.
Following my 2nd round grab (Chris Paddack) I was targeting Washington’s, Luis Garcia. I got him with the 3rd pick in the 3rd round (35th overall) which may have been a little reach, but I knew Rotowire’s James Anderson loves him and was definitely going to snag him if I didn’t. Anderson currently has Garcia ranked 17th overall on his Top 400 Fantasy Baseball Prospects list.
Then I couldn’t help but take Gavin Lux and Kevin Smith with my next two picks. They both had great 2018 seasons, their stat lines showed improvement for the levels they were playing at, and I figured I really didn’t need another middle infielder for the rest of the draft (although I drafted one other – Anderson Tejeda in the 19th round).
My spot 3rd overall made it an interesting one knowing that each time it came back to me I had two of the next six picks, with only Eddy Almaguer and Jason Pennini taking players in between my picks. I almost always got the two players I was targeting at my turn as I soon learned that Eddy and Jason were usually looking at other factors in determining their prospects choices in this huge mock draft.
To touch on some of my other favorite picks based on draft position, overall value and chance to follow up 2018 with solid 2019 season, here are a few others:
Bobby Dalbec (11.3, 163 overall) – Bobby Dalbombs as some of us Red Sox fans like to call him. Huge power that could play in the majors. We just have to see if he can follow up his big 2018 and there are many who think he’s not going to hit better than .220/.230. I put him in the .250/.260 range with 30+ HR power.
Akil Baddoo (12.14, 190 overall) – I honestly thought Baddoo should have been taken just outside of the Top 100. After landing a few of the other guys on my list in rounds 8-11 I couldn’t pass on Baddoo any longer. The Twins OF prospect has the tools to be an all-around star. He struggled some in Cedar Rapids (A, Midwest League) in 2018 hitting only .243, but I like the 11 HR, 40 RBI, and 24 SB. I think he can build on that and improve the AVG too.
Buddy Reed (17.3, 259 overall) – How does the MVP of the Arizona Fall League Fall Stars game fall this far? The Middletown, RI native split 2018 between A+/AA and had 13 HR, 62 RBI, and 51 SB, although he only slashed .271/.319/.435. I guess all the other guys in the mock didn’t like the slash line and don’t expect him to improve on those numbers. I’m guessing they also passed on him because he was 23 in Double-A.
Colin Poche (22.14, 350 overall) and Kyle Dohy (29.3, 451 overall) – Honestly, I may have been the only guy out of 16 that was looking at dominant relief pitchers. Maybe left-handed RPs are harder to project than other top pitching prospects, but I’m not sleeping on their eye-popping stats. Poche, 24, was 6-0 between AA/AAA, with 110 K in 66 IP (15 K/9) and a 0.82 ERA and 0.79 WHIP. Dominance! Dohy, 22, put up similar numbers over 3 levels (A/A+/AA) with 111 K in 67.1 IP (14.8 K/9).
Two other picks I want to touch on are Austin Allen (25.3, 387 overall) and Brailyn Marquez (30.14, 478 overall). Shout out to Ben Wilson (@TBDubbs11) for showing me the way on Allen. With Ronaldo Hernandez (7.3, 99) the only other catcher on my roster, Allen certainly fits nicely in this spot. He had a good season at Double-A San Antonio (22 HR, 56 RBI, .290 AVG) and could be on track to reach San Diego in 2019, depending on how Francisco Mejia fares.
Marquez was my final pick in the 30th round and he’s considered by some to be in the Cubs Top-5 prospects. He’s a 19-year-old coming off 10 starts with Short-Season Eugene in the Northwest League and then two starts for South Bend in the Midwest League. Combined he put up a 3.13 ERA, struck out 59 in 54.2 IP. He should spend most of 2019 between A/A+ and will be fun to monitor his progress. A very late round steal in my book!
Thanks to Eric Cross for assembling this group of prospecting minds and including me to represent Prospects1500.
James Anderson – Rotowire (@RealJRAnderson)
My picks: This was a very strong group of participants, so, unfortunately, nobody “fell” to me in the first two rounds. Even when I did start to get good values (according to my rankings), I was not surprised, just knowing how much higher I am than the pack on some of these guys. Matt Manning, DL Hall, Tyler Freeman, Francisco Morales and Jake Fraley were five guys I was very confident I would end up with. That’s the thing about an exercise like this, if you’re prepared, you should get a ton of “your guys”. You could probably show these final 30-prospect rosters to 10 different people and get 10 different responses for who had the best draft, which is how it should be.
My best pick: DL Hall at pick No. 114. I have him ranked inside my top 50.
Best overall pick: So many options here, but I’ll go with Ray Butler’s Ke’Bryan Hayes selection with the No. 77 overall pick. He is in my top 25, so that’s excellent value. Honorable mention to Matt Thompson getting Jhon Torres at pick 204.
Approach: I maintain my top 400 prospect rankings year round, so I’m leaning heavily on that in any exercise like this. This mock was particularly helpful for me, however, given where it fell in the calendar, as I got to battle test my rankings before finalizing them in the RotoWire baseball magazine. On roughly 75 percent of my picks I took the top player available on my rankings, but on another 25 percent, I found myself moving players up my board when push came to shove.
Chris Blessing – BaseballHQ (@C_Blessing)
In mock drafts, I try to draft as if this is for keeps. Priority one is to get a potential game-changing top prospect in round 1. Check. Angels OF Jo Adell is a top 5 fantasy prospect. In a draft with media types who grind at the park like much of the group does, I knew my advantage would be finding their scouting bias and figuring out where there were coverage outages. I hit the Texas League and the Midwest League hard, knowing guys would be undervalued because the coverage in those leagues amongst the group (as a whole) was lacking.
I made some strategic conservative picks as well, especially when the guys hit the lower minors hard early and often. Don’t get me wrong, I still went after guys I liked and picked Mets OF Jarred Kelenic just to get one of my Appy targets, even though it was about 2 or 3 rounds earlier than I had him ranked. I let the other owners take the big chances as I preferred the Mike Soroka’s and the Daz Cameron’s over the hot complex names.
My team is consistent with my recent roster-building strategies, even though, I only own Angels OF Brandon Marsh, Rays IF Lucius Fox, and White Sox OF Micker Adolfo in multiple formats. I want a mix of upside and floor. This team is just that. My favorite pick was Royals RHP Yelfri Del Rosario in round 19. I just love the potential with finish beyond his years. My biggest regret wasn’t targeting enough catchers. I chose three, Dodgers Will Smith, Athletics Sean Murphy, and White Sox Seby Zavala, but should have targeted five, considering 30 slots and the struggles finding quality regulars at the position.
As we got later in the draft, I made some heart picks. I picked a dude one of my best friends in baseball was the signing scout for and a guy I really like who I scouted as an associate scout this past spring. It’s okay targeting those heart picks late. My final pick, Giants RHP Ben Madison, I targeted as my last pick. I had some good reads and intel on Madison. It’s my most speculative pick.
Connor Kurcon – Six Man Rotation (@ckurcon)
Overall, I thought my draft went pretty well. I got the honor of picking 4th, which made it easy for me to plan, as I knew Vlad, Tatis, and Eloy would go 1-2-3. Ended up going with Kyle Tucker at #4 over Wander Franco, who was picked one pick later. Franco has the potential to be what Vlad Jr is now in 2019, however, for me, the hit/speed/power combo from Tucker, plus the fact that he’s been MLB ready for some time had me selecting him 4th overall.
My general plan was to only take 2-3 pitchers in the top 200 or so, electing to select some more personal favorites that I knew would be there later on in the draft, such as Daniel Lynch at pick 196, who I think has the chance to be one of the best pitchers from the 2018 draft should the velocity uptick he saw after signing hold through 2019.
A few other favorite picks of mine were Vidal Brujan at pick 36, Jazz Chisholm at 125, Dylan Carlson at pick 260, and Jose Suarez at pick 413. Brujan has a chance to become another barrel control/speed guy we’ve been seeing emerge around baseball, in the mold of Ozzie Albies. Gun-to-head, Jazz would be my favorite pick in the draft, as I think he’s an easy top-100 guy for fantasy and I got him a good range outside of that. Tore up High-A as a 20-year-old, will stick at short, and has a real chance to erupt into the spotlight in 2019.
Dylan Carlson gets perpetually underrated. Bat speed and barrel control from the left side and another guy that more than held his own at High-A as a 19-year-old this year; the offensive potential is high for a pick in the mid-200’s. Jose Suarez is not a pick with oozing with upside, but as a lefty with 4 pitches, a bump in velocity (t95), and a better breaking ball this season, he’s a pretty sure bet to be at least a #4 starting pitcher, which is all anyone can possibly be looking for at pick 400+ if they’re honest with themselves. If the command gets better, he could have some #3 SP years.
I had a good time with this draft overall, and I look forward to any future ones.
Rhys White – Six Man Rotation (@RhysBWhite)
Before we get into what my plan was for the draft and how it actually turned out, I wanted to say thank you to Eric Cross for putting this on and for fitting me in this mock with so many great prospect minds (minus Connor Kurcon, my co-prospect analyst at Six Man Rotation). My strategy for #prospectmock480 was to target hitters with good hit tools and to wait on pitchers, and spoiler alert I picked a pitcher with my first pick (shrug emoji).
So I went with the best pitching prospect in all the land to start my draft, as I along with most of the prospect community believe Forrest Whitley has ace upside. I followed that up with Keston Hiura who is an easy plus-plus hitter with emerging power. Then came my spiciest pick of the draft as I will admit I did reach for Kristian Robinson at the 46th overall pick but his tantalizing tools were too much to pass on as he has plus raw power and the chance for plus speed when he breaks into the majors (side note I should not have more twitter followers than Kristian Robinson).
After my spicy pick, I went with three straight prospects who I project out as plus hitters with above average power starting with Dodgers catching prospect Keibert Ruiz, followed by Tigers infield prospect Isaac Paredes, and finishing with O’s prospect Ryan Mountcastle who probably ends up in left field because of his below average arm.
As the unofficial president of the Nico Hoerner fan club, I really liked where I got him with the 142nd overall pick. I believe Hoerner has more than enough range to play shortstop and has the requisite arm strength to stick there, it’s the bat however that gets me excited about the former Stanford Cardinal. Hoerner had one of the more interesting profiles pre-draft as he was someone that showed power with wood bats during the Cape and other collegiate wood bat leagues but that power never materialized when he was playing for Stanford.
Now while he only had 60 plate appearances in pro ball he did slash .327/.450/.527 across three levels, he did mash two homers and stole himself six bases. Hoerner like many college hitters drafted in the first round should be a quick mover through the minors and it just so happens Hoerner went to an organization that has shown a propensity to get the most out of highly drafted college hitters.
After the 10th round I went out and started to grab some pitchers who I deemed to have significant upside and that’s apparent when I drafted freshly signed Starlyn Castillo in the 19th round. The super young Phillies right-hander was their top signee from the rost recent J2 crop and reports are that he has the potential for two plus pitches in the fastball-slider combination. He is on the smaller side as the young Dominican hurler is listed at 6 foot, but he has electric stuff and is in an organization that will give the requisite time to develop.
I usually don’t invest in recent J2 pitchers in my dynasty leagues but I thought if this were to be a league I could sit on Castillo for a few years and draft some closer to the majors pitching prospects later, like Christian Javier in the 28th round and Milwaukee’s Zack Brown in the 29th.
To conclude how I think my team came together, I really liked the farm system I was able to assemble from the 14th spot in the draft. I ended up drafting 10 pitchers which are way more than I honestly was anticipating, however, I liked where I got each of them. The hitters I managed to assemble are either polished hitters with a plus hit tool or Monte Harrison (insert laugh track). If I was invited to a startup dynasty draft where we separately drafted majors and minors I would be extremely happy coming away with this squad
Thanks again to Eric for inviting me to be part of such a great group of prospectors, who you all need to follow before you follow this bum. You can follow me on twitter @RhysBWhite and feel free to ask me any prospect related question.
Eddy Almaguer – Prospects Live (@EddyAlmaguer)
For my first eight picks, I drafted guys I already owned across several dynasty leagues like Antonio Cabello, Bryse Wilson, and Jonathan Loaisiga. But I realized that was a mistake because, among a group of great prospectors, it presented an opportunity to see where some of my favorite players (Dustin May, K.Lee, A.Beck) would get drafted as opposed to making myself the “ADP Enforcer”. As such, for the remainder of the draft, I opted for bats and pitchers I liked but didn’t own anywhere.
Overall I aimed for primarily bats that excel in the on-base percentage because it gives someone an out if the hit tool doesn’t manifest completely. And, well, I play in a metric ton of OBP leagues so I inherently have that bias. That’s why I drafted guys like Sherten Apostel, Cal Stevenson, and Cole Roederer up top and to an extent Jose Fermin, Connor Joe, and Heriberto Hernandez near the end.
Because speed is diminishing in the game, I wasn’t afraid to pop speed demons like Myles Straw, Rochest Cruz, and even Cole Tucker. Don’t be afraid to roster one-dimensional guys in your farm system because they will likely return more value than you think.
For my pitching, I opted for the underappreciated guys as opposed to the top arms. I only drafted eight pitchers (and all righties, though not on purpose) and outside of Deivi Garcia, they’re of the variety that lack much pedigree but are consistently producing. Guys like Taylor Widener, Tony Gonsolin and Jordan Yamamoto aren’t going to be centerpieces of a fantasy trade, but they’re the SP3s and SP4s that will ensure you have a deep staff that’s ready to contribute soon.
Photo/Video Credit:
Eric Cross is the lead MLB writer and prospect analyst here on FantraxHQ and has been with the site since March 2017. In the past, he wrote for FantasyPros and FanSided. He is also a member of the Fantasy Sports Writers Association (FSWA). For more from Eric, check out his author page and follow him on Twitter @EricCross04.